It was test-marketed in several American cities, including Richmond, Virginia, and Springfield, Massachusetts, as the "not so soft drink."
The drink was first announced in June 1978, with Chicago advertising agency Needham, Harper & Steers at the helm of its promotional campaign.
Even early on, Chelsea ran afoul of anti-alcohol advocates for supposedly whetting teen appetites for alcoholic drinks.
"Chelsea fits the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Standard of Identity for a soft drink.
man would have to consume more than 34 ten ounce bottles (2.6 gallons) in one hour to reach a blood alcohol level considered to be legally under the influence.'
(80–100 mg/100 ml in most states) '...about a gallon of Chelsea (twelve 10 ounce bottles per hour) would have to be ingested by a normal 70 lb.