If you've ever been to Mexico, odds are you came across a fair share of Micheladas. What looks and sounds quite adventurous, actually, is a light version of a Bloody Mary. The beauty of a Michelada is it is extremely refreshing and spicy, low-ABV, and an excellent daytime drink.
Quick Facts Michelada Beer Cocktail
- Method: built in glass
- Flavor profile: spicy, savory
- How to serve it: over ice
- Best glassware: pint glass
- Alcohol content: ~ 2.5% ABV, 8.5 grams of alcohol per serving
You're into brunch drinks or beer cocktails, like your beer cold, and aren't afraid of a bit of spice? Then you have to try this cocktail.
Equipment
- 1 Jigger
- 1 Bar spoon
Ingredients
- 6 oz Mexican beer like Dos Equis or Sol
- 6 oz Clamato juice
- 1 oz Freshly squeezed lime juice
- 0.25 oz Worcestershire sauce
- 0.25 oz Soy sauce
- 3 dash Hot sauce
- Tajín spice for rim
- Salt for rim
Instructions
- Mix salt and Tajín mix in a small shallow dish or bowl.Tajín spice for rim, Salt for rim
- Use a lime wedge to rub the rim of your glass and dip it into the salt and Tajín mix.
- Add the sauces, lime juice, and Clamato juice into the glass and stir well.6 oz Clamato juice, 0.25 oz Worcestershire sauce, 0.25 oz Soy sauce, 3 dash Hot sauce, 1 oz Freshly squeezed lime juice
- Add ice cubes and add chilled beer until the glass is 3/4 full.6 oz Mexican beer like Dos Equis or Sol
- Stir again gently, and then fill up with more chilled beer.6 oz Mexican beer like Dos Equis or Sol
- Garnish your Michelada with a lime wedge.
Nutrition
What is a Michelada?
A Michelada is a Mexican beer cocktail made with beer, fresh lime juice, spices, clamato juice, chili peppers, and a variety of sauces. It's served in a pint glass with a spicy salt rim and garnished with a lime wedge.
The choice of sauces depends on the mixer's preferences, but usually, spicy ones are part of the mix. Some common options are hot sauces, Maggi, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.
The name "Michelada" likely is derived from the Spanish words mi chela helada. These words literally translate to my ice-cold beer.
The drink is served in a tall glass rimmed with Tajín spice. Tajín is a Mexican condiment mainly consisting of lime, salt, and chili. This spicy and salty mix makes a perfect salt rim for a Michelada.
Base Ingredients in a Michelada
A Michelada can include all sorts of ingredients but always follows a similar approach. The basic items you need to make this beer drink are:
- Mexican Lager, e.g., Dos Equis
- Lime
- salt
- chile slices
- Hot sauce
- Tajín
Commonly, a Michelada is served with more than just these ingredients. Clamato juice is among the most popular among these add-ons. Others include seasoning sauces like Maggi and Worcestershire sauce, chamoy powder, soy sauce, and chili peppers.
Best beer for making a Michelada
The best beer to make a Michelada is light Mexican beer like Dos Equis, Sol, Corona, Tecate, or Modelo. My preferred choices are Dos Equis or Sol, but Tecate is a very common, popular pick too.
However, you can also use beers from other countries. Make sure you use light, Lager-style types to keep the taste close to those from Mexiko since these work best with the burst of flavors of all the savory elements.
Don't use overly malty options or dark beers. Their sweetness doesn't work well in a Michelada.
How to make a Michelada
The preparation of a Michelada is a bit tricky as it includes many ingredients and quite a few steps to make it right.
- First, rim your glass with the Tajín spice mix. For that, put a bit of the spice mixture into a shallow bowl or on a plate. Rub the rim of the glass with lime juice, then dip it into the Tajín spice.
- Next, add the sauces, lime juice, and a pinch of salt to the glass. Use your bar spoon to stir the mix until all is combined. Only then add ice cubes to the glass.
- Now the ice-cold beer goes in. Fill the glass 3/4. Gently stir the mix so that the beer blends well.
- Finally, top up the glass with more beer and garnish the drink with a lime wedge. Don't fill up the glass to the rim at once because it makes stirring much more difficult.
Clamato juice or tomato juice?
The answer is you can use both, but Clamato juice is better. I prefer to keep things traditional, and. in fact, Clamato is the Mexican secret key to the perfect Michelada. Let me explain why:
Tomato juice is, well, juice made from tomatoes. The taste is quite delicate and won't add much to the drink.
Clamato juice is made from tomato juice concentrate, sugar, spices, and clam broth. These additional flavorings in Clamato make for a great and more complex taste of your Michelada.
Best hot sauce for a Michelada Drink
Most recipes will use Tabasco sauce as it's super easy to get and works a treat in Micheladas - our recipe is no different in that respect. The reason is simple:
The taste and spice level of hot sauces varies significantly. Therefore it's super hard to adjust the rest of the ingredients to the hot component. When using Tabasco, you know what you get.
Even if products from different brands vary a bit, the general taste and spice level are similar. However, if you have a personal favorite when it comes to hot sauces, don't be afraid to experiment with it.
What is Worcestershire sauce?
Worcestershire sauce is a fermented liquid condiment most popular in England. This sauce has a slightly sweet taste with a complex flavor profile. In England, Worcestershire sauce is used to add flavor to almost everything. It's the go-to sauce when it comes to seasoning food.
Your article helped me a lot to make my first Michelada cocktail. It was damn tasty, thanks!