Time to Meet Michelada

When it comes to cocktails, most are either sweet or just glasses of booze with stuff in them. Beside the bloody Mary, there aren’t many truly savory drinks. Well, Bloody Mary has a Mexican cousin. Yes, there is the bloody Maria. But, we are talking about another savory drink. It’s national Michelada day. So, it’s Time to Meet Michelada. Instead of Tequila, beer is the main ingredient. There are multiple variations. Some simply add Lime and spices. But, most use tomato juice or Clamato. I know, clam and tomato? Some people love it. Most of us, though, prefer the clams on the half shell, fried, or in chowder. But, it kind of makes sense. If you like beer, clams, and salsa, this is all 3 in one drink. However, since clams aren’t a favorite with everyone, we’ll leave them out. Plus, we get to keep it vegan. So… bonus.

For Beer purists, this sounds like blasphemy. Why would you add anything to beer? It should stand on its own. Well, if you use a lighter Mexican beer, you aren’t ruining the integrity of the fine craftsmanship. In fact, Corona is traditionally served with a lime, so you’re already on your way. And, that’s the key to a Michelada: Light, preferably Mexican, beer. As much as we love artisan beers, this is not the place for them. We aren’t looking for a hoppy finish, or complexity in an ale. It’s about smooth and balanced. This is a refreshing drink. And, you get to salt the rim of a beer glass. Again… Bonus.

Summer is the best Time to Meet Michelada

While Cinco De mayo is when most Americans imbibe on Mexican drinks, these can find their way onto menus any time of year. However, summer is the best time, since they are chilled and refreshing. There are conflicting stories of how the Michelada became a drink. But, one that seems to have staying power is that a guy named Michel Esper used to go to a club in Mexico where he would order a beer with lime and salt served over ice in a glass with a straw so it looked like lemonade (in Spanish, called limonada). Soon, other patron’s would ask for Michel’s “lemonade”. Over time the words became conflated: Michel-ada. Another possibility stems from a conflation of 2 Mexican terms: Chela (meaning cold beer). And, helada, meaning frosty. So, Mi Chela Helada means “my ice cold beer”. Condense to Mi-chelada.

And, the Chelada is a drink as well. In fact, it’s pretty much the base of the Michelada: Beer, lime, and salt. So, That makes Michelada a variation. I’ve seen recipes that leave out the Tomato juice. But, isn’t that just a chelada? You may recall our post on long Island Iced Tea. We pointed out some variations like Texas Tea, The Boston Tea Party, and Hawaiian Iced Tea. This is the same type of conundrum with chelada vs Michelada. By altering the recipe, you get a different drink. So, for the sake of consistency, we consider a Michelada the variation with tomato juice. So, that’s where we’re going today. It’s a great alternative for your brunch party when you don’t want to get drunk too fast by drinking Bloody maria’s. Most Mexican Beers are about 4% alcohol, compared to 40% for vodka or tequila.

Let’s start drinking

It’s not uncommon to see a Michelada served with Cocktail shrimp hanging off the side of the glass. This makes sense. All the spices and tomato are sort of like a cocktail sauce. Plus, beer is a common drink with shrimp. So, if that sounds appealing, have at it. Or, you can just drink them with or without food. We leave that up to you. Just don’t take drugs with it or you could end up in a music video like Bonelang‘s Michelada. To get you started, we present this recipe for 2 drinks or 1 really big one:

• 12 oz Mexican lager beer like Pacifico, Sol, Corona, modella Especial or similar
• 3/4 Cup Tomato Juice
• 1/4 Cup Lime Juice
• 1/4 tsp Worcestershire
• 1/4 tsp soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp hot sauce
• Tajin seasoning or a mixture of Chili powder and salt
• Large flake sea salt or kosher salt
• Limes and tomato for garnish
• Cooked Cocktail shrimp (optional)

Put Tajin or chili salt mix in a plate, moisten the rims of your glasses and rim the glasses with the salt mixture. In a pitcher, mix all other ingredients except the beer. Add in ice and the beer. Stir just enough to mix, but not dissipate the carbonation. Pour into the rimmed glasses and garnish. Serve immediately.

Salud!