Michelada – a Mexican tomato beer cocktail

I don’t know how it came up in conversation, but my good friend Carolyn was telling me about drinking tomato beer during her summers in Savannah. My first thought about combining beer with tomato juice was “Yuck. That cannot be good”. The idea of it stuck in my head, though. After our first week of sweltering heat, I was ready for a summer cocktail that was thirst quenching and different.  A beer cocktail started to sound like it might hit the spot. A quick internet search showed, to my surprise, that beer and tomato juice is a pretty common combination. It also turns out, that beer and tomato juice cocktails aren’t just found in pockets of the Southern U.S., they have been around a long time in Mexico, where they are known as Micheladas. 

I made a couple for me and the hubby and they were good. REALLY good! So good, that I think they might be my new favorite summer drink.

A Michelada is a Mexican beer and tomato juice cocktail with fresh lime juice, Worcestershire and Maggi seasoning, hot sauce and ice. It’s very similar to a Bloody Mary,  just replacing the vodka with beer. Also, like the Bloody Mary, there are dozens of different versions, using different combinations of chile powder, hot sauce, soy sauce, onions and peppers. I’ve seen lots of recipes for Micheladas which use Clamato juice. Clamato has high-fructose corn syrup in it, so I wanted to stay clear of that. For this version, I stick to 100% tomato juice. I also opted for a Mexican cerveza – Dos Equis lager. It seemed like a good light beer to use.

I will warn you that Micheladas go down really fast, but there is only a half a beer in each one. So, you can easily drink two without putting a dent in your alcohol consumption. And with the tomato and lime juice, it’s so healthy! Micheladas are traditionally used to treat a hangover, so maybe this is more of a Sunday brunch cocktail, instead of Friday cocktail hour drink. Either way, cheers!

Michelada – tomato & beer cocktail

2 tblsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp chile powder
3 oz. tomato juice (about 1/2 of a 5.5 oz can)
2 dashes of tabasco (I use Chipotle Tabasco)
2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes of Maggi sauce
juice of two limes
1/2 of a 12 oz bottle of Mexican beer – pilsner or lager, like Corona or Modela
lime wedge

Mix your kosher salt and chile powder in a small, shallow bowl or plate. Rub the rim of a tall glass with your cut lime, then dip into your kosher salt/chile powder mixture to create your salt rim.

Fill your glass with ice and add the tomato juice, tabasco, maggi sauce, lime juice and tequila. Stir to mix. Then top with your beer and give it a quick stir. Squeeze your lime wedges over the top and drop into the glass. Enjoy!

Another version, called a Chavela, uses clamato and a shot of tequila.

Chavela

2 tblsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp chile powder
3 oz. clamato juice
3 dashes of tabasco (I use Chipotle Tabasco)
2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1 12 oz bottle of Mexican beer – pilsner or lager, like Corona or Modela
1 1/2 oz. tequila
2 lime wedges

Mix your kosher salt and chile powder in a small, shallow bowl or plate. Rub the rim of a tall glass with your cut lime, then dip into your kosher salt/chile powder mixture to create your salt rim.

Fill your glass with ice and add the clamato juice, tabasco, Worcestershire sauce and tequila. Stir to mix. Then top with your beer and give it a quick stir. Squeeze your lime wedges over the top and drop into the glass.

Salud!