Michelada

The Michelada is a popular Mexican 'cerveza preparada' that combines light beer with a zesty mix of lime juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and often tomato or Clamato juice. It's a spicy, salty, and umami-rich drink known for its revitalizing properties. Often considered a cousin to the Bloody Mary, it substitutes beer for vodka, creating a lighter and more effervescent experience. The drink is highly customizable, with countless regional variations throughout Mexico.
Michelada

Preparation

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Preparation time
Difficulty

Drink Classification

The Michelada is classified as a beer-based cocktail. It is a savory and refreshing drink, often enjoyed as a daytime beverage or a hangover cure, placing it in a unique category compared to spirit-forward cocktails.

Serving

Served ice-cold in a large pint glass or beer mug with a distinctive chili-salt rim. It's a low-ABV drink, with its alcohol content determined by the chosen beer.
Serving size
~350-450 ml / 12-15 oz
Alcohol content
~4-6% ABV
Alcohol strength
Serving temperature
Cold
Glass type
Pint glass
Glass treatment
Rimmed with a mix of salt and chili powder

Backstory

The origin of the Michelada is debated, but one popular story traces it to Club Deportivo Potosino in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, in the 1960s. A club member named Michel Ésper allegedly began ordering his beer with lime, salt, and spices. The concoction was dubbed 'Michel's lemonade' or 'Michelada.' Another theory suggests the name is a portmanteau of 'mi chela helada,' meaning 'my cold beer'.
Origin
Mexico, around the 1960s.

Michelada

The drink is universally known as the Michelada. A more generic term is 'cerveza preparada', which simply means 'prepared beer' and can refer to various beer cocktails in Mexico, with the Michelada being the most famous example.
Original name
Michelada
Alternative name
Cerveza Preparada

Characteristics overview

This cocktail has a complex, savory flavor profile, dominated by tangy lime, spicy chili, and rich umami notes. It has a light, bubbly texture and a refreshing quality perfect for warm weather.
Flavor
Savory, Spicy, Tangy, Umami, Salty, Refreshing
Aroma
Lime, Chili, Tomato, Malt
Taste balance
Sour, Salty, Spicy, Umami
Aftertaste
Clean, Spicy, Lingering savory notes
Fizziness
Lightly carbonated
Color appearance
Reddish-brown, Cloudy, Bubbly
Texture
Thin, Bubbly, Light
Seasonality
Refreshing, Summery

Flavor intensity & Experience

The flavor is intensely savory, sour, and salty, with a customizable level of spice. It's low in alcohol and sweetness, with a refreshing fizziness from the beer.
Sweetness
Saltiness
Sourness
Bitterness
Spiciness
Fruitiness
Creaminess
Carbonation

Ingredients

The core ingredients are a light Mexican lager, fresh lime juice, and a blend of savory sauces like Worcestershire and hot sauce. Clamato or tomato juice is often added for body and flavor.
  • Mexican Lager Beer355 ml / 12 oz
    A light, crisp lager like Corona, Modelo Especial, or Tecate works best. Should be very cold.
  • Lime Juice45 ml / 1.5 oz
    Freshly squeezed is essential for the best flavor.
  • Clamato Juice60 ml / 2 oz
    Can be substituted with plain tomato juice, but Clamato provides a distinctive savory flavor. Contains clam broth.
  • Worcestershire Sauce2 dashes
    Adds umami depth. Traditional versions often contain anchovies.
  • Hot Sauce2-4 dashes
    Use a Mexican-style hot sauce like Valentina or Cholula. Adjust to your preferred spice level.
  • Maggi Seasoning1 dash(optional)
    A popular addition for extra savoriness. Can be substituted with soy sauce.
  • Chili-lime seasoningFor rim
    Tajín is the most common brand. Can be mixed with coarse salt.

Ice type

  • Cubed

Mixing equipments

Preparation requires basic bar tools like a jigger for measuring liquids and a citrus juicer. You will also need a small plate to prepare the chili-salt rim for the glass.
  • Jigger for measuring liquids
  • Citrus juicer for lime
  • Small plate for rimming the glass

Instructions

The process is simple: rim a pint glass with chili-salt, add ice, lime juice, and sauces, then gently top with cold beer and stir lightly. Garnish with a lime wedge before serving.
1. Prepare the glass: Pour chili-lime seasoning and salt onto a small plate. Rub a lime wedge around the rim of a pint glass, then dip the wet rim into the seasoning mix to coat it.
2. Build the drink: Squeeze the fresh lime juice into the prepared glass. Add the Clamato juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and optional Maggi seasoning.
3. Add ice: Fill the glass about halfway with ice cubes.
4. Top with beer: Open a very cold beer and slowly pour it into the glass, tilting the glass to prevent excessive foaming.
5. Stir and garnish: Gently stir the contents with a bar spoon or straw to combine. Garnish with a fresh lime wedge on the rim and serve immediately.

Garnishing

A simple lime wedge placed on the rim of the glass is the most common and classic garnish. More elaborate versions might include a celery stalk, olives, or even cooked shrimp.
  • Lime wedge placed on the rim of the glass

Dietary Information

This drink contains alcohol and is not typically gluten-free, vegan, or vegetarian due to the beer, Worcestershire sauce, and Clamato juice. Soy may be present in Worcestershire sauce.
✓ Contains alcohol
✓ Caffeine-free
✓ Dairy-free
✓ Egg-free
✕ Soy-free
✓ Nut-free
✕ Gluten-free
✕ Vegan-friendly
✕ Vegetarian-friendly

Nutrition information

A Michelada is relatively low in calories, carbohydrates, and sugar compared to many other cocktails. Most of its caloric and carb content comes from the beer itself.
Calories
averagely 140-180 kcal / 585-753 kJ
Calories level
Carbohydrates
averagely 15-20 g
Carbohydrate level
Sugar
averagely 8-12 g
Sugar level

Occasions

The Michelada is perfect for a variety of casual occasions. It's a popular choice for brunch, a refreshing daytime drink on a hot day, and is famously considered a remedy for hangovers.
  • Brunch
  • Day drinking
  • Hangover cure
  • Summer party
  • Barbecue

Pairing suggestions

The Michelada's savory and spicy character makes it an excellent companion to Mexican cuisine, especially tacos, ceviche, and grilled meats. It also pairs wonderfully with spicy dishes and fresh seafood, cutting through richness and complementing bold flavors.
  • Tacos
  • Ceviche
  • Grilled meats
  • Spicy food
  • Seafood

The Michelada: Mexico's Ultimate Refreshing and Savory Beer Cocktail

The Michelada is a quintessential Mexican beer cocktail, celebrated for its unique savory, spicy, and tangy flavor profile. It combines light lager with lime juice, hot sauce, and other seasonings, served in a chili-salt-rimmed glass. Easy to make and highly customizable, it's the perfect refreshing drink for a warm day, a lively brunch, or as a famed hangover remedy. Its complexity and thirst-quenching nature have made it a beloved classic far beyond Mexico's borders.

Similar cocktails

Bloody Mary

Considered a "cousin" cocktail, it uses vodka instead of beer as the base spirit but shares a similar savory, spicy profile with tomato juice and Worcestershire sauce.

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