Michelada

The Michelada is a super refreshing beverage that is idea for Cinco de Mayo. It is a well-known Mexican cocktail or prepared beer that became popular in Mexico in the 1940s.  This beer falls into the category of “cerveza preparada”, which are Mexican beer cocktails.  If you add spicy sauce or additional seasoning, some people called it as “Chelada”.

This well-known drink in Mexico is made with hot sauce, lime, Worcestershire and often tomato juice. It is served over ice in a glass with a salted rim.  Some people in Mexico believe that this cocktail is an excellent remedy for hangovers. There are variations of Michaedas like in Mexico City; the most usual form is prepared with lime, beer, salt and particular chile slices or hot sauces. There are also several optional ingredients such as Chamoy powder, Clamato, Maggi and Serrano peppers. 

The Michelada is interesting and its recipes can differ as much as the Bloody Mary. What you are doing with this drink is spicing up your beer to your personal taste. The lime juice chills everything out. Depending on the type and amount of sauce you use, it can become a very spicy mixed beer.

People say that there are two well-known versions of the origin of the word “Michelada”. Michel Esper used to ask for his wine with salt, lime, straw and ice in a special cup called “chabela”. The members of the club began requesting for beer as “Michel’s lemonade” – a shortened name of Michelada.  As years passed by, other sauces were added to its original recipe. At present, it contains the same ingredients as a chelada but contains chilli powder and ice.

Another version says that “Michelada” comes from the words “Chela”, a well-known word for a drink in Mexico.  If you are asking for a chela, you are asking for a chilly beer. Thus, the term Mi Chela Helada means “My Cold Beer”.

If you are planning to make Michelada, you have to prepare the following ingredients:

• 1 32 ounce bottle chilled Mexican lager
• 1 32 ounce bottle chilled Clamato
• ½ cup fresh lime juice
• 1 ½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce like Tabasco
• 1 tablespoon Maggi seasoning
• 2 tablespoon kosher salt
• lime wedges for serving
• ½ tablespoon chilli powder

After preparing all these ingredients, you have to follow the succeeding steps:

• Cut one lime in half
• Use one half of the lime to juice the rim
• Put the rim of the glass in your salt tray
• Place every half of the lime into the hand-juicer and squeeze
• Add sauces  and Clamato to taste
• Pour the beer into the glass over the lime juice, ice and sauces
• Stir well with a long spoon
• Serve and enjoy

Preparing Michelada only takes a few minutes. Thus, you don’t need to wait for a couple of hours to enjoy your favorite beer. Whether you want to enjoy alone or along with your friends, you can make this perfect beer anytime you want.