Mexico

Michelada

A Mexican michelada built right in the glass: a base of lime juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire and tomato juice, topped with ice-cold Mexican lager, in a glass rimmed with salt and Tajín.

2 servings10 min prep0 min cook
2 servings

Ingredients

Mexican lager (two 12 oz bottles)710 ml (24 fl oz)base
limes3 piecespairing
Mexican hot sauce, such as Valentina or Cholula4 tsppairing
Worcestershire sauce2 tsppantry
Maggi seasoning1 tsppantry
tomato juice or Clamato (1/2 cup)120 ml (1/2 cup)pairing
Tajín chili-lime seasoning1 tbspgarnish
coarse salt1 tbsppantry
ground black pepper1 pinchpantry
ice cubes300 g (10.6 oz)pantry

Steps

  1. Chill the beer in the fridge for at least 4 hours and put two large glasses (about 16 oz) in the freezer for 15 minutes. A michelada should be ice cold: everything has to be chilled before you start.
  2. Juice 2 limes to get about 1/4 cup (60 ml). Cut the third lime into wedges.
  3. Mix the Tajín and coarse salt on a small flat plate. Run a lime wedge all around the rim of each glass, then turn the glass upside down in the mix and twist to coat the rim about 1/4 inch (5 mm) deep.
  4. In each glass, pour 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lime juice, 2 teaspoons hot sauce, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire, 1/2 teaspoon Maggi, half of the pepper and 1/4 cup (60 ml) tomato juice. Stir with a spoon until the base is evenly mixed and reddish orange.
  5. Fill each glass two thirds full with ice.
  6. Tilt the glass and slowly pour half a bottle of beer down the side to limit the foam. Stir once from the bottom up with a long spoon, then top off with the rest of the beer. If some is left, keep the bottle next to the glass to refill as you drink.
  7. Set a lime wedge on the rim, sprinkle a pinch of Tajín over the foam and serve right away. Taste: if it lacks brightness, add a squeeze of lime; if it lacks depth, a few more drops of hot sauce.