Michelada Madness: The Classic Michelada
Beer. Lime. Salt. And a little bit extra. Or sometimes A LOT extra. With so many variations you can pretty much do what you want. But let’s start at the beginning. The baseline of the Classic Michelada, before we get crazy.
How It Started
This delicious concoction could have only been invented in Mexico. Let’s face it…los mexicanos love to experiment and play with their food and drink. In a very good way, that benefits all of us. Well, maybe not a benefit to our bodies (or our digestive systems) but definitely a benefit to our taste buds. If you don’t know what I’m talking about you need to check out the Netflix series Heavenly Bites: Mexico. An homage to all the tasty, inventive delicacies Mexico has to offer. And if you live on the border (looking at you RGV fam!) all these drinks and snacks are just another weekend at home or out. Inspired by the series, ideas and thoughts flooded my brain on micheladas to make. But before I go there, I need to go back to how it all started. The Classic Michelada.
According to the Cerveceros de México, the drink was invented back in the 70s at a sports club in San Luis Potosi by one of its members, Michel Esper. There are other theories but this one seems to be the most probable or at least the most shared. He asked for a beer with lime and salt in a classic Mexican glassware called the chabela. It was his jam and got popular within the club and the phenomenon was born. Named after Michel, the club bar combined his name ‘michel’ with ‘chabela’ and the michelada was born. The Cerveceros article states that there is another theory that claims that the name came from the combo of a phrase of ‘mi chela helada.’ But that just seems lame. Let’s give Michel the credit he deserves. Thank you Michel!! The drink didn’t get much traction outside of San Luis Potosi during the 70s. But slowly and surely, it started expanding outside its region becoming the delicious beast that it is today.
The Classic Michelada
The ingredients of the Classic Michelada are simple: beer, lime, salt. That’s it. That’s literally it. You salt your chabela glass, add ice, add lime, as much as you want, maybe a pinch of salt, and then of course your Mexican beer. And let’s be honest, it must be and always should be Mexican beer. If you try to use any beer that’s NOT a Mexican beer..well then it’s just insulting. A lager, pilsner, stout, whatever…just make sure it’s Mexican.
Ingredients
- 16 oz Chabela glass
- Kosher salt
- 1 Large lime
- Ice
- Mexican beer
Instructions
- Take a 6-inch flat plate and add kosher salt. If you have a bar-style drink-rimmer at home, well done. Use that.
- Cut lime in half. Use one half to moisten the rim of the glass. Dip the rim in kosher salt.
- Add preferred amount of ice, but half- way is good enough.
- Squeeze both halves of lime into glass over ice.
- Add a pinch of salt.
- Add your beer until it reaches the top.
- Garnish with lime wedge.
- Try to stop at one.
Notes
So simple yet so delicious. Consider this your baseline as you begin your experimentation with the miches or chelas. Whatever your preferred nickname is. I recommend you always start with this simple recipe so you can get the flavor of the lime and salt with your beer and go from there. You may want more lime or less. More ice or just a few cubes. Once you get that savory hot spot you can build it out. The possibilities are endless. I’ll go first!
The New Classic – Sunset in SA style
My preferred beer for micheladas is Tecate. It’s also my camping beer that really hits the spot on those really hot summer days. So when I’m doing Family Friday time with my adopted primas where we spill the tea and catch up on all the chisme, we use Tecate to make our chelas. Back in the day when we used to cross over to Mexico for some refreshments, we went to a little dive bar known as the Duchess (La Nueva Holanda). That’s where I had my first michelada where they used Clamato. Not sure when this became the staple mixer across Mexico, but Clamato has been around since 1969. At some point in time, somebody took the classic michelada and asked, “What happens if I put Clamato in it?” What happens is that it takes it next level. This new classic dresses it as if it were a bloody mary but with your favorite beer. It’s tasty, it’s smooth, it’s so satisfying.
Ingredients
- 16 oz Chabela glass
- Kosher salt
- 1 Large Lime
- Salt/Pepper
- Celery salt
- Worcestershire sauce
- Clamato
- Tabasco sauce
- Ice
- Mexican Beer
Instructions
- Take a 6-inch flat plate and add kosher salt.
- Cut lime in half. Use one half to moisten the rim of the glass then dip the rim in kosher salt.
- Add preferred amount of ice, but halfway is good enough.
- Squeeze both halves of lime into glass over ice.
- Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Add a shake of celery salt.
- Add a couple of drops of worcestershire sauce.
- Add tabasco sauce, to your heat level.
- Pour 1 oz or 1 1/2 oz of Clamato.
- Add your beer until it reaches the top.
- Garnish with lime wedge.
Notes
Such an easy delicious upgrade to the classic version. There are a few recipes out there that use just tomato juice with your favorite salsa and they all it the Chavela, like this recipe from Muy Bueno Cookbook. But like a rose, a michelada by any other name is still just as delicious.
How it’s going
As shown on the series, the preparation of micheladas is out of control. And it’s amazing. Gummies. Machacado. Chamoy. Beef. Why not? I’m going to keep experimenting and I hope so many others will too. I think I may try something sweet on the next one.
Have you tried any Micheladas?
Okay, I’m so attempting to make this at a Superbowl Party or girl’s night! I’m loving how simple it is to make but looks soo stinky fancy in that glass with the sugar around the rim of it!