My love for micheladas began this past summer. Honestly, I had never even heard of this drink in my life. For my birthday, my sister got me tickets to a Latin music festival, Ruido Fest, and while there were plenty of drinks to go around, there was only one drink that truly stole my heart: the michelada.
Above, you can see a photo of me holding my very first michelada on what may very well be the happiest day of my life. Lucky for me, while micheladas may not be a super common drink in the States, I was going to be spending the next five months living in Mexico City, where an endless supply of micheladas could be consumed at any time and any place. Many bars also offer the amazing Michelitro deal, AKA extremely delicious and ridiculously cheap liters of micheladas.
What Are Micheladas?
What is a michelada? They probably couldn’t be described as anything less than the best beer cocktail ever created. Thank you, Mexico, for that. Micheladas are often said to be a hangover cure, so you can almost feel good about drinking them!
The name michelada supposedly came about when a man named Michel Ésper asked for his beer at Club Deportivo in San Luis Potosí with lime, salt, ice, and a straw, in a cup called “chabela,” like it were a beer lemonade. Members of the club started asking for beer like his, with the name changing over time to michelada. Eventually, other sauces were added to the original and gave us the michelada we all know and love.
#SpoonTip: There are lots of theories on who invented the michelada, but this is the one I think most plausible.
How to Make Micheladas
There are loads of variations of this drink with sometimes questionable ingredients. While it may be my personal favorite drink of all time, it’s one of those drinks where you’ll either absolutely love it or you’ll hate it. The sound of clam juice in my beer along with spices, tomato juice, salt, and lime doesn’t sound all that appealing, but its unique flavor is something I could probably never grow tired of.
It’s horribly upsetting when you sit down for a nice meal in Mexico and micheladas aren’t on the menu. If by chance this unfortunate occurrence happens to you, you don’t have to worry too much. If the place sells beer and also has a few different hot sauces on the table, that may just suffice for your michelada fix.
While it may be a popular summer drink, there’s no reason the michelada shouldn’t be enjoyed all year-round. If you’re not in a Mexican restaurant, but are still in Mexico, you can easily pick up some Clamato at any convenience store (it can also be found in many grocery stores throughout the US), pair it with a beer and some lime juice, and you’re good to go.
If you prefer to make it all from scratch, there are plenty of super simple recipes that will make you feel like you’re sipping an ice cold michelada on the beach in Mexico. Really, all you need is a handful of common ingredients like beer, some salt, hot sauces or chile slices, and lime juice, and you’re on your way to enjoying the ultimate beer cocktail.