Michelada

Don't Make These Mistakes

Everything must be cold: the glass, the beer, and ideally the lime juice.

A light Mexican lager works best. An IPA fights the lime and hot sauce rather than supporting them.

Freeze the glass for 20 minutes beforehand if you have the foresight; the rim salt sticks better too.

Cooking Michelada

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1. Spread the Tajín on a small plate. Run a lime wedge around the rim of a tall, well-chilled glass and roll the rim in the chilli salt.

   Mark done

2. Fill the glass with ice.

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3. Add the lime juice, Worcestershire, Maggi, hot sauce and salt directly to the glass, plus the Clamato if you are making it preparada.

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4. Stir the base briefly with a long spoon to combine.

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5. Top slowly with the cold beer, pouring down the side of the glass at an angle to keep the head and the fizz.

   Mark done

6. Give it one gentle lift with the spoon — do not stir vigorously — and garnish with a lime wedge.

   Mark done

7. Keep the rest of the bottle nearby to top up as you drink.

   Mark done

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Why It Works

The lime and salt do more than season: they suppress bitterness in the beer, which is why a plain lager tastes rounder and fuller in a michelada than it does on its own. Building the mix in the glass before the beer preserves carbonation, since stirring beer to combine flat-out kills it.

Storage and Reheating

Mix and drink immediately. The rim salt and lime base can be prepped ahead, but never add the beer until you are ready.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Dried chilli flakes can stand in for the chilli. Heat varies a great deal between chillies and between jars, so start with a small pinch and add more to taste.
• Lemon is the everyday swap for lime in this kind of dish — the acidity plays the same role even though the flavour is not identical.

Good With

• Tacos, ceviche or a plate of totopos
• Chilaquiles at brunch
• Anything grilled and salty

What's in a Serving

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (some ingredient lines cannot be read). Why some recipes have none.

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