Beer Cocktail Classic: The Michelada

July 7, 9:55 AMSeattle Craft Beer ExaminerHelen Pitlick

Previous Next

1 comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Seattle Craft Beer Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Image from blog.healthyeats.com via Creative Commons

According to a recent article by Betsy Andrews in the New York Times, creative beer cocktails are last summer's mojito, which were the previous summer's rosé, which is to say that they're very much in style at the moment. Perhaps it's the hipsterization of our society, where cheap beer is the new It Drink, or perhaps the nation is tired of syrupy, sweet concoctions beginning with "flirt" and ending in "-tini," or perhaps it's because beer is just so darn tasty.

One of the people interviewed in the NYT article poses the question: “If I’m going to have an amazing craft beer, why not also have it in an excellent beer cocktail?” While craft beer lovers may balk at this statement, as a good craft beer stands on its own, it goes without saying that there are many lesser beers that could use a little jazzing up.

After experimenting with (and failing at, and eventually abandoning the idea of) creating a signature beer cocktail for the Examiner Summer Cookbook (my best result being the Peach PIe.P.A., if you can call a shot of peach schnapps mixed with half of an IPA in a highball glass a unique creation), I've come to the conclusion that the Michelada continues to be the perfect summer beer-based beverage, a refreshing combination of citrus and ice cold lager. Recipes vary, and I don't claim that this version is "authentic," but here it goes:

1) Squeeze the juice of one lime in a pint glass rimmed with salt.

2) Add ice, a few dashes of Tabasco sauce and a pinch of salt.

3) Fill with a Mexican-style lager of your choice: Dos Equis, Tecate, Corona, Trader Jose (the Trader Joe's Corona knock-off), etc.

4) Drink. Enjoy.

Some versions call for Worcestershire sauce, some for clamato, while others advocate a variety of spices and seasonings. My philosophy is to keep it simple: beer, lime, a little salt, a little kick.

Want more Seattle craft beer information? Follow me on Twitter at Mmm_beer.