Getting Hot, Folks...It's Michelada Time!

What's YOUR favorite hot weather drink?

I'm fairly sure most of you have had a few of these..? But if you haven't, try one..you'll like it.

This is my favorite summer drink..and not too bad in the winter, either.

The Michelada or chelada/cerveza preparada is a term loosely defining a beverage made with beer, lime juice and assorted sauces, spices, peppers, tomato juices or Clamato. It's served in a chilled salt rimmed glass. There are numerous variations of the beverage throughout Mexico and Latin America, but hey!.. we don't care about those 'other places'..we are Baja. Locally, our most common variation includes Clamato.

Warning: Drink only bar-prepared Micheladas!...those made from scratch right in front of your own eyes. Recently, U.S. beer producers have begun marketing .....cervezas preparadas, illustrating the wide variety of recipes in the Chelada/ Michelada category, and to serve the increasing latin american population in the country.

For example, Miller Brewing Company produces 'Miller Chill' which is a "Chelada-style light lager with a hint of salt and lime."...a nostalgic experience for me...my first taste brought back childhood memories of sheep dip.

Going a different route, Anheuser-Busch is manufacturing 'Budweiser Chelada' and 'Bud Light Chelada' as a combination of lager, clamato, lime juice, and salt. I sent in a sample for testing at our state lab..the report came back saying ..'Your horse died of diabetis.'

In Norway, one just puts some ketchup into a ram's horn full of mead.



In Mexico, Micheladas are considered a good remedy for hangovers. (NO!..do ya think?..duh..) In Mexico City, the most common form of Michelada is prepared with beer, lime, salt, and hot sauce, some do add one slice of orange...

...orange..ORANGE?... Bart, Omar, Pepe, and any other of my bartenders...If you hang fruit on my drink, I'll gaff you.

Get creative..

There are a variety of types of Micheladas. For example, a Clamato contains tomato juice and oyster. A cubana contains Worcestershire sauce, tabasco sauce, chile and salt. A chelada contains simply lime and salt. Depending on the region of Mexico the preparation will vary. For people unfamiliar with the local area, it is best to ask how the Micheladas are prepared before ordering if there is concern for what ingredients will be used....like..ugh..Bud Lite, which is plain gross. In some regions Chelada becomes Michelada, and vice versa.

Where does the name, Michelada, come from?

There are two popular versions of the origin of Michelada,

1. Michel Ésper from San Luis Potosi, Mexico in Club Deportivo Potosino,

Michel Ésper used to ask for his beer with lime, salt, ice and a straw, in a special cup called "chabela", as if it were a beer lemonade. The members of the club started asking for lemonades as Michel´s lemonade, eventualy giving the name Michelada. As time went by other sauces have been added to the original recipe.

..or it could be...


2. The word Michelada is the combination of the words "mix" and "chela"

The word "chela" is a popular way to call a beer in Mexico. It comes from the English word "chill". When you ask for a chela you are asking for a cold beer. "Mix" comes from the mix of sauces added to the beer. Therefore putting the two words together Mix-chela sounds like Michelada. ..ahem...Now, about that Zona Federal land I have for sale.

..but this is the real one...

Alejendro, a Baja pangero, was visiiting me in Far North Canada and we went ice-fishing. We packed beers, limes, and juice. After a few hours on the frozen lake, I noticed him shivering violently and he was muttering.."Mi chilled outta...." and then he went silent and solid.



Who cares what you call it?! Chill out!..and Enjoy. Salud!





[Edited on 5-12-2010 by Pompano]

Around these parts...

chavela

Viva Mexico! I have never had one but now... Shot of Tequila!! Who cares about El Crudo? Hay, Dios Mio! I plan to solicit a Government grant & start my research, inmediatamente! Tio

tiotomasbcs,

I can see we need a lesson on how to do this properly...sigh...

Okay..practice, practice, practice...here goes:


How to Make a Michelada

'Exact' Ingredients..and Mike, there is NO tequila in a REAL michelada...harump, harump..sounds like you're flying too high without oxygen again.

Salt (any coarse salt will do)
Cubed ice
1 lime, juiced
1 12 oz. bottle Pacifico beer
1/2 tsp. hot sauce of choice, e.g. Tabasco (optional)
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire, Maggi or soy sauce
3 oz of Clamato

Steps

1. Cut one lime in half.


2. Use one half of the lime to juice the rim. Make sure the glass is cold beforehand, so the salt sticks to it.


3. Place the rim of the glass in your salt tray. Gently, but firmly, press the rim into the salt, turning the glass so the salt builds up on the rim.


4. Fill the empty salted glass with ice.


5. Put each half of the lime into the hand-juicer and squeeze so that the juice is over ice.


6. Add Clamato and sauces to taste -- a couple of drops will usually do the trick.


7. Pour the beer into the glass, over the ice, lime juice, and sauces. (any of the better Mexican varieties are the best..if you do use some ..gag..'Lite' beer, then you should burned at the stake for heresy)


8. Stir well with a long spoon.


That's ALL there is to it. Anything else is blasphemy.

Drink and Enjoy.

pompano

NEVER!

desertcpl..see Step 6.

Has anyone noticed that Clamato is available everywhere now? Very popular stuff Up North.

I know it's a Mexican thing...

...but why would one 'foul' a succulent, Ice cold Pacifico with the juice of a 'Clamato'?
That's just not right...

A wedge of limon stuffed into the long neck, and a pinch of Pacific Ocean Sea salt would seem to me to be all that's required to make the perfect hot summer thirst quencher....

Now as the shadows of the yard arm reach into late afternoon, I'd prefer to slip into Iflyfish's favorite - the venerable Gin & Tonic with a wedge of Limon squeezed into the glass then dropped into the ice cubes for that boost of lime taste...Suc-U-Lant...slides right down and really slakes the thirst - trouble is, they taste so good, you have to have several...

"Tanqueray Rangpur", with "Rangpur Limes & Other Botanicals" is our current favorite, especially when our local Supermarket has it on special for $17, and it's 86.3% Proof to boot!

Ray

[Edited on 5-13-2010 by Mexray]

Graham Greene

...would have approved!

Roger,

Your step #1 should be: The Bella Italian hand touch!