How to Make a Michelada: Classic Michelada Cocktail Recipe

A Michelada, also known as chelada, is a Mexican beer cocktail, usually served in a pint or Pilsner-style glass. While a Michelada’s construction is endlessly customizable, the basic ingredients are a light Mexican-style beer, lime juice, salt, and some form of light heat, either from chile powders or hot sauce. Popular additions include soy sauce, chili powder, pickled-sweet chamoy powder, or flavored tomato juice. Like a shandy, which pairs light beer with sweet, tangy lemonade, a Michelada is bright and fizzy, with an undercurrent of umami from clam liquor-infused tomato juice, if that’s your style. Dishes like cochinita pibil (roasted pork shoulder), hearty stews like pozole, and juicy barbacoa tacos pair well with the effervescent Mexican drink.

There are two popular origin stories concerning the Michelada and its name. The first attributes the invention to a man named Michel, who, sometime in the 1960s, began ordering his beers at a venerated sports club in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, with lime, salt, and ice, topped off with a straw. The concoction resembled lemonade and soon became known as “Michel’s lemonade,” which was shortened to “Michelada.” The other origin story states that the word is a derivation of the Spanish phrase “mi chela helada,” which means “my ice-cold beer.”

Both the Michelada and the Bloody Mary are two spicy brunch-time quaffs that share a few common ingredients, but the most significant difference lies in the levels of intensity:

• Hard alcohol: A Bloody Mary features vodka as its base spirit, while a low ABV light beer or lager serves as the Michelada’s base.
• Mix-ins: While Michelada recipes vary by region and personal preference, the basic formula is beer, lime juice, and a dash or two of salty chile powder or hot sauce. Some prefer to add a funky brine in the form of clam-based tomato juice or camaronazo (shrimp-based tomato juice). Meanwhile, Bloody Mary purists would argue the drink must feature its signature hit of Worcestershire sauce and fresh, eye-watering horseradish, along with a smattering of spices, like celery salt and black pepper.