The Life Changing Spicy Michelada Recipe or red beer as it is sometimes known, is a spicy take on the classic beer + tomato juice, spiced up for a night on the town with lots of fresh squeezed limes and spicy Mexican-style hot sauce with a zesty lime + secret ingredient + salt rim for that extra bite!
Whether you call them Red Beers or Micheladas, this Mexican inspired cocktail recipe for spicy Micheladas is an all time favorite when you need a cool-me-down beverage you can make on the fly anywhere, anytime.
I’ve always kind of known about red beers. I’d heard the term Michelada and frankly living in Colorado, I’d seen many signs up in the windows of convenience stores advertising Micheladas in a can but I’d never really paid attention. Until now. Until we took this epic houseboat trip last September on Lake Powell, with some old friends, to celebrate the 40th birthday of a good friend from wayyy back in the true ski bum days in Steamboat livin’.
If you have ever been to the Utah desert or boated on Lake Powell, I don’t need to explain the hot, arid environment I am talking about. Okay there, I explained it that quick. It’s HOT. It’s DRY. There is a ton RED ROCK. It’s gorgeous but there is a lot of time spent hiking and swimming and water skiing and sliding down water slides and drinking when house boating on Lake Powell. Did I mention the heat? A girl needs a drink she can sip on all day long and let’s be honest, at this age the idea of opening can after cheap can of Miller Lite gets old after about 1 hour. Myself, I am a wine drinker most days with the occasional cocktail or frozen drink thrown in for good measure.
Then, my life changed. An oldie but goody friend, the kind that never changes and always makes you wonder why on earth you stopped hanging out ALL THE TIME because they are drop to your knees, roll on the floor hysterical…woke up on morning #2 and made us these. The Life Changing Spicy Michelada recipe that I am forever grateful to have in my cocktail repertoire.
Let me first explain why this drink is so phenomenal. It’s really a beer all dressed up. It’s also a bloody mary all dressed down to her skivvies. It’s what I always wanted my bloody mary to be I just didn’t know it. It’s like a bubbly, spicy, lite tomato juice cocktail over tons of ice with a lime + salt kick that you can drink all day long and still look forward to all over again the next day. Nothing like the feeling after a bloody mary (and don’t get me wrong I love a really good bloody) but it’s not my go to. I drink one and I’m on to something less meal-like.
This Spicy Michelada, it is all the components of a bloody that you love…MINUS the vodka and the cloyingly thick and filling glass of overly spiced tomato juice to weigh you down.
That first morning was the start of a cocktail tradition around our house that will forever change our airplane trips, Sunday mornings, vacations, boat drinks, hot beach days and perhaps cure a few hangovers. And when you really want to amp things up…you add yourself a little shot of tequila. I mean why not?
You will not find a cooler of ours lately without a few mexican beers, a jug of picante Clamato, a bottle of Tapatio hot sauce and a bag of cut limes. And me being me, I always bring a little round Tupperware with kosher salt. The lime + salt rim is definitely my favorite part.
Then, just when I thought we couldn’t improve this recipe one bit, while shopping at my favorite grocery store Trader Joe’s, I discovered this little bottle of Chile Lime Seasoning and a red beer light bulb went screaming through my head. I just about did a little dance right there is the aisle. It really is a perfect addition to the salty lime rim. A little zesty with an extra lime kick. You have to love Trader Joe’s for all those fun seasonal creations. At a $1.50 too, lets cheers to that!
Let’s recap this drink’s flavor profile:
Light & Bubbly
Refreshing
Salty
Lime-y
Icy
A little tiny bit Beer-Like
Savory & SPICY!
Now go forth people and enjoy your new favorite airplane cocktail, boat drink and hot-day, cool-down, pick-me-up! Share with your brunch crowd, impress your neighbors with a pitcher this weekend or order one up after work later at your favorite spot and tell me all about it!
I WANT TO HEAR! Tag your insta pics to #onesimplefeast and lets be friends on Pinterest ok? It’s about time
| Servings |
2 drinks
|
- 1 bottle Mexican Beer such as Corona Any light beer works just fine
- 1 Lime, cut into fat wedges
- 1 container or can Picante Clamato or V8 Clamato, your fav bloody mary mix or V8 are perfect. Picante style is optional but preferred
- Cholula or Tapitio Mexican Hot Sauce
- 1/4 cup Kosher salt or Margarita Salt
- 2 Tbsp Chile Lime Seasoning (optional) made by Trader Joes
- ICE, for 2 glasses full to the top
- 1 shot tequila Your favorite brand
Ingredients
|
|
- Start by taking a lime wedge and running it along the rim of your glass.
- Add the salt (and chile lime seasoning if you have it) to a flat plate and spread evenly. Dip the rim of each glass into the salt and spin until evenly covered. (Optional step of course if you don't like salt rims, skip it)
- Gently fill each glass with ice to the top of each glass, trying hard not to disturb the salt.
- Over the ice, add a few drops of hot sauce (the more you add, the spicier it will be) and squeeze one fat lime wedge. This is where you should add tequila if you should so desire.
- Fill 3/4 of the glass with beer, allow the foam to settle for a minute or so.
- Now add the tomato juice to the top, give it a little stir and garnish with another lime wedge and serve along side additional hot sauce and limes allowing your guests to season to their own tastes.
This drink is completely customizable to taste and measurements are not given as glass sizes vary so much. The ratio of 3/4 beer to 1/4 tomato juice works just as well as 2/3 beer and 1/3 tomato juice, it's up to YOU. The end goal is to create a version that works best for your taste buds. We like things extra spicy around here but certainly you could use a mild V8 and cut back on the hot sauce as much as you want. It will still just as refreshing & fun!
Leave a Reply