A tall, cold michelada is begging for your
attention on Cinco de Mayo. Photo courtesy
Bohemia Beer.

Not everyone wants a Margarita on Cinco de Mayo: Some people would rather have a beer.

If you enjoy a little heat, don’t reach for your regular beer. Have a michelada, a traditional Mexican beer cocktail (“cerveza preparada,” in Spanish).

Pronounced mee-cha-LAH-dah, a basic michelada consists of beer, lime and hot sauce served over ice in a salt-rimmed glass.

Michelada is the combination of the words “mix” and “chela.” Chela is Mexican slang for a cold beer. “Mix” refers to the mix of ingredients added to the beer.

Thanks to Bohemia Beer—one of our favorite Mexican beers—for the recipe.

MICHELADA #1: CHIPOTLE MICHELADA

Ingredients

 
*You can use any lager you have on hand, but Mexican beer celebrates the spirit of the holiday.

Preparation

1. Use a piece of lime wedge to wet the rim of a tall glass. Dip the rim of the glass into the chipotle rimming salt.

2. Squeeze the juice from the remaining lime pieces into the glass and then add all the lime pieces. Stir in the chipotle hot sauce or puréed chipotles in adobo. Fill the glass with ice.

3. Pour in the beer. Mix gently. Garnish the glass rim with a notched cucumber slice. Serve.

Chipotle Rimming Salt Recipe

Thoroughly mix 2 tablespoons coarse (kosher or sea) salt and 1 tablespoon ground chipotle chile powder in a small bowl. Pour out onto a small plate to use for rimming beer glasses.

MICHELADA #2: CHELADA

Short for michelada, the chelada is a michelada variation with sauce, spices and chile. This version uses the fixings of a Bloody Mary.

Pour into a tall glass filled with ice and stir.

†Maggi Sauce, made by Nestlé, is a seasoning of salt, spices and pepper. The recipe varies around the world, based on local tastes. You can substitute soy sauce and freshly-ground pepper.