Michelada (CC photo by Hartford Courant)

Some people may consider that Michelada is a cheap imitation of the famous “Bloody Mary Cocktail” that mixes instead of vodka, beer. Whatever the case, the mixing of beer with hot sauce comes from the 40’s when Mexican People made very popular this mix. In recent years, due to the popularity of the drink, now you can find at some stores the pre-made mixes ready to pour along with your favorite beer. But what is really a Michelada? The Micheladas are a spicy beer cocktails popular in northern Mexico. The cocktail’s name is derived from “mi-chela-helada” or “my-cold-light beer“. What is a fact is that in a hot day, is the perfect mix to drink.

Ingredients:

• 12 oz of Beer (it is best non-dar like Corona or Dos XX)
• 6 oz Clamato
• 2 Dashes of Salsa Inglesa or Worcester Sauce
• 2 Dashes Tabasco brand hot sauce
• Juice from 2 green limes
• 1 Pinch coarse ground black pepper
• 1 Pinch salt

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients except the beer into a shaker and shake briefly. Pour clamato mix and beer into a 22 oz pilner glass or in a tarro with a little ice. Make sure you don’t pour to fast the beer, because it will foam up. Rimming the glass with celery salt is optional. Now the Michelada is ready to drink. Delicious isn’t it?

Posted by Magdiel

Every time someone mentions Mexican Beer, the first brand that comes to one’s mind is Corona. While it’s true that Corona represents Mexico in over 150 countries worldwide and it’s among the “Top Ten” beers in the world, there are other beer options here in Mexico that you need to know about.

The majority of the beers are produced by the 2 big beer corporations: FEMSA (which produces Tecate, Sol, Dos Equis, Carta Blanca, Superior, Indio, Bohemia and Noche Buena) and Grupo Modelo (producing Corona, Corona Light, Negra Modelo, Modelo Especial, Modelo Light, and Pacifico). There are also some minor brands distributed locally, like Victoria, Estrella, Leon and Montejo.

Now the question is: Which one is your favorite? In my case, it’s hard to answer that question without disappointing people. But I’m going to take the risk and talk about 2 of my favorite beers: Negra Modelo and Noche Buena.

Negra Modelo (CC photo by Tamara Paz courtesy of Flickr)

What makes Negra Modelo different from other Mexican beers? Let’s take a closer look. To begin with, it’s called “La Crema de la Cerveza” (the elite of beers). Can you see why in the picture? Yes, it’s a dark, Munich-style beer. Although some might say it’s Vienna-style, it’s too dark to be such. Some people would even compare it to Bohemia, the equivalent beer produced from Negra Modelo’s competitor, but in my opinion Bohemia’s flavor and thickness are very different from Negra Modelo. At any rate, you should try a glass of this beer and form your own opinion. I definitely recommend it!

On the other hand, we have Noche Buena. This beer is special due to the fact that it’s only released at the end of the year, precisely when many people in Mexico celebrate “La Noche Buena” or “Christmas Eve”. It looks like a typical Vienna. It has a dark brown color with a small white foamy head, a slightly malty aroma, and rich caramel and toast flavors. It’s normally sold an a 12-pack, and it cost around $8 dollars a box. You wouldn’t believe what you’re drinking!!

In general, there are many options for any taste or criteria. You should find out for yourself what the best beer in Mexico is, but I’m sure about one thing – your opinion about Mexican beer won’t be the same as it was before.

Posted by Magdiel