Micheladas, this popular Mexican cocktail drink combines beer, lime, tomato juice and a variety of spices to create a unique and refreshing drink. 

A Michelada glass with ice, garnished with a slice of lime.

Michelada

A Michelada is a traditional Mexican beer cocktail made with beer, lime juice, clamato (or tomato juice) Maggi seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. There are many variations of the Michelada recipe, and each one can be customized to suit your taste buds.

There is no right way to make a michelada, since different regions prepare them in different ways. In some places a michelada has Worcestershire sauce, lime, chile, and salt. In some areas a splash of clamato (clam and tomato juice) is added. Sometimes, there is ice involved.

There is also the chelada, which is simply lime and salt. To make things more confusing, in some parts of Mexico a chelada is a michelada, and vice versa. How can you keep up with all this? 🙂

I’m not a beer person but this is the only way I truly enjoy a tall glass of beer! It must be all of the flavors combined in one simple drink. What does it taste like? It tastes like the beer version of a bloody Mary

Two Michelada glasses with ice, garnished with a slice of lime.

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Ingredients

  • The Beer: Preferably use a Mexican beer like corona, tecate, or modelo. Or your favorite brand will do.
    Lime wedges or Chamoy Sauce for the glass rim.
  • Chili lime seasoning or tajín.
  • The juice: Clamato or tomato juice.
  • Limes.
  • Maggi sauce liquid seasoning.
  • Worcestershire sauce (salsa inglesa).
  • Hot sauce such valentina, tapatio, cholula or tabasco.
  • Ice for serving and for garnishes lime wedges, cucumber slices and even cooked shrimp! (optional).
The ingredients for this recipe on on a large wood plate.

This beer and clamato drink is so popular throughout Mexico that there is even Michelada Fest in Cholula Mexico showcasing over 100 different types of Micheladas. How fun is that!

How To Make Micheladas

Before you start making your drink, place the glasses/mugs in the freezer for about 15 minutes prior to making the recipe. This will help keep the beer stay cold longer.

Adding tajin to the rim of a glass.
  1. Run a lime wedge (the juicy part) around the top rim of the glass or use chamoy from a shallow bowl. Fill the bottom of a shallow bowl or plate with the chili lime seasoning, then dip the rim until it is covered with your desired amount of chili powder.
  2. Fill the glasses with ice and set aside.
  3. In a separate glass or cocktail mixer add the tomato juice and the squeezed lime juice.
Adding maggi and hot sauce into a glass with the tomato mixture.
  1. Add the maggi & worcestershire sauce, plus the hot sauce.
Pouring the tomato and spice mixture into a glass with ice.
  1. Give it a couple of shakes to mix well. Taste and add more hot sauce if desired.
  2. Divide tomato mixture into the two reserved glasses, top each glass with the cold beer and stir.
  3. Garnish with a lime wedge and enjoy!
Pouring bottled beer into a glass with the tomato juice mixture.

Serving Suggestions

These refreshing Mexican drinks are perfect for a hot summer day or a lively party with friends. Here are a few of my favorite serving suggestions:

  • Top the Michelada with shrimp: For a more substantial garnish, try adding cooked shrimp. It adds a nice seafood flavor that pairs well with the tomato juice.
  • Garnish: A garnish can take your michelada to the next level. Some popular garnishes include lime wedges, celery stalks, cucumbers, fruits and Mexican candy. Get creative and see what you can come up with!
  • Enjoy while having a snack with Totopos or Chicharrones De Harina.
  • Serve with a meal like Carne Asada Tacos, Birria, Seafood Tacos, or Ceviche.
Micheladas served on an outdoor table, it is a Mexican alcoholic drink that is prepared by mixing beer, lemon juice, chili, salt and shrimp decorated with orange slices.

Tips & Notes

  • Make sure your ingredients are very cold, specially the clamato juice and beer. Oh and don’t forget to pop the glass in the freezer for about 15 minutes prior to serving. It does keep the drink cold longer!
  • Having a party? This recipe is easily doubled or tripled! Make the michelada mix ahead of time and keep it in the fridge. When ready to serve, just divide into glasses and pour the beer.
  • Add ice: Fill your glass with ice to keep your michelada cold and refreshing. Some people even like to add ice cubes made from beer to enhance the flavor.
Two Michelada glasses with ice, garnished with a slice of lime.
Enjoy…

More Cocktail Recipes

I hope you like this recipe! Share it, or leave a rating and comment below. For questions that need an answer right away, please contact  me and I’ll get back to you asap. Gracias!!!! xx, Ana

Print Recipe:

A Michelada glass with ice, garnished with a slice of lime.

Micheladas Recipe

Servings 2 Large Micheladas
Ana Frias
5 from 30 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Micheladas, this popular Mexican cocktail drink combines beer, lime, tomato juice and a variety of spices to create a unique and refreshing drink. 
2 Large Micheladas

Ingredients  

  • Lime wedges or chamoy for the glass rim.
  • Chili lime seasoning or Tajin
  • 1 cup clamato juice
  • 1 juices of 1 large lime
  • ½ Teaspoon Maggi liquid seasoning
  • 1 Teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (salsa inglesa)
  • ½ Teaspoon hot sauce such valentina, huichol or tabasco or more to taste
  • 2 very cold Mexican beers (or your favorite brand )
  • For serving: ice and lime wedges Optional

Instructions 

  • Place your large glasses in the freezer for about 15 minutes prior to making the recipe.
  • Run a lime wedge (the juicy part) around the top rim of the glass or use chamoy from a shallow bowl. Fill the bottom of a shallow bowl or plate with the chili lime seasoning, then dip the rim until it is covered with your desired amount of chili powder.
  • Fill the glasses with ice and set aside.
  • In a separate glass or cocktail mixer add the tomato juice, lime juice, maggi and worcestershire sauce plus the hot sauce. Give it a couple of shakes to mix well. Taste and add more hot sauce if desired.
    1 cup clamato juice, 1 juices of 1 large lime, ½ Teaspoon Maggi liquid seasoning, 1 Teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (salsa inglesa), ½ Teaspoon hot sauce such valentina, huichol or tabasco
  • Divide mixture into the two reserved glasses, top each glass with the cold beer and stir.
    2 very cold Mexican beers
  • Garnish with a lime wedge and enjoy!

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Nutrition

Serving: 1large glass | Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 908mg | Potassium: 52mg | Sugar: 9g | Iron: 1mg

The nutritional information and US conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this is important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or unit conversion tool.

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Recipe Rating




11 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I love your recipe for Micheladas! I’ve been making them for years, but I always love trying new variations. Your recipe is definitely one of the best I’ve tried.

    I love the addition of the clamato juice. It gives the Michelada a nice, briny flavor that I really enjoy. I also like that you use a variety of spices, like Maggi and Worcestershire sauce. It really helps to balance out the flavors and create a complex and delicious drink

  2. 5 stars
    I made a large batch for a party last night and the Michelada recipe was a hit! I ended up making a second pitcher afterwards too since people wanted more. It has the right tangy taste and it makes the beer so delicious! Thanks for the recipe.

  3. 5 stars
    I love micheladas, I’m always trying new ingredients in mine. One of my favorites is adding a bit of orange juice or orange slices in my micheladas.

  4. 5 stars
    This recipe looks really yummy and refreshing, will make it for the summer days, thanks for sharing 🙂

  5. 5 stars
    It’s so easy to follow and the result was fantastic. I loved the combination of spices and the way the lime and tomato juice balance the flavor. It’s the perfect drink for a hot summer day.