About This Recipe
A michelada is the savory, spicy, beer-based cooler that was practically invented for charred beef. Lime, chile, salt, and a splash of umami over a cold lager: it is bracing, a little messy, and exactly what you want with smoke and char.
Build it on a Central Coast lager to keep the story local, and lean into the chile rim. Of all the pours on the table, this is the one that leans hardest into the fire, which is why it is named for the red oak the tri tip cooks over.
A michelada wants something sharp next to it, not something rich. A bowl of pico de gallo and chips is the right partner: the lime and chile in the glass and the lime and chile on the chip are the same idea running twice, and neither one fills anybody up before the beef comes off the oak.
The recipe
Red Oak Michelada
Mexican lager, fresh lime, hot sauce, and Worcestershire over ice with a chile-salt rim. The savory, spicy cooler made for smoky beef off the red oak.
Ingredients
- 1 cold Mexican-style lager (a Central Coast lager works too)
- 1 oz fresh lime juice
- 2 dashes hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 dash soy sauce or Maggi, optional
- Tajin or chile-salt, for the rim
- Ice and a lime wedge
Instructions
Rim a tall glass with chile-salt or Tajin and fill it with ice.
Note The chile rim is half the drink. Do not skip it.
Add the lime juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire, and optional Maggi, then pour in the cold beer.
Note Pour the beer slowly down the side so it does not foam over the seasonings.
Stir gently and top up with more beer as you drink.
Note Build it on a clean lager. You want the seasonings and lime to lead, not a hoppy IPA.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving
- Calories
- 170
- Protein
- 1 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Sat. Fat
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sodium
- 800 mg
- Cholesterol
- 0 mg
Values are estimates based on standard ingredients and serving sizes.