Above: Weikai touts his Michelada.

Hey everyone! My boyfriend (Weikai) and I just got back from Cancun! I have lots of posts to share with you about our adventures, and I’d like to start out with a post about Weikai’s new found Mexican favorite — the Michelada.

Michelada is a type of Mexican “cerveza preparada” (prepared beer). The Michelada is often times very similar to a Bloody Mary, but instead of vodka it utilizes beer. It depends on who’s making it, though. There is also a concoction made of Mexican beer, sauces and lime that is also called the Michelada. Furthermore, if the Michelada has hot sauce in it, it is called a Michelada Cubana, a double reference to Cuba and the habanero pepper, as the habanero pepper is named after the capital of Cuba, La Habana.

So why do they call it a Michelada? According to Wikipedia:

In order to understand this cocktail’s name, you need to be familiar with Mexican Spanish slang, more specifically from Mexico City. In Mexican Spanish slang, a cerveza is a chela. An iced beer is a chela helada. Note that ice is a very important ingredient of this cocktail in Mexico City. Mi is a possessive adjective meaning my. Michelada is all together, my frozen beer, mi chela helada, michelada.

There are many variations on the Michelada, but the most common recipe includes:

• Take a salt-rimmed mug or glass
• Add a few drops of hot sauce
• Add a few drops of Worcestershire sauce
• Add a few drops of Maggi seasoning or soy sauce
• Squeeze a lime wedge in
• Mix the ingredients in the glass with a long spoon
• Slowly add one Mexican beer (preferably a light beer like Tecate or Dos Equis)

And there you have it! A Michelada!