Drink a Michelada for Cinco de Mayo

THIRSTY THURSDAY

It’s been a while since we’ve featured an alcoholic drink from somewhere around the world, and for good reason — we were worried that we were starting to be seen as the Lindsay Lohan of the travel blogosphere, and no one wants to be slapped with that reputation. But here we are, back to responsibly drinking our way from one country to the next. This week’s beverage is from south of the border, just in time for every American’s favorite faux-Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo. Actually, with its similarities to a Bloody Mary, the michelada might be more of a May 6th drink.

Known in Mexico as a potent hangover cure, the michelada takes the basic ingredients of a Bloody Mary and mixes them with tasty Mexican beer instead of vodka. Combining beer with other ingredients (especially spicy ones) is actually fairly common in Mexico where the resulting cocktails are called cervezas preparadas — “prepared beers” in the literal translation.

As with most cocktails, there are several variations of the michelada that include everything from soy sauce to slices of chili pepper. If you want the best remedy for your post-Cinco de Mayo tequila burps, however, look no further than this recipe that we generously translated into lingo your hungover brain will understand:

Travel Freak’s Michelada Recipe

1 12 oz bottle of Negra Modelo (a dark Mexican beer — trust me, you’ll like it)
1 hearty splash of tomato juice
2 taps of a bottle of Worcestershire
1 sprinkle of your preferred hot sauce (I like Cholula, on pretty much everything)
1 delicate squeeze of half a lemon
1 tiny pinch of cayenne pepper

After mixing the ingredients, serve on ice (no one likes drinking warm beer the morning after a bender) in a tall mug with a salted rim. Maybe even throw some more of that cayenne pepper onto the rim as a spicy punishment for your uncouth behavior the night before.

Have you ever tried a michelada, as a hangover cure or otherwise?

Featured Image courtesy of referenzia via Flickr