Re: [CH] michelada
peter g (peter.g@telus.net)
Sun, 19 Aug 2001 22:46:46 -0700
Mary ,
i first heard about Michelada, here on the CH list.
a listmember was kind enough to supply a recipe as requested.
but frankly, the "whole enchilada" sounded perfectly ... revolting .
my idea of a "beer cocktail" , is beer with tomato juice , or beer with
some ginger ale added ... (usually an antidote for the delicate condition
which results from over-consumption the night before).
nonetheless, i decided to try this concoction to see if it had any merit
as a summertime drink ( hey , it's got ice in it ...).
the recipe supplied had soy sauce in the ingredients list ... no way!
the thought of putting soy sauce into a perfectly good, hand-crafted
Corona Fino threw up (pardon the pun) all the "stop signs". so i forged
ahead. whoops, the recipe also calls for lime juice ; no limes here ...
no problem, i'll just use lemon juice. sal inglesa? what the hell is that?
prolly celery salt , but all i've got is regular "Sifto brand"... away we go!
the drink's made ; standing back to admire the result ... no surprises.
a Michelada's at least as ugly looking as i'd anticipated.
murky, soupy, flotsam jetsam, gritty looking... quite unappetizing in fact.
but ya gotta try it huh? hey ... this isn't as bad as it looks! polished off
the whole glass. made another & another & another, with different hot
sauces or powders each time. this drink is surprisingly refreshing!
and it's perfect for Chile Heads who love beer ... a nice chile jolt with
a cool, summer-y, low alcohol, iced beverage.
very tasty... not at all what i'd expected here!
as for the origin of this drink ??
any Canadian bartender will point out that most Michelada seasonings
(excluding the soy or Maggi ingredient) are the same as those in a
"Caesar" cocktail ... right down to the salted rim on the glass!
the only real difference is that here, one pours a beer. a Caesar uses
vodka & clamato mixer. i'll bet Dollars-to-Pesos that someone poured
beer into a glass that'd been "prepped" for a Caesar, then decided to
try the result. bartenders often prepare many of these ahead of time,
then merely add ice, vodka & clamato at serving . an intrepid bartender
always tastes the "mistakes" , in case an error has some inspirational
quality. there's more than one cocktail been invented this way!!
a couple of thoughts on the Michelada ...
by salting only half of the glass rim, you don't need to ask your guests
preferences. they can avoid the salt or not.
pour the beer into the glass (not directly onto the ice) after all other
ingredients have been added. there's less foaming-up that way.
one of the neat things about this drink is watching the various
seasonings float up & down at the same time. have a look, you'll see!
yes i did try one with soy sauce .... threw it down the kitchen drain.
OK , here's how i made 'em ...
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* Michelada Cocktail *
salt half the rim of a 10 oz. old-fashioned glass
add 3 or 4 ice cubes
add a couple of splashes Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
add hot sauce (tabasco or otherwise) to taste
or better yet, some ground Red Savina or other Hot chiles,
smoked is nice too
add 3/4 ounce or so, of lemon or lime juice. both work here
add a couple of grindings of black pepper
fill with beer of choice
as with a Caesar ... all seasonings are measured to taste. experiment!
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some URLs for recipes ... lotsa versions!
http://www.clubplaneta.com/bar/receta42.htm
http://www.barnonedrinks.com/recipes/cocktails/m/michelada.html
http://www.aziducos.com/bebidas/cerveza.htm#michelada
http://www.webtender.com/db/drink/1465
http://www.webtender.com/db/drink/4671
http://www.canaltrans.com/mordiendo_cristales/tragos/032.htm
http://www.ciudadfutura.com/recetas/bebidas/915.htm
regards
peter g