OK, yesterday we hit 105 in the desert and it became time to think about cooling summer drinks. Alcohol-based drinks, of course. You’ve all had your mixed beer drinks, like a Radler (beer and lemonade) or a Diesel (beer and Coca-Cola, better for cold weather, actually). There is also a Mexican corollary to these European delights: The michelada.

Recipes vary by region and taste. Some prefer a “light” colored beer, like Corona or Tecate, and some want a full-taste beer, like Nego Modelo.

I’ve posted a few variations below, culled from Ted Stevens’ Intartubes. An old desert rat will need to taste and refine. Your standard for this tried-and-true refresher is solicited: all recipes will be posted here.

Michelada #1
1 bottle Beer
1 tsp Salt
2 oz Tequila
Juice of 2 lemons
Add lemon juice to 4 ice cubes in a beer mug. Add salt and stir to blend. Add tequila and again, stir to blend. Fill with corona and serve.

Michelada #2
12 ounces beer, preferably a dark Mexican beer like Negra Modelo
1/2 lime, preferably a Key lime

Coarse salt

2 dashes Worcestershire sauce

1 dash soy sauce

1 dash Tabasco sauce

1 pinch black pepper

1 dash Maggi seasoning, optional

Squeeze the juice from the lime and reserve. Salt the rim of a highball glass by rubbing it with the lime and dipping it in coarse salt. Fill with ice.
Add lime juice, Worcestershire, soy sauce, Tabasco, pepper and Maggi, if desired.
Pour in beer, stir and serve, adding more beer as you sip.

Michelada #3
12 oz. Mexican Beer, non-dark, (Negro Modelo or Corona)
2 dashes of Jugo Sazonador (Maggi) “This is the key to a REAL Michelada”
2 dashes of premium Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins)
2 dashes Tabasco brand hot sauce (add more if you like it spicy)
juice from 2 non-yellow key limes (Very important)
Mix all the ingredients except the beer into a beer glass, stir well, and add a few ice cubes. Rimming the glass with celery salt is optional, but adds to authenticity.

Michelada $4
1 Beer
1 lime
Hot sauce (Chicagoist used Cholula for this recipe)
Salt and pepper
Chile powder or other seasonings
Ice
Chill a glass. Rim it with salt. Add spices and ice. Pour the beer in. Stir lightly to mix ingredients.
The michelada was not unpleasant. It had some medium heat on the palate and we particularly liked the way the lime and hot sauce complemented each other. Then again we like spicy things- foods, music, women. Our miscue with this beverage is that we used Bohemia as the base beer. Bohemia is one of a handful of Mexican beers with character and flavor. The spices we added completely masked the flavor of the beer. Michelada spices are made specifically for flavorless beer like Corona.

Michelada #5
1 Bottle of Beer, preferably a Negro Modelo
4 drops of Tabasco Sauce
1/4 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
Dashes of Salt and Ground Pepper
Juice of 1 Lime wedge
Combine above ingredients except beer in a glass, and pour beer to top.  Serve with wedge of lime in a salted glass.

Michelada #6
1 ice cold Mexican beer: Corona or Negra Modela for example
2 tablespoons of course salt
1 tablespoon of chili powder
2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
1-2 dashes of your favorite hot sauce
1 dash of soy sauce
1 dash of Worcestershire sauce
Ice
Black pepper
Lime wedge for garnish
Mix together the salt and chili powder on a small plate. Rim a beer glass with a little lime juice and then dip in the salt and chili mixture to cover the top of the glass.
Fill mug with ice (yes, ice in a beer is popular in Mexico and other parts of Latin America).
Add lime juice, hot sauce, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and a pinch of black pepper.
Slowly pour in beer. The salt on the rim will cause the beer to foam up, so be careful while adding beer.
Stir. Enjoy.