In May, I june the 11-month mark of a year-long alcohol-free challenge. (It’s going well, I don’t miss booze and I feel great, thanks for asking!) I like to celebrate these milestones with treats and rewards, including creating alcohol-free versions of my favorite cocktails. One that has become a staple of my repertoire, both because it is easy to make and because you can also often get one out at a bar or restaurant is a Michelada. If you aren’t familiar, think of it as a Bloody Mary made with Mexican lager instead of vodka. I absolutely love having a Bloody Mary or Michelada at brunch, so virgin versions have been a welcome option.
Melanie’s Mellow (or Not) Michelada
Ingredients
4 ounces Zing Zang Bloody Mary mix (or your favorite)
4 ounces non-alcoholic lager (I used Heineken 0.0) or your favorite Mexican lager, such as Tecate (non-beer lovers, sub N/A or regular beer with four ounces of soda water)
½ ounce lime juice
2 lime wedges
Hot sauce to taste
Creole seasoning (for rim)
Cracked black pepper
Assorted garnishes such as celery, olives and pickled things, cured meats, cheeses and chicken wings,
as well as toothpicks and skewers, as needed
Directions
1. Run a lime wedges along the rim of the glass
and coat it with Creole seasoning.
2. Fill glass with ice. Add N/A or regular beer
of choice or soda water, Bloody Mary mix and
hot sauce to taste.
3. Stir gently until blended.
4. Sprinkle more Creole seasoning and
pepper on top.
5. Place lime wedge on rim and add any other garnishes.
There are of course as many variations for a Michelada as there are for its vodka-infused counterpart. I like to use Zing Zang Bloody Mary mix with my favorite non-alcoholic beer, because I love the taste. Also see: I am lazy. But you can go as simple as adding a splash of tomato juice and lime juice to your beer or as elaborate as mixing up your special, time-honed Bloody recipe. The world is your lime wedge!
Rather than spending a lot of time on finding or developing a whizbang Bloody recipe, I focused my energy on garnishing it beyond what’s likely considered decent or sane because, snacks!
Here’s my Michelada recipe in both non-alc and full proof versions. I recommend sipping it on the porch or patio, out by the pool or with breakfast or brunch. OK, really anywhere at any time is good. Oh, and I’ve offered an alternative to N/A beer if you aren’t a beer lover. Cheers! (Editor’s Note: A version of this story published at an earlier date on myneworleans.com.)
