This week I hit month four of my six-month alcohol-free challenge. (It’s going well, I don’t miss booze and I feel great, thanks for asking!) I celebrated by mixing up and hoisting an ice-cold Michelada. That is, an ice cold, non-alcoholic 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.
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! Oh, and I’ve offered an alternative to N/A beer if you aren’t a beer lover. Enjoy!
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 00) 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
Run one of your lime wedges along the rim of your glass and coat it with Creole seasoning. Fill glass with ice. Add beer of choice, Bloody Mary mix and hot sauce to taste. Stir gently until blended. Sprinkle more Creole seasoning and pepper on top. Place lime wedge to rim and add any other garnishes.
Cheers!
