Best Michelada Recipe – This savory and spicy Mexican cocktail is similar to a Bloody Mary but with a southwest twist. It’s made with Clamato juice, lime, spices, and a cold beer for a refreshing and tangy beverage you’ll want to sip on all day long!

Close up of a hurricane glass filled with spicy Mexican cocktail with a salted spiced rim and lime slice garnish.

We We Love This Spicy Michelada Recipe

If you love a good Bloody Mary, you are going to go nuts over this bold and spicy Michelada cocktail recipe!

Packed with savory appeal and just the right amount of heat, a well-made Michelada is the perfect accompaniment to spicy Mexican meals… It’s light yet robust, and leaves you wanting more with each sip on the seasoned rim.

This spicy Michelada recipe is a zesty blend of spiced tomato juice, chili powder and hot sauce, mixed with crisp Mexican beer. It is reminiscent of a Bloody Mary minus the vodka, and has a perkier taste with a little punch of spice.

If you are not a fan of sweet drinks, this is a fabulous beer cocktail to sip while snacking on tortilla chips and fresh guacamole on Cinco de Mayo, or any day of the year!

3 hurricane glasses filled with spicy Michelada with a salted spiced rim and lime slice garnish.

Ingredients You Need

  • Clamato cocktail – or try our homemade Bloody Mary mix
  • Mexican lager beers – I use Dos Equis, but you can also use Modelo, Corona, or another best beer you like from Mexico
  • Lime juice – fresh squeezed
  • Worcestershire sauce – use a splash of soy sauce or coconut aminos as an alternative
  • Sriracha or Tabasco sauce – or whatever hot sauce you like
  • Chili powder – use it both in the drink and on the glass rim
  • Salt rim – honey, water, salt, and chili powder OR simply use homemade chamoy sauce around the rim
Empty hurricane glass being dipped into a mixture of salt and chili powder spread out on a blue plate.

How to Salt the Rim of a Glass

Wondering how restaurants always get that perfect layer of seasoning around the entire edge of the glass? It’s actually quite easy!

Here’s my foolproof method for how to get salt to stick to the rim of the glass:

  1. Stir 1 tablespoon honey with 1 tablespoon water in a small cup. Then pour the mixture onto a shallow dish with a rim. You want there to be a bit of standing liquid for dipping in the cup, so the water should not be just flat on a plate.
  2. In another small cup mix together 1 tablespoon coarse salt with 1/2 teaspoon chili powder. (Or you can just use Tajin seasoning.) Pour this onto a second shallow plate.
  3. Dip the rim of each glass into the honey syrup, and swirl around a bit to get the liquid fully around the edge. Then carefully dip the rim into the spiced salt, gently moving around to coat.

Alternatively, check out our fabulous Chamoy Sauce Recipe for instructions on how to make your own fiery chamoy sauce and easy steps for using it to garnish the edge of a cocktail glass.

Hurricane glass filled with ice. There's a salt seasoning around the rim and garnish of lime slice.

How to Make The Best Michelada

Now that you’ve got your salt and spice rim mixture ready, it’s time to whip up the best Mexican spicy Bloody Mary cocktail!

  1. Mix together the Clamato juice, fresh lime juice, Worcestershire, Sriracha, and chili powder in a large pitcher. Stir well to really get the chili powder evenly distributed in the juice.
  2. Place the squeezed limes in the bottom of 4 glasses… These can be fancy hurricane glasses (like shown here) or chilled beer mugs. Fill each glass with ice, and pour the Clamato mixture evenly into the glasses.
Hurricane glass with salted rim and slice of lime garnish half filled with ice and spicy clamato bloody mary mix.
  1. Slowly pour the Mexican beer over the Clamato mixture, so that it fills the glass but doesn’t foam over. Stir well. Once the head settled down a bit, top with additional beer if needed and serve cold.

Get the Complete (Printable!) Spicy Homemade Michelada Recipe Below. Enjoy!

Pouring a beer into the glass with spicy Bloody Mary mix.

Serving Suggestions

I like to garnish each glass with a slice of lime. However, you can use a lime wedge, cucumber slices, peppers, or just enjoy with the salted rim. 

These spicy, buzzy, tomato-y cocktails are delicious to enjoy with Mexican-inspired snacks like simple chips and salsa, guacamole, corn dip and/or bean dip. Or enjoy a bit of everything in one tasty 5 layer bean dip!

They are also the perfect adult beverage for Cinco de Mayo or fun summer dinner parties! Guests will love sipping on a spicy spicy Blood Mary while eating Mexican shrimp cocktail, carnitas tacos, chorizo stuffed mushrooms, and stuffed jalapeno poppers.

Close up of a hurricane glass filled with spicy Michelada Mexican cocktail with a salted spiced rim and lime slice garnish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it called Michelada?

When you break down the word into its parts, “mi” means my, “chela” which is a slang term for beer, and “helada” means cold. So when you put all three together it stands for “My Cold Beer”. This make it a great beverage for brunch or a warm summer afternoon.

Is there a difference between michelada and chelada?

Big time! A chelada is a classic Mexican drink that is great for a slight twist on a plain beer… It includes fresh squeeze lime juice and salt, and usually is served over ice.

Michelada, AKA a Mexican Bloody Mary, is a true cocktail that combines clamato juice with a handful of other flavorful ingredients over ice, and is topped with a cold beer.

Can I make this cocktail ahead of time?

The spicy Bloody Mary mix can be made a day or two in advance. Keep it in an airtight container and store in the fridge.

Don’t add the beer until you’ve portioned the mix into individual glasses and are ready to serve.

Close up of a hurricane glass filled with spicy Bloody mary michelada cocktail with a salted spiced rim and lime slice garnish.

Looking for More Great Cocktail Recipes? Be Sure to Also Try:

Get the Complete (Printable!) Spicy Homemade Michelada Recipe Below. Enjoy!

Check the printable recipe card below for the prep, total time, and nutrition information including calories, protein, sodium, and fiber percentages.

Spicy Michelada Recipe (Mexican Cocktail) | ASpicyPerspective.com
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Spicy Michelada Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
This savory and spicy Mexican cocktail is similar to a Bloody Mary but with a southwest twist! It's made with Clamato juice, lime, spices, and a cold beer for a refreshing and tangy adult beverage.
Servings: 4 drinks

Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • In a pitcher, mix the Clamato juice, fresh lime juice, Worchestershire, Sriracha, and chili powder.
  • Place the squeezed limes in the bottom of 4 glasses then fill with ice. Pour the Clamato mixture evenly into the glasses.
  • Pour the Mexican beer over the Clamato mixture and stir. Top with additional beer if needed. Serve cold.

Notes

For the Spiced Salt Rim: Stir 1 tablespoon honey with 1 tablespoon water. Pour onto a shallow plate. Then mix 1 tablespoon coarse salt with 1/2 teaspoon chili powder and pour onto a shallow plate. Dip the rim of each glass into the honey syrup and then into the spiced salt. Fill the glasses with ice and prepare the Micheladas.
To Make Ahead: The spicy Bloody Mary mix can be made a day or two in advance. Keep it in an airtight container and store in the fridge.
Don’t add the beer until you’ve portioned the mix into individual glasses and are ready to serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 1drink, Calories: 332kcal, Carbohydrates: 52.9g, Protein: 4.9g, Fat: 0.9g, Saturated Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 3581mg, Fiber: 0.2g, Sugar: 33.2g
Course: Beverage
Cuisine: Mexican
Author: Sommer Collier
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