Michelada Day

Michelada. Rene Arizmendi / Pixabay.com / 2017 / CC0 1.0

The 12th of July is Michelada Day.

It celebrates the beer cocktail (or “beertail”, as some like to say) known as a Michelada, which is popular in Mexico and Central America, and now increasingly so in the United States.

Depending on the recipe, a Michelada can be vaguely like a Bloody Mary or a Caesar, but with just a hint of tomato sometimes.

Fans say it is the most refreshing summertime drink they’ve ever had; others are less enthusiastic and say that maybe it is an acquired taste.

The basics of the drink is a beer with some lime juice added, served over ice with a salted rim on the glass.

That is the original version, as known in Mexico, where a crisp, light-bodied beer is always used. In fact, some fans recommend that the beer used should be a clean, crisp Mexican-style lager.

But as with so many other foods, the recipe has evolved greatly as it migrated north into American bars.

Now, there are many variations in the United States. Common ingredients appear to be beer, lime juice, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce and / or Maggi.

Some recipes add Clamato, tomato juice or Bloody Mary mix, and some food writers feel that this is the version that seems to be winning out.

In Mexico, if you add Clamato, the drink becomes something else, and is called a “Clamato con cerveza” or “un Clamatito”. ^[1]Alarcón, Claudi. Everything You Need To Know To Celebrate National Michelada Day On July 12. Forbes Magazine. 11 July 2019. Accessed June 2021 at https://www.forbes.com/sites/claudiaalarcon/2019/07/11/everything-you-need-to-know-to-celebrate-national-michelada-day-on-july-12/?sh=37cd01aa1384

You can buy liquid flavouring mixes such as “Twang Reserve Michelada Cocktail Mix” to add to the beer, to make the assembly quicker, easier and more reliable in results.

You can also buy pre-made versions of a Michelada now in cans and bottles: just open and pour.

Specially seasoned Michelada rimming salts are also available.

What garnishes do you like your Michelada to come with?

#MicheladaDay

History

The earliest mention that CooksInfo is aware of for Micheleda Day is a website mention, on a blog site called “The Nibble”:

“July 12th is National Michelada Day. If you like beer and tabasco, it’s a drink you should try.” ^[2]TIP OF THE DAY: Michelada For Cinco de Mayo Or Anytime You Want A Beer Cocktail. 2 May 2012. Accessed July 2021 at https://blog.thenibble.com/2012/05/02/tip-of-the-day-michelada-for-cinco-de-mayo/

As of July 2021, a search in two major print archive databases turned up no hits on it.

Sources

Alarcón, Claudi. Everything You Need To Know To Celebrate National Michelada Day On July 12. Forbes Magazine. 11 July 2019. Accessed June 2021 at yhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/claudiaalarcon/2019/07/11/everything-you-need-to-know-to-celebrate-national-michelada-day-on-july-12/?sh=37cd01aa1384

Erickson, Nate. An Ode to the Michelada, the Most Refreshing Drink Ever Created. Esquire Magazine. 6 April 2018. Accessed June 2021 at https://www.esquire.com/food-drink/drinks/a19693640/best-michelada-recipe/

Gustafson, Isabella. Twang Celebrates National Michelada Day. CStore Decisions Magazine. 9 July 2020. Accessed June 2021 at https://cstoredecisions.com/2020/07/09/twang-celebrates-national-michelada-day/

Hauser, Alisa and David Matthews. ‘National Michelada Day’ Is Tuesday: How To Make It And Where To Drink It. Chicago, Illinois: DNAInfo. 12 July 2016. Accessed June 2021 at https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20160712/wicker-park/national-michelada-day-is-tuesday-how-make-it-where-drink-it/

Ludford, Sean. Michelada Day – July 12. BevX blog. 11 July 2017. Accessed June 2021 at http://bevx.com/michelada-day-july-12/

Michelada Day. Hopkinsville Brewing Company. Company web site. 12 July 2019. Accessed June 2021 at http://hopkinsvillebrewingcompany.com/events-1/2019/7/12/michelada-day