Michelada Colombian Style
Michelada made with lime juice. A different version from the regular Mexican michelada which is usually made with tomato juice.
A few years ago when I traveled to Colombia micheladas were all the rage. You see, Colombia is a country of fads or trends. If something gets a bit of attention, everybody jumps on the bandwagon and there is no stopping it. This is what I saw happen with micheladas. You will find them being sold everywhere and they make them with all kinds of different ingredients, from the basic with just beer and lime juice to the exaggeration of piles of shredded green mango, passion fruit, green apple, and gummies or gummy candy.
Micheladas are originally from Mexico and are for the most part made with tomato juice or Clamato. Since tomato juice is not so popular in Colombia, the alternative became to use lime juice, which is found in abundance. I prefer the Colombian version given that I loathe tomato juice, however, I do like to add my personal touch to my micheladas and also make them with mangos, chili salt, tequila, and hot sauce.
THE ESSENTIALS
BASIC MICHELADA:
- Lime juice: What makes Colombian micheladas special is the tangy flavor of lime juice, which combined with a light beer is the perfect combination, especially during a hot summer day.
- Beer: Use any beer you like, however, I find that a nice light beer is the perfect choice.
- Salt: This is only used to dip the rim of your glass and give it an extra kick. I love using margarita salt because it’s coarse and perfect for this recipe, plus, I always have it on hand. But you can also use kosher salt.
POISONED MICHELADA:
- Lime juice
- Beer
- Chili salt or Tajín: Nowadays you can find it everywhere. If you don’t, you can easily make this by mixing chili powder with some kosher salt.
- Mango or passion fruit syrup: In Colombia, you can find green mango or passion fruit syrup with no problem. Here, in the US, I use regular mango syrup but you can also make it by boiling fruit pulp, water, and sugar for a few minutes. The more sugar you use, the thicker it will be.
- Tequila: Trust me on this one, it makes your michelada awesome!
- Hot Sauce: We’re using lime juice, tequila, and chili salt… why not add a little kick to it?
- Green mangoes: Green mangoes are just unripened mangoes. Like I said earlier, Colombians love to use shredded green mangoes, I just cut them into slices to make it easier.
MIX, MIX, MIX!
BASIC MICHELADA:
- Run a lime wedge around the rim of your glass and dip it in the margarita salt or kosher salt.
- Squeeze the juice of one lime into the glass. You can use less lime juice but I do love me some lime juice.
- Add your beer and serve!
POISONED MICHELADA:
- Run a lime wedge around the rim of your glass and dip it in the chili salt or Tajín.
- Squeeze the juice of one lime into the glass.
- Add your cut-up green mango into the glass. Some people like to add passion fruit pulp as well.
- Add as much mango or passion fruit syrup as you want.
- Add one shot of tequila.
- Add as much hot sauce as you want. Want it spicy, add a ton. Want it mild, add a few dashes.
- Sprinkle in more chili salt because… why not?
- Add your beer and serve!
P.S. In the heat of summer, I also like to add a few ice cubes to make it super refreshing (don’t judge). But, you have to serve it right away or the michelada starts to get watery.
Have more ideas on how to make more versions of michelada? Share them with me in the comments! Also, check out this recipe to make Colombian refajo.
¡Buen provecho!
Michelada Colombian Style
Ingredients
Basic Michelada:
- Margarita salt or kosher salt
- 1 lime
- 1 beer
Mango or Poisoned Michelada:
- Chili lime salt (Tajín, or kosher salt)
- Ice (Optional, to taste)
- Green mango (unripe mango or mango biche cut into thin slices, spirals, or small cubes, to taste)
- 1 lime
- Mango flavored syrup (green mango, or passion fruit, to taste)
- Hot sauce (any brand, to taste)
- 1 shot of tequila
- 1 beer
Instructions
Basic Michelada:
- Cut the lime in half and use one of the wedges to run along the rim of the serving glass.
- Cover the rim of the glass with salt and shake off the excess.
- Squeeze the juice of one lime in the glass (You can use more or less lime juice).
- Pour the beer into the glass and serve immediately.
Mango or Poisoned Michelada:
- Cut the lime in half and use one of the wedges to run along the rim of the serving glass.
- Cover the rim of the glass with the chili lime salt and shake off the excess.
- Add the ice, the mango slices, the juice of one lime, the mango syrup, a few dashes of hot sauce, the shot of tequila, and a pinch of more chili lime salt.
- And finally, pour the beer into the glass and serve immediately.
Sorry to say this but this so called Colombian lime-beer is not 100% Colombian!
In Mexico we call them “Chelada” same in the USA. In Mexico, micheladas and Chelada’s are prepared in a thousand ways! You should have done a better job doing research before publishing.
I like your content but don’t spread false information or give credit to other countries.
In that case I kindly invite you to take a tour of any city in Colombia where these are extremely popular. Every time you ask for a micheleda, this is exactly what they serve you.