Michelada with Non-Alcoholic Beer

Before you start

A michelada is a seasoned beer: cold lager with lime, salt and chile, often with Worcestershire and a seasoning sauce for savory depth. Because the beer is the largest part of the drink, a non-alcoholic lager swaps in neatly. The lime, salt and spice cover most of the thinness some alcohol-free beers have, and the result is a bracing, salty, deeply refreshing glass.

The key choices are the beer and the seasoning order. Pick a crisp Mexican-style or pilsner-style non-alcoholic lager rather than a heavy amber. Build the seasonings in the glass first, add ice, and pour the beer in stages so the foam does not overflow. Keep extra beer on the side to top up as you drink, which is how micheladas are often served.

Ingredients

• Rim1 lime wedge lime — for wetting the rim
• 1 tbsp chile-lime seasoning — such as Tajín, or a mix of flaky salt and chile powder
• Drink30 ml (1 oz) fresh lime juice — about 1 lime
• 10 ml (2 tsp) Mexican-style hot sauce — such as Valentina; adjust to taste
• 5 ml (1 tsp) Worcestershire sauce
• 2.5 ml (½ tsp) Maggi seasoning or soy sauce
• 1 pinch fine salt
• 355 ml (12 oz) non-alcoholic lager — very cold
• 1 cup (about 150 g) ice cubes

Method

1. Spread the chile-lime seasoning on a small plate. Run the lime wedge around the outside rim of the glass, then roll the rim through the seasoning so it sticks in an even band.
2. Add the lime juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire, Maggi and salt to the bottom of the glass and stir with the bar spoon to combine.
3. Fill the glass about halfway with ice.
4. Tilt the glass and pour in about half the beer slowly down the side. Stir gently once to mix the seasonings up from the bottom.
5. Taste. Add more hot sauce or a pinch of salt if it needs more punch, then top with as much remaining beer as fits. Serve the rest of the bottle on the side for refills.

Tips for success

• Chill the glass in the freezer for 15 minutes; a frosty mug keeps the beer crisp and slows the ice.
• Season the drink, not just the rim. The salt in the glass is what makes the beer taste fuller.
• Keep a second lime on hand. Many people like to squeeze in more as the beer is topped up.

Substitutions

Worcestershire and Maggi

For a vegetarian version, use vegan Worcestershire and soy sauce. The flavor is a bit lighter but still savory.

Non-alcoholic lager

A non-alcoholic wheat beer gives a softer, cloudier drink. Darker alcohol-free beers can taste heavy with the seasonings.

Hot sauce

A spoon of chamoy makes a sweeter, fruitier version. Fresh jalapeño slices give heat without vinegar.

Variations

Chelada

Skip the sauces and use only lime juice and a salted rim for a cleaner, simpler drink.

Tomato michelada

Add 90 ml tomato or tomato-clam juice to the glass with the seasonings for a Bloody Mary-like version.

Troubleshooting

It foams over the rim

The beer was poured too fast onto ice and acid. Tilt the glass and pour in two stages.

It tastes thin

Add a pinch more salt and a few drops more Maggi. Seasoning gives alcohol-free beer the body it lacks.

The rim falls off

Use a juicy lime wedge and dip only the outer edge, so juice does not run down and wash the seasoning away.

Storage

Mix and drink right away; the beer loses its fizz within about 20 minutes. Store unopened non-alcoholic beer cold, as many are not as shelf-stable as regular beer, and follow the date on the can.

Safety notes

Beer labeled non-alcoholic in the United States may contain up to 0.5% alcohol by volume, so it is not suitable for anyone who must avoid alcohol completely. Worcestershire sauce usually contains anchovies (fish), and soy and Maggi contain wheat and soy.