It's not your chelada, it's michelada

Laura Hadland gets to grips with Mexico's best known beer cocktail.

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Laura Hadland

Illustrations:
Phoebe Wilman

Saturday 30 May 2026

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This article is from

Mexico

issue 131

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If there’s one drink that's seen a boost in popularity thanks to social media, it’s the Michelada. This Mexico-born beer cocktail began life as the “chelada” — a mashup of the Mexican slang words for 'beer' (chela) and 'cold' (helada) — but in recent years has found a more global audience and become almost synonymous with fun and flamboyance.

As with so many things in life, the chelada was born from a practical necessity. In Mexico, bottle caps could leave a smear of rust on the lip of beer bottles, so drinkers would wipe it off with a wedge of lime and often squeezed the juice into their beer. The natural evolution was adding other traditional Mexican seasonings.

The story goes that the chelada became a Michelada in the 1970s, when one Michel Espér, a civil engineer, was celebrating after a tennis match at the prestigious Club Deportivo Potosino in San Luis Potosí. Rumoured to be deeply hungover at the time, Michel ordered a refreshing beer with the invigorating addition of lime, salt and hot sauce. The drink — Michel’s Chelada — became a hit at the club and gradually spread across the country during the 1980s.

This is just one of many origin myths surrounding the Michelada, but it is the most widely accepted and has been confirmed by Espér himself.

Regardless, the drink’s relentless path of evolution has seen the addition of a variety of sauces and garnishes, with tomato juice being a classic addition. Another variation — referred to as the Leon Rojo (Red Lion) in some parts of Mexico — is served with a lime, salt and chilli rim, and contains a simple Mexican lager mixed with Clamato (a tomato juice drink flavoured with spices and dried clam broth), Worcestershire sauce and Maggi liquid seasoning. There are parallels to be drawn between these savoury versions of the Michelada and the Bloody Mary, though the former might now be thought of as the more playful of the two given Micheladas served at Mexican sports bars and Lucha Libre are often garnished with brightly coloured sweets. Some might see this as a gimmick, others would argue that gummy bears and fizzy jellies are the perfect counterpoint to the deep savouriness of the drink.

“The name Michelada can be confusing throughout Mexico,” says food writer Anais Martinez. “In the capital city, a Michelada refers to beer that’s poured along with lime juice and with a salted rim. When it comes to the Clamato beer concoction, we would call it simply 'Clamato with beer'.

“The Michelada rim can vary from just salt, to lime salt and chilli or the extra unique one — a combination of sweet tamarind paste combined with chilli and other candies and topped with candied sesame seeds. It doesn’t necessarily make sense on paper but in reality it hits the spot.”

It might sound odd, but these fun-loving drinks, served in a one litre paper cup and festooned with skewers full of gummies, are a common sight at Mexico City’s sports venues, and weekend markets like the iconic Sunday flea market at La Lagunilla.

The most intricate Micheladas are served replete with a special lid that holds snacks like peanuts with salsa or even a full shrimp cocktail.

“It’s normally a drink we think can cure hangovers,” Anais, author of The Curious Mexican, says. “Most people wouldn’t judge you if they see you sipping on one before 11am — similar to the Bloody Mary effect.”

Varieties of the Michelada so far discussed have all taken root in Mexico, but the influence of social media on this beer cocktail has taken it to new levels both in Mexico and across the globe. The Michelada started to find popularity in the US from the late 1990s, particularly in states like California and Texas where there are large Mexican populations. US variants of the drink tend to revolve firmly around the addition of tomato juice or Clamato to a Mexican light lager. Several Michelada festivals have come into being as a result, including the one in Fort Worth, Texas, which is celebrated as part of Hispanic Heritage Month. Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2025, an incredible 40,000 attendees were recorded.

Gastronomic creations that are as unusual and visually striking as the Michelada find a natural home on TikTok. Homemade videos of hungover Americans putting together ready-made Michelada kits can amass millions of views.

A new take on the trend was born during the pandemic in the Mexico City neighbourhood of Tepito when a small open-air stall, Doll’s Drinks, started serving souped-up Micheladas in neon blender-shaped cups. The Licuachela was born, and the flat top of the super-sized vessel gave a new platform (literally) for even bigger piles of sweets and treats to be loaded on top. Bring in tequila-loaded spin-offs, add a sprinkle of glitter and a pop of sherbet and you’ve got yourself a viral success.

As word spread on social media, queues of more than 200 people were reported at the stall, and ever more elaborate flavour combinations and surprisingly shaped cups made Doll’s Drinks a tourist destination in its own right. It even grew to incorporate a stage and dance floor to help entertain its celebrity visitors.

UK-based food columnist and broadcaster, Nicola Miller, revels in the increasing extravagance of these beery creations:

“I've noticed the Michelada has become fancier over the years with ever more fantastical garnishes and finishes, reminding me of another casual and playful Mexican street food, tostilocos [crazy chips].

“A creatively garnished, fanciful Michelada is incredibly photogenic,” Nicola continues. “And they're nearly always delicious, even when garnished with gummy bears or sour Haribos! I am very fond of food and drink that makes me smile or laugh.”

Nicola points out that the Michelada is a delicious way of staying hydrated whilst drinking alcohol in a hot climate since they are packed with electrolytes like potassium and sodium as well as being made with light, quaffable beers.

“My favourite version is made with Valentina hot sauce, Maggi Jugo (for extra savouriness), Tajin, tomato juice and (when I can get it) Modelo Especial beer,” Nicola explains.

Whatever a Michelada looks and tastes like to you, their existence cannot be denied; they abound on the menus of UK Mexican restaurants and mix-your-own kits are readily available online. While the Michelada’s heartlands remain firmly rooted in Latin America, its good looks and punchy flavours have captured the attention of the world.

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