Cure Your Belize Hangover With A Michelada

May 7, 2023
by Larry Waight +

The michelada hails from Mexico — and while its exact origins remain uncertain, its history is further muddied by the fact that there are unique variations of this uniquely spicy hangover remedy throughout Central America. The magic behind this drink is largely the same as that of the Bloody Mary — the tomato juice. It delivers plenty of electrolytes and hydration along with vitamins C and B16. And since the michelada uses beer in place of vodka, it’s less likely to leave you with another hangover later in the day.

But the most useful asset of it as a hangover cure is how easy it is to make. If you find yourself waking up with a pounding headache — or if you’re just looking for a uniquely savory and surprisingly refreshing alternative to a beer — keep reading. We’ll walk you through the very simple process of crafting a michelada cocktail and then provide recommendations for how to make it Belizean — or how to make it your own.

The Ingredients:

Beer
Hot sauce
Fresh citrus
Salt
Tomato juice
Worcestershire or soy sauce

The Recipe:

Rub the rim of the glass with citrus, then dip it in salt.
Pour in the beer.
Add the rest of the sauces and any additional spices.

The recipe itself is as simple as can be, but the ingredients you choose to use and how you vary the cocktail can have a major impact on the taste. Here’s how to make your michelada as Belizeean as possible.

The Beer

As the ingredient bringing alcohol to the cocktail and one of two major liquid ingredients, your beer choice has the biggest impact on the drink’s flavor. Pilsners and lagers are generally the preferred choice because they’re mild enough to not interfere with the other flavors, and the traditional Belizean michelada also uses the nation’s traditional beer — Belikin lager.

The Heat

Spicy food can help a hangover by both directly alleviating your headache and by helping you sweat out the other symptoms, but you have a lot of flexibility to control both the flavor and the heat of the spice. Tabasco sauce is at the heart of a traditional Mexican michelada, but Belizeans live and die by Marie Sharp’s — a locally produced brand that’s both omnipresent and available in a huge array of flavors. Start with a dash or two then adjust to taste.

The Citrus

Lemon is the traditional choice, but you can mix up the flavor profile with lime or even add some sweetness to the cocktail with key lime. It’s there to maintain the rim and offer a tart counterpoint to the savory and the spicy.

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The Tomato

Tomato sauce or clamato juice can both be used, but the experience is slightly different. Clamato-based micheladas are both a little thinner and slightly brinier. A typical michelada is equal parts tomato juice and beer, but you can adjust the proportions to taste.

The Umami

Soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce add similar but uniquely distinguished hints of umami to the drink — and that helps all the other flavors pop.

The Rim

Salt is the traditional choice, but you can feel to get as creative as you want with it. Cayenne can bring an extra level of heat, while spices like cumin can offer richer texture and a sweet counterpoint to the spice.