(Courtesy Independence Brewing Company)

A michelada is a classic, savory Mexican beer cocktail made with light beer, fresh lime juice, and an array of spicy, umami-rich sauces and seasonings. It is an iconic staple of Mexican street food and Tex-Mex border culture, loved for its ability to cut through summer heat and pair perfectly with spicy food.

Amy Cartwright, who co-founded Austin-based Independence Brewing in 2004 along with her husband Rob, makes a great one. And she makes it using the brewery’s Native Texan Pilsner, a 5% ABV lager with a flavor profile that Central Texas’ 19th-century German and Czech immigrants would have appreciated.

So let’s do this!

Amy’s Michelada Recipe

Ingredients

12 oz. Native Texan Pilsner

2 oz. Momo’s Michelada Mix

1 tsp. olive brine, optional

2 tbsp. chamoy

1 tbsp. chili salt

Jalapeño-stuffed olives, mango, or cucumber, for garnish

Instructions

Pour the chamoy into one saucer and the chili salt into another. Dip the rim of the glass into the chamoy to coat it, then roll it in the chili salt until evenly coated.

Add 1 cup of ice to the glass.

Add 2 oz. Momo’s Michelada Mix. If it is not available, make a quick substitute by combining 2 oz. tomato juice, the juice of 1/2 lime, 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. hot sauce depending on your preferred heat level, and 1 tsp. olive brine.

Fill the glass with Native Texan Pilsner.

Add 1 tsp. olive brine, if using.

Lightly stir.

Garnish with jalapeño-stuffed olives, mango, or cucumber sprinkled with chili salt.

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