Chilean-style michelada recipe: Mexican influence with local flavors

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The michelada is a cocktail made with pale lager beer that has its origins in Mexico. Its popularity was such, however, that over time different countries adapted the recipe until they arrived at their own representative version.

The Chilean-style michelada is a bold reinterpretation of the Mexican classic that has won over the national palate thanks to the incorporation of native ingredients.

Nutritional Information

Each serving of Chilean-style michelada contains approximately 150 kcal, 1 g of protein, 0 g of fat (0 g saturated fat), 0 mg of cholesterol, 15 g of carbohydrates, 2 g of sugars and 450 mg of sodium. (*)

(*) Estimated values for 330 ml of 4.5% lager with a salted rim. They may vary depending on the type of beer and the amount of salt and merken used.

How Is the Chilean Michelada Different From the Mexican One?

Unlike the international versions, the Chilean variant stands out for its smoky, earthy aftertaste, a result of the addition of merken (smoked Mapuche chili), which makes it a drink with its own identity, ideal for balancing fatty foods or simply enjoying a refreshing aperitif with character.

In Mexico the michelada can take clamato, sauces, chamoy or tajín, as in the mango michelada. The Chilean version sticks to three things, pica lime, salt and merken, and lets the beer come through.

Pica lime is a small, very sour and aromatic lime grown in northern Chile. If you can’t find it, Key lime or Persian lime gives a similar result, while a regular lemon is milder.

How to Make a Chilean-Style Michelada

Rim a glass with lime, sea salt and merken, add pica lime juice and top it up with ice-cold lager. It is served without ice in the glass, although you can add some if it is very hot outside.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1 glass
Difficulty: very easy

Ingredients

• 330 ml lager or pilsner beer, ice-cold
• 2 pica limes (about 30 ml of juice)
• 1 teaspoon merken
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• Ice, optional

Preparation

1. Prepare the rim by placing pica lime juice on a flat plate and the dry mixture (fine sea salt and merken) in another similar container.
2. Moisten the rim of a pint glass by gently dipping it into the plate with lime juice until the entire edge is well soaked.
3. Press the moist rim onto the salt and merken mixture and turn the glass with a firm circular motion so the spices adhere evenly, creating a stable crust that does not come off easily.
4. Add the rest of the lime juice to the glass, about 30 ml, and carefully pour in the ice-cold beer, tilting the glass so you don’t lose the foam.

If you are making several, these are the proportions so you don’t have to measure every glass.

Tips and Variations

You can buy merken already ground, but it is more aromatic if you toast the cacho de cabra chili yourself and grind it with coriander seeds and salt, which is the original Mapuche recipe.

A very Chilean variation swaps the merken on the rim for Cáhuil salt, the artisanal sea salt from the O’Higgins coast, and adds a slice of green chili inside the glass for anyone who wants more heat.

For an alcohol-free version it works just as well with a 0.0 lager, because the rim is the star. And if you want to know why the combination of acid, salt and bitterness is so refreshing, what is bitter taste has the explanation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Which beer is best for a Chilean michelada?

A light, ice-cold lager or pilsner. In Chile it is made with Escudo, Cristal or Kunstmann Lager, and it also works with Corona or Sol. It is best to avoid bitter or full-bodied beers, because the merken and the lime already bring plenty of intensity.

2. What is merken and why is it used in the Chilean michelada?

Merken is a Mapuche seasoning made from smoked, ground cacho de cabra chili, salt and toasted coriander seeds. It adds the smoky, earthy touch that sets the Chilean michelada apart from the Mexican one.

3. Can I use tomato juice or clamato?

Yes, many bars add clamato or tajín, but the classic Chilean recipe focuses on the minimalism of citrus, salt and merken to highlight the flavor of the beer.

4. How many calories are in a Chilean michelada?

About 150 kcal per 330 ml glass, almost all of them from the beer. The lime, salt and merken add fewer than 10 kcal. With an alcohol-free lager it drops to about 80 kcal.

5. Which foods does it pair best with?

It is ideal for cleansing the palate after rich dishes such as cheese or egg. It is also the perfect companion for light seafood appetizers such as fried fish, shellfish and the empanada de pino.

Recommended

• How to make a mango michelada? Recipe with chamoy and tajín
• Michelagua, the refreshing alcohol-free alternative to the michelada