Drink of the week: the Mission Bowl michelada

Every time I order a michelada I end up regretting it. There are just not many situations that are well-suited for 20 oz of beer, salt, and hot sauce, and nursing a hangover is certainly not one of them. However, my losing streak was broken when I tried Mission Bowling Club’s take on the classic.

They start with Negra Modelo, which is clearly the ideal michelada beer – bold enough to stand up to the hot sauce and other add-ons, but without any conflicting bitterness or fruitiness. They solve the volume problem by preparing the drink in a small glass and giving you the rest of the bottle to top it off with, so your first sip in strong, spicy, and pungent enough to jolt you out of your morning haze. The additional ingredients focus on smoky, chipotle flavors, and I’m not sure how they get that frothy little head on top, but it’s similarly full of flavor. Oh and also, they put a fucking shot of mezcal in it.

So thanks, MBC, for revealing the beauty of the michelada to me, even if you did have to bastardize it a little.

Drink of the week is brought to you by Poachedjobs.com.

22 Responses to “Drink of the week: the Mission Bowl michelada”

  1. trapgina says:

    so like that was about $25.00?

  2. LetMeIn says:

    Micheladas are so over.

  3. Boney Bob says:

    I don’t have any inside information on how this drink got its “frothy little head”, but the trick in many other drinks is powdered egg white.

  4. MrEricSir says:

    A real michelada contains Clamato. It’s just as good for hangovers as a “gringo” bloody mary.

  5. kiya says:

    I spend quite a bit of time in Mexico and this is not a Michelada.
    For starters, nobody in Mexico would put a dark beer into a michelada, not to mention a spirit..

    • DomPara says:

      They should rename it to a Mishelada. Close enough, right?

    • Boney Bob says:

      So what? If it tastes good, drink it. Negra Modelo is the only Mexican beer commonly available in SF bars and restaurants that isn’t bottled pee.

      • kiya says:

        Thats like saying you want your martini to be made with rum because vodka is flavorless. The michelada is a drink thats made a certain way with the main ingredient being a lager.

        • kiya says:

          that should read “with the main ingredient being a light lager”.

        • Boney Bob says:

          Martinis aren’t made with vodka, either. Not by anyone with even a hint of civilization in them, anyway. So you’re hardly an authority on bartending purity.

          • MrEricSir says:

            Are you saying James Bond isn’t a civilized gentleman?

          • Herr Doktor Professor Deth Vegetable says:

            Well, to be fair, a “martini” is, by default, made with gin. It’s just that a “Vodka martini” is the only form of the martini that is drinkable, because gin tastes like rancid pine-needles.

          • Boney Bob says:

            The current JB isn’t a civilized gentleman, no — that’s what we like about him — but that’s irrelevant, because James Bond, as conceived by his creator, drank real martinis AND vodka martinis, and also “invented” a cocktail called The Vesper, which contained both gin and vodka, plus Lillet, which I endorse for having a fine good time.

            My point is, a plain vodka martini is a bland disappointment, and as much like a martini as an apple-tini (ugh), and anyone who cites it as a standard of drink purity should be refused entrance to all bars above the level of “dive”. And the dive bars should kick him out for asking for a cocktail.

          • Boney Bob says:

            @Herr Doktor — THAT’S CRAZYTALK!