The "Saturday" Michelada

Once you have a hand-mixed michelada, a deep-flavored cerveza preparada made with beer, lime juice and a 'sauce', it puts any pre-mixed or half-hearted attempts to shame. The better news is that its not overly complex, uses items you more than likely have around the house, and is hard to screw up.

• INGREDIENTS: serves two small/tasting portions or one large

• 1.5 to 2 cups Clamato, Tomato Juice or specialty mix, as shown

• 3/4 of a bottle of light Mexican beer, we used Corona Extra tonight

• Worcestershire Sauce, three shakes

• Soy Sauce, two shakes

• Tabasco, three shakes, or, to taste

• 2 Limes - juice and thin wedges

• Diced Pimento

• Ice, if preferred

• Tajin

• Black Pepper

• PREPARATION:

• In a larger glass than what your serving with, mix a handful of ice, Clamato, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, Tabasco and a squeeze of lime. Mix and stir to get chill in the glass.

• With your serving glass, dip the lip into your mix and wet the rim (maybe my new fun phrase): run the lip through a plate of Tajin to rim the glass.

• To your preference, you can strain the ice to your serving glass, or, like us, we enjoy the additional ice on a hot day. On your pour, keep 1/2 of the glass empty!

• Pour the beer over the top of your pour - it will pull up the mix with it. (Plus, we don't like to mix once the beer is in.)

• Garnish with a lime slice, a small spoonful of diced pimento to float on the top. We like a dash of black pepper on the top.

• Serve!

This is a substantial drink, not meant as an after-dinner affair! Like the Bloody Mary, this is a hearty pre-meal drink that we enjoy on hot Saturday afternoons when barbecuing with family. For those that don't want the alcohol, omit it the beer for a virgin version. Say that twelve times fast!