Montezuma’s hangover cure

When Cinco de Mayo winds down and the margaritas finish flowing, there’s a saucy, spicy drink that’s got your espalda: the michelada. Known as the Mexican bloody mary, the version at Caliente Mexican Craving combines a Mexican cerveza with tomato and lime juices, peppers, hot sauces and spices to make a savory cocktail renowned for its hangover-curing abilities.

The story of this lesser-known Mexican cocktail is unclear. Some legends point to the Mexican Revolution, alleging that General Don Augusto Michel served cervezas with lime juice and heaps of hot sauce to toughen up his troops for battle, while others credit the drink’s creation to a drunken barfly named Michel Esper and his regular order at San Luis Potosi’s famous Club Deportivo Potosino. Other stories credit the name simply to slurred-together Spanish slang for a cold beer.

Wherever it came from, the michelada is definitely a departure from your ordinary cantina order. calientemexicancraving.com

HOW TO MAKE A MICHELADA

½ bottle cerveza
1½ ounces tomato juice
½ lime, juiced
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon Tabasco
jalapeño pepper
cayenne
ice