Hedonia

Mi/chelada

Seems the drink du jour in the media these days is the michelada. Aside from the beauty shot in this month's GQ, there's equally mouthwatering references on pretty much all my favorite boozy blogs:

• MattBites finds it the only way to enjoy his cerveza;
• Sloshed! sampled three different beers just to be thorough;
• The Spirit World eyes a couple alternative preparations;
• Anita at Married ...with Dinner delved into its history last Turkey Day; and
• Camper was way ahead of the curve, calling this drink's rising star fully two years ago, and is now on a campaign to bring it back as a brunch favorite.

The timing was good. With an upcoming visit to the in-laws in Kentucky (where we are now) this struck me as the perfect beverage to ply on less-than-experimental palates. With an ingredient list of un-scary and familiar ingredients -- Mexican beer, lime, Worcestershire and Tabasco, basically -- it promised nothing less than refreshing goodness for the inevitable hot, muggy days.

Alas, my cool micheladas were met with a tepid response. No one -- including DPaul -- liked the flavor the Worcestershire sauce imparted. To which I say, ¡más micheladas para mí! Personally, I thought the balance of sour-salty-hot was perfectly delicious, and certainly slapped a hearty coat of red lipstick on the Corona pig. It's a quaffable, refreshing brew that I could happily kick back more than a couple of on a sultry afternoon. Still, I will admit it pays to have a light hand with the Worcestershire.

I look forward to trying this again with Negro Modelo, my preferred Mexican beer. I would have used it this time, but our options out here in the wilds of Kentucky are ... limited. And for DPaul, I'll just pull back on the Worcestershire and Tabasco for the classic chelada. (Actually, he rather liked the Tabasco. So does that make it a semichelada?)

Mmmm ... beer

Bit of a bummer, but I didn't know until today that February is Strong Beer Month here in good ol' Ess Eff. Brew pubs and bars around the city are showcasing their heaviest, strongest beers, such as barleywines and imperial stouts; 21st Amendment and Magnolia have specially crafted brews for the occasion -- the former leading the pack with the strongest, the cannily named Lower de Boom.

A couple of years ago, a group of us piled into a limo and made a circuit of the city's microbrews. It was a great way to sample the wares, contrast and compare. I've always been a big 21A fan; I was surprisingly impressed with Gordon Biersch; but I gotta say, I did not love Magnolia. But that's just me -- they rose to the top of the list for a couple of our tasters. Most interestingly, there was exactly zero concensus on which brewery was best. In my mind, it means we have high-quality microbrews to suit every taste.

SFGate Culture Blog! thoughtfully notes that these beers are tailor-made for the chilly, rainy days of February. Too bad, I guess, then that we have been topping 70º for several days in a row. On second thought, I'll take the glorious weather and hoist a hefty stout to Mother Nature.

Say hey to Strong Beer Month [SFGate Culture Blog]
Strong Beer Month [SF Metblog]
Strong Beer Month [Gridskipper]