Michelada de Piña | Spicy Pineapple Michelada

This summer, cool off with a refreshing michelada de piña (also known as a pineapple michelada). With its tropical fruity flavor and surprisingly spicy kick, this beer cocktail is perfect for those looking for something a little sweeter than a traditional michelada!

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What is a michelada de piña?

If you’re familiar with the concept of a michelada, I probably don’t have to explain to you what a pineapple michelada is. Same concept, except the tomato juice is swapped for pineapple juice for a fruitier drink without the savory notes!

For those who haven’t been introduced yet to the marvel that is a michelada, here’s the short version. A michelada is a beer cocktail originally from Mexico.

To make a normal michelada, a light lager or tequila-flavored beer is mixed with tomato juice and various condiments, like Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and/or Maggi seasoning. A generous dash of Tabasco or other hot sauce is added for a fiery kick.

Today’s michelada de piña follows the same basic concept, but we’ll skip the tomato juice and savory condiments. We keep the beer and Tabasco, though, no worries! The result is an equally refreshing but more tropical pineapple michelada.

I love this drink for hot summer days because it’s seriously refreshing. Plus, the relatively low alcohol levels mean I can have a good few without having to worry about getting drunk or dehydrated.

What do you need for a michelada de piña?

You don’t have to be a mixologist to make a pineapple michelada. You’ll need a few different ingredients, but the recipe and method themselves are simple enough.

It’s easy to make a whole bunch of micheladas de piña, so invite your friends for a summer afternoon on the deck or in the garden and get mixin’!

Here’s what you’ll need:

Beer

As mentioned, pretty much any beer will do. You can go for any light lager, or choose a tequila-flavored option like I did in the photos. I have to say we were quite enamored with the refreshing combination of Corona beer and pineapple juice!

Pineapple juice

If you can get freshly pressed pineapple juice, that would be perfect, but I know it can be pricey and a little hard to find.

Honestly, bottled juice or even pineapple juice from concentrate will do the trick. We’ll be mixing it with other strong flavors anyway.

Lime juice

For the lime juice, I do really prefer fresh limes. This being said, bottled should probably work in a pinch.

Tabasco

Or your favorite hot sauce. I like Tabasco because it’s nice and tangy, but if it’s not spicy enough for you, feel free to swap it with something more to your liking.

Chili lime seasoning

This one’s optional, but homemade chili lime seasoning or store-bought Tajín work very well for the glass rims. You can also just mix salt with some cayenne powder, though.

Did you know? Some pineapple michelada recipes use a dash of another condiment named chamoy, a savory, sweet and tangy flavor bomb made with pickled fruit. We tried both versions and preferred our cocktails without chamoy, but there’s nothing stopping you if you like it!

Method & presentation

To make a michelada de piña, you’ll need a large glass, like a pint glass. Alternatively, you can go for an actual pineapple (as I did in the photos below) if you want to take things up a notch!

Here’s how you mix this beer cocktail:

• Place chili lime seasoning or salt and cayenne powder mix on a shallow dish.
• Wet the glass rim using a slice of lime and dip in the seasoning mixture to coat.
• Add your desired amount of ice to the glass, followed by the lime juice and Tabasco.
• Fill the glass halfway with pineapple juice, then top off with beer. Give the cocktail a stir.
• Decorate the glass with a slice of lime or pineapple, plus whatever else you’d like to add: fun stirring sticks, a cheeky maraschino cherry or even a little cocktail umbrella?

Michelada de piña recipe