Best Michelada Mix Bottle, According to a Taste Test

Let’s get something out of the way: The best Michelada mix at the grocery store is made with tomato juice. I know, I know. A lot of the best Michelada recipes—especially Mexico City-style Miches—contain some combo of citrus juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire, and spices, no tomato juice whatsoever. But the best Michelada mix bottle? It’s mostly tomato juice, along with citrus juice and spices—but trust us, it rivals what they’re mixing up at your local taco spot (and that’s coming from a Southern Californian). 

Another thing I need to address (for my own sanity): Bottled Michelada mix is nefariously similar to bottled Bloody Mary mix, so…is there a difference? My takeaway is that even though they’re both spiced, thick, tomatoey concoctions, there is, in fact, a difference between Michelada mix and Bloody Mary mix, and it comes down to ratios and a few disparate ingredients. For instance, Michelada mix tends to have a higher concentration of citrus juice than Bloody Mary mix. Spice-wise, Michelada mix has more chile powder (you’ll find a Tajin-like powder floating atop the drink once beer has been added) and less black pepper. And Bloody Mary mix tends to include zippy fresh horseradish or horseradish sauce, while Michelada mix doesn’t. So, even if you have Bloody Mary mix in the fridge, it’s worth having a bottle of the best Michelada mix on hand, too (although, If you came here looking for the best Bloody Mary mix for Micheladas, we’ve got you covered with our best Bloody Mary mix ranking).

The following article contains affiliate links that may generate a small commission to us when you make a purchase through the link. Learn more about how we work with affiliates here.

Best for Domestics

Zing Zang Michelada mix has an odd bitterness on the finish, but it isn’t a deal breaker. I tasted all the mixes with Corona Non-Alcoholic (one of the best non-alcoholic beers, according to our ranking), and I think something about the slightly metallic taste of the beer reacted weirdly with this mix. Still, it’s thick, peppery, and saltier than some of the other mixes on this list (Clamato, in particular), so I think it’s the best Michelada mix to combine with a super mild lager, like Coors Light or Miller Lite. It’s very salty and very umami, but it could definitely use more heat. I’d add a dash of hot sauce and I’m not even a heat freak. 

Credit: Liv Averett / Ralphs

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

Best Smoky

This Michelada mix is weird, but I like it. It has a smokiness that makes it taste a bit like you mixed a tomatoey BBQ sauce with beer. But if you like a super savory Michelada, this is the best Michelada mix to buy. It’s salty. Very salty. It’s so salty that I’d recommend messing with the ratios a little bit (rather than one part Miche mix and three parts beer, I’d try one part mix to four parts beer). Still, it’s very flavorful and the smoke makes it unique. If you’re having bacon for brunch, this is a good pairing. 

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Best Umami

A lot of the best Michelada recipes start with Clamato. And you could certainly pick up a bottle of regular Clamato (it’s a mix of clam and tomato juice, if you couldn’t tell from the name), mix it with lime juice, chile powder, and beer, and call it a day, but this Michelada mix has other stuff going on that makes it worthwhile. This was my personal favorite. It’s super umami thanks to the clam juice and a little bit sweet because it’s so tomato forward. It’s also less thick and gloopy than other Michelada mixes, and it has a distinct, vegetal jalapeño flavor I really love. If I were ranking the best Michelada mix based on my personal preferences, this would be #1 on the list. I love it.

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best of the Best

Twang Michelada mix comes in a suspiciously gentrified looking bottle. It looks like a craft mix you’d only find in upscale liquor stores in hip neighborhoods, but it’s very available at grocery stores here in L.A. Don’t let the look turn you off—Twang makes a very good, very authentic-tasting Michelada mix. The brand is known for its powdered citrus salts, so making a bottled Michelada mix seems like a natural evolution. This stuff is nice and tangy—twangy, I guess you could say—thanks to a dose of apple cider vinegar and it’s also deeply savory thanks to tamari. It’s the most complex mix we tasted, and it’s the best Michelada mix if you want something that really channels what most people expect a tomatoey Michelada mix to taste like. Try it!

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Other products we tried: Finest Call Michelada Mix

ncG1vNJzZmiroKS%2FrLHDZ5qopV%2BWv7W1wqWcaJqVqMFuucicn56kkZmubrnIsWY%3D

 Share!

• Share on Facebook
   
• Tweet
   
• Share on Google+
   
• Post to Tumblr
   
• Pin it
   
• Submit to Reddit