Rodeo Red Beer

A cocktail made with beer and tomato juice has several names depending on what region you’re ordering it in. Popular names include Red Eye (what we call it), Red Beer, Spicy Beer, Michelada, or Chelada. In theory, a Red Eye is a take on a Bloody mary. The biggest difference is that instead of a vodka base (or the tequila base of a Bloody Maria), you start with your beer of choice. Personally, we think that a Mexican lager is the best choice with a Red Eye — after all, there are plenty of folks who know this drink as “spicy Mexican red beer” or simply “Mexican red beer.” We enjoy red beers at the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo while watching contestants try their hand with the Cervi Championship stock.

Our spicy Red Eye / Red Beer recipe couldn’t be simpler. All you need is:

14 oz of beer
2 oz of tomato juice or V8 juice
1 Tbsp. Secret Aardvark Habanero Hot Sauce or more!

To make your Red Eye, simply combine the ingredients in a pint glass! Shaken or stirred — dealer’s choice!

If you want to take it to another level, try it with a salt rim. You could even mix some chipotle powder or taco seasoning with your salt for an extra kick (but since you’re already using Secret Aardvark, we don’t think you’ll need. it.)

Technically, a difference between what we call a Red Eye and a traditional Michelada are a few additional ingredients. Most people add lime juice to their Michelada, but some recipes call for soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce for an even stronger flavor, but those are largely considered optional.