| The Real Red Beer by Chris Brewster Hi Bob - Greetings from the Midwest, specifically Nebraska. Around here and throughout this region of the country there is something called Red Beer. I've never seen any mention of it in your column or on BeerNexus so I thought I'd clue everyone in on our specality. Let me tell you, it's Incredibly popular as a morning libation. Think of it as the michelada’s mysterious Midwestern cousin. Essentially it's a: light domestic beer mixed with a healthy blob of tomato juice. Sometimes a red beer can also be known as a red eye, red rooster, red draw, bloody beer, or Montana Mary. At a dive bar or a steakhouse you can get one without fuss though a bartender at a more upscale place, if they agree to mix one for you, might serve it with a side of condescension. Like many other beloved regional dishes, the progenitor of red beer is unclear, but the simplest version of red beer’s murky origin story is that it was imported from Mexican drinking culture. Micheladas, or beer flavored with a combination of tomato juice, lime, salt, and various spices, sauces, and seasonings, are one of the most popular alcoholic drinks in Mexico, and well-known to taco lovers and brunch-goers in America’s cities. According to legend, the michelada was invented as a hangover cure by a bartender at Potosino Sports Club in San Luis Potosí in the 1960s, and its ingredients vary by region. It can be as simple as salt and lemon, or it can include bouillon powder, chamoy, tomato juice, or Clamato. (Major brewers have been attuned to the drink’s appeal for some time: Anheuser-Busch sells a beer pre-mixed with Clamato, salt, and lime.) We Midwesterners usually add tomato juice to Michelob, Keystone, Bud Light, or Busch Light (often referred to by bros as “Busch Latté”), and most of us don’t adhere to a standard for the ratio of beer to “red,” leaving it up to drinkers’ individual tastes. One theory I heard says that red beer’s popularity might have to do with the historical unavailability of more flavorful beers in small towns. For the older generation, especially here in rural Nebraska it would be rare to see anything but light domestics on the menu so red beer is a way to get a drink with more flavor and depth. It’s still relatively hard for me to find tap beer in a lot of small towns. But don't worry, nobody uses a craft when they're making a red beer.. Almost everywhere you can find Busch Light or Bud Light so that's the usual choice. Part of the drink’s appeal is also the adjustability of the tomato-to- beer ratio: Some red beer drinkers are just beginning to consume alcohol, while others use it — much like a bloody mary — as the hair of the dog. You also can dress up this drink's flavor a bit. If you happen to have a Bloody Mary mix in the refrigerator, go ahead and use that. Should you opt for the straight pour of tomato juice, don't skip the salt. It marries the two flavors together, which is why bartenders will often give you a salt shaker when you order a red beer. Just a pinch will do and be sure not to overdo it because it can quickly become too salty. If you like, add a dash of hot sauce, a grind of pepper, or a pinch of celery salt to the mix. Be sure to go slow, stir the drink, and give it a taste before adding anything else. After a red beer or two, you'll find the perfect combination of your personal taste. I see it as a relatively light cocktail, which is why it's long been a morning favorite of mine..If you begin with a 5.0 percent ABV beer, the finished red-eye will be brought down to a mere 4.2 percent ABV. Hope some of your readers who have ever heard of it give Red Beer a try. They just might like it! ---------- Thanks Chris!. I never realized how popular Red Beer is or what exactly it was as opposed to beer that is brewed to a red hue. It sounds like a fun, easy going drink. Special thanks those tips on how to make it. Articles like yours are what make this column fun for me and the readers. . Again, many thanks for sending your article. I'd like to invite everyone to send me their own columns about anything related to beer in any way just as Chris did. I select the best and publish them here. So join in and get writing! Cheers! Bob |
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