Chabela
I’ve found myself across the border town of Mexicali many times in the last 10 years visiting family and friends. There are hundreds of things that I love and celebrate about Mexico especially the food and drink. I relish all the authentic flavors and preparations of some of my favorite dishes when in the Capital of Baja California. Doesn’t matter if it’s winter spring summer or fall, I run around trying to eat all the specialties of Mexicali. Now if you have ever visited in the summer months then you know that it is hot enough to fry an egg on the hood of your car and that the heat is relentless. People stay indoors all day blasting the ac and the second night falls the city comes alive. A summer night in Mexicali wouldn’t be complete without a Chabela. The refreshing drink is the perfect antidote to the scorching heat. It sets the atmosphere and you hope there will be a light breeze accompanying the Chabela adding some relief. My primo Amp-Dog introduced me to this recipe and it will always remind me of the flavors of an electric evening in Mexico.
Ingredients for Chabela Summer Masterpiece:
Chalice Glass
5 Ice cubes
1/2 – teaspoon Tajin
1 – oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
worcestershire Sauce (hold for a count of 2)
4 – squirts of tabasco sauce
1/2 – cup of clamato
1 – cup Mexican beer
Add lime juice to the bottom of the Chalice glass and swirl around, then add some Tajin to the side walls of glass. Add ice, worcestershire sauce, tabasco sauce, clamato and at last, the most important ingredient……THE MEXICAN BEER! I used Modelo for this post but it also goes well with dark beer like Negra Modelo, Leon Negra, Bohemia Obscura or Indio.
