We have written a full, standalone recipe for every beer cocktail on this list. This page is the map: what each drink actually is, which family it belongs to, and a direct link to the exact recipe with measurements. Five of the most-made ones get the full build below with photos and exact quantities; the rest are one click away.
Savory and spiced: the michelada family
Lager, lime, salt and heat, built around tomato or Clamato juice. If you only try one family on this list, start here.
- Beer Cocktails: Michelada, Chelada, Coronarita and More, the overview, a good starting point if you have never made any of these.
- Michelada Recipe, the full build, lime juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire and a chili-salt rim.
- Clamato Michelada Recipe, the classic savory version made with bottled Clamato instead of straight tomato juice.
- Michelada Cubana Recipe, Tecate, Tabasco and Clamato, the Cuban-style build with a heavier hot sauce hand.
- Chelada Recipe, just beer, lime and salt, no tomato at all, for when you want the acid without the spice.
- Coronarita Recipe, a bottle of Corona flipped upside down into a frozen margarita.
- Red Eye Recipe, beer and tomato juice built specifically as a hangover fix, lighter on the spice than a michelada.
Brunch and party pours
Built for a crowd, usually mixed in a pitcher rather than shaken one glass at a time.
- Beermosa Recipe, beer standing in for the champagne in a mimosa, our most-linked brunch cocktail.
- Beer Sangria Recipe, lager or wheat beer with fruit and a splash of brandy, built to fill a pitcher.
- Skip and Go Naked Recipe, beer, vodka and lemonade, the classic backyard-party punch.
- Girls’ Night Beer Drinks, 8 lighter, fruit-forward pours if the group wants something other than wine.
Shandies, radlers and low-and-slow sippers
Beer cut with something sweet or carbonated to bring the ABV and the intensity down, best in hot weather.
- Radler and Shandy Recipes, our full roundup covering both styles and the difference between them.
- Radler Recipe, beer and lemonade, the easy summer version.
- Shandygaff Recipe, the original pale ale and ginger beer shandy.
- Panache Recipe, the French version, beer and lemonade with a slightly different ratio.
- Snakebite Recipe, lager and dry cider, pint for pint, common in UK pubs.
- Beer Spritz Recipe, the Aperol-style spritz rebuilt with beer instead of prosecco.
Beer plus spirit
These add a shot of something stronger to a beer base rather than just diluting it.
- Beer Mule Recipe, the Moscow Mule’s beer-forward cousin, vodka, ginger beer and a lager float.
- Beer Buster Recipe, vodka, lager and a few dashes of Tabasco.
- Frozen Beer Margarita Recipe, a blended beer-rita slush, tequila and lager whipped together over ice.
- Corona Sunrise Recipe, a beer twist on the tequila sunrise, built with a grenadine float.
- Beer On the Rocks, an IPA and vermouth cocktail, served over ice like a spirit-forward drink.
Warm, dessert and novelty pours
Less common, but each one is a genuinely different drinking experience worth trying once.
- Beer Flip Recipe, a warm, frothy dark ale cocktail, closer to a hot toddy than a typical beer drink.
- Wassail Recipe, a warm mulled ale punch built for Christmas.
- Guinness Float Recipe, a stout beer float with vanilla ice cream, dessert in a glass.
- Berliner Weisse mit Schuss Recipe, Germany’s sour wheat beer with a shot of fruit syrup stirred in.
- Black and Tan Recipe, the layered stout and pale ale pint, poured over the back of a spoon.
- Diesel (Dirty Pint) Recipe, lager, cola and blackcurrant cordial, a UK pub-classic mixer.
Five full builds, with exact measurements
Michelada
Michelada Recipe
Calories: 295kcal
Equipment
- 1 Tall Glass A tall glass, such as a pint glass or Collins glass, is typically used for serving Micheladas. It should have enough capacity to accommodate the cocktail along with ice and garnishes.
- 3 Small Plates You'll need a couple of small plates to rim the glass with salt and Tajín or chili powder. These plates should be wide enough to fit the rim of the glass.
- 1 Knife and Cutting Board You'll need a knife and cutting board to cut the lime into wedges for juicing and for any optional garnishes like cucumber slices.
- 1 Pitcher or Mixing Glass A pitcher or a large mixing glass will be useful for combining the tomato juice, lime juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and other seasonings. This will allow you to easily mix the ingredients before pouring them into the serving glass.
- 1 Stirring Spoon A long stirring spoon or a bar spoon will help you mix the ingredients thoroughly in the pitcher or mixing glass.
- 1 Ice Cube Tray If you prefer your Michelada chilled, an ice cube tray will be needed to freeze ice cubes. Alternatively, you can use pre-made ice cubes from your freezer.
Ingredients
- 1 Lime
- Salt (for rimming the glass)
- Tajín or chili powder (optional, for rimming the glass)
- Ice cubes
- 1 Mexican lager beer (such as Modelo Especial or Dos Equis)
- 1 cup Tomato juice
- 2 tbsp Lime juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp Maggi seasoning (optional)
- 1/ tsp Celery salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Lime wedges, celery stalk, pickled jalapeños, cucumber slices (optional garnishes)
Instructions
Michelada Prepping
- Begin by rimming a tall glass with salt.
- Squeeze the juice of the lime onto a small plate.
- In another plate, spread out some Tajín or chili powder.
- Dip the rim of the glass into the lime juice and then into the Tajín or chili powder, coating the rim evenly. Set aside.
- Fill the glass with ice cubes, leaving some room at the top for the beer.
Michelada Seasoning
- In a separate pitcher, combine the tomato juice, freshly squeezed lime juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, Maggi seasoning (if using), celery salt, and a pinch of black pepper.
- Stir well to combine and adjust the seasonings according to your taste preferences.
- You can add more hot sauce for extra spiciness or adjust the acidity with lime juice.
Making the Michelada Cocktail
- Pour the tomato juice mixture over the ice in the prepared glass, filling it about halfway.
- Slowly pour the Mexican lager beer into the glass, allowing it to mix with the tomato juice. You can pour it in all at once or gradually, depending on how much foam you prefer.
- Give the cocktail a gentle stir to combine the flavors.
- Optionally, garnish the glass with a lime wedge, a celery stalk, pickled jalapeños, or cucumber slices.
- Serve the Michelada immediately and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Lime Juice: Freshly squeezed lime juice is key to achieving a bright and tangy flavor in the Michelada. It’s best to use fresh limes rather than bottled lime juice for the best taste.
- Rimming the Glass: Rimming the glass with salt and Tajín or chili powder adds an extra layer of flavor and enhances the presentation. If you can’t find Tajín, you can use any chili powder of your choice.
- Adjusting Seasonings: The recipe provides general measurements for hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and other seasonings. Feel free to adjust these according to your personal taste preferences. Add more hot sauce for extra spiciness or increase the acidity with additional lime juice.
- Choosing the Beer: Traditional Mexican lager beers like Modelo Especial, Dos Equis, or Corona work well in a Michelada. However, you can experiment with other light beers or even try craft beers to customize the flavor to your liking.
- Maggi Seasoning: Maggi seasoning is an optional ingredient that adds depth of flavor to the Michelada. It has a savory and slightly sweet taste. If you don’t have Maggi seasoning, you can omit it or replace it with a dash of soy sauce or extra Worcestershire sauce.
- Garnishes: While not necessary, garnishes can add extra visual appeal and flavor to your Michelada. Lime wedges, celery stalks, pickled jalapeños, or cucumber slices are standard garnish options. Feel free to get creative and use your favorite toppings.
- Experiment and Customize: Micheladas are a versatile cocktail, and you can adjust the ingredients and ratios to suit your preferences. Some variations include adding Clamato juice (a blend of tomato juice and clam broth), using different hot sauces or spices, or incorporating additional ingredients like clam juice or Mexican seasoning blends.
- Serve Fresh: Micheladas are best enjoyed fresh. As the beer can lose its carbonation over time, it’s ideal to prepare and serve the cocktail right away for the best taste and experience.
Beermosa
Beermosa (Beer and Orange Juice)
A brunch-table twist on the mimosa: chilled orange juice topped with a Belgian-style wheat beer instead of sparkling wine.
Servings: 1
Calories: 180kcal
Ingredients
- 4 oz orange juice fresh-squeezed if you can, well chilled
- 4 oz Belgian-style wheat beer Blue Moon Belgian White or a similar witbier
- 1 slice orange for garnish
Instructions
- Pour the chilled orange juice into a champagne flute or tall glass, filling it about halfway.
- Top slowly with the wheat beer, letting the foam settle before adding more.
- Garnish with an orange slice on the rim.
- Serve immediately while the beer is still fizzy.
Beer Mule
Beer Mule
A Moscow Mule built with beer instead of vodka: lager, ginger beer and fresh lime over ice in a copper mug.
Servings: 1
Calories: 170kcal
Ingredients
- 6 oz lager a light, crisp lager works best
- 4 oz ginger beer well chilled, spicy ginger beer rather than mild ginger ale
- 0.5 oz lime juice fresh-squeezed
- 1 wedge lime for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a copper mug or highball glass with ice.
- Pour in the lime juice, then the lager.
- Top with the ginger beer, pouring slowly down the side of the mug to keep the fizz.
- Give it one gentle stir, garnish with a lime wedge and serve immediately.
Snakebite
Snakebite (Lager and Cider)
Equal parts lager and dry cider poured together for a crisp, fizzy pint that splits the difference between beer and cider.
Servings: 1
Calories: 210kcal
Ingredients
- 6 oz lager a light, crisp lager such as Stella Artois or a Mexican lager
- 6 oz dry cider Strongbow or another dry apple cider, well chilled
Instructions
- Chill a pint glass if you have time; a cold glass keeps the head from building too fast.
- Pour the lager into the glass first, filling it about halfway.
- Top with the cider, pouring down the side of the glass rather than straight down the middle to keep the foam manageable.
- Give it one gentle stir with a bar spoon so the two are evenly mixed rather than layered.
- Serve straight away, ideally over ice on a hot day.
Black and Tan
Black and Tan (Half and Half)
A two-tone layered pint: pale ale on the bottom, stout floated on top so the two never fully mix.
Servings: 1
Calories: 220kcal
Ingredients
- 6 oz pale ale Bass Pale Ale or another malty English-style pale ale
- 6 oz stout Guinness, poured cold
Instructions
- Fill a pint glass about halfway with the pale ale, pouring normally.
- Rest a bar spoon or layering tool upside down just above the surface of the pale ale, curved side up.
- Pour the stout slowly over the back of the spoon so it spreads out and floats on top instead of dropping straight in.
- Stop pouring once the glass is full and the stout is sitting in a distinct dark layer over the lighter beer.
- Serve immediately without stirring, the layers are the point.
The tools that actually make these easier
None of these cocktails need fancy equipment, but three things make the michelada family and the spirit-based drinks noticeably easier to get right.
FAQ
What’s the easiest beer cocktail to start with?
The Chelada or the Michelada. Both are just lager, lime juice and a salt or chili-salt rim, so there is nothing to measure precisely and it is hard to get wrong.
Can you make beer cocktails with non-alcoholic beer?
Yes. Michelada, Beermosa and Beer Sangria all work with a non-alcoholic lager or wheat beer; the flavor profile holds up because the recipe leans on the citrus and spice, not the alcohol. See our low-calorie and light beer roundup for options.
What is the difference between a radler and a shandy?
They are close to the same idea (beer cut with something sweet and carbonated) but a radler traditionally uses citrus soda or lemonade and started in Germany, while shandy is the broader British term that also covers ginger beer and lemonade mixes like the shandygaff. Full breakdown in our radler and shandy guide.
