Spicy & Tangy Pumpkin Michelada Recipe

I left my Mexico vacation with a delicious souvenir. A love of beer cocktails.

So when Estrella Jalisco sent me a recipe for a spicy Pumpkin Michelada, I knew I had to give it a try! It’s the perfect fall cocktail idea, especially for people who aren’t looking for something overly sweet.

This is such a refreshing easy cocktail to make at home!

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Estrella Jalisco provided beer and the recipe for this post. I modified the recipe slightly. 

A Pumpkin Michelada for Fall

A Pumpkin Michelada is an unexpected drink to serve for all your fall parties. While it has pumpkin and some of our favorite fall spices, the cayenne pepper and beer make this totally unique.

How is this different from a regular Michelada?  

A regular Michelada is basically a Bloody Mary with beer. They often have Clamato and sometimes tequila. I’m not a fan. I just can’t get behind a tomato-based cocktail. I do love a Chelada, however, which is another version but doesn’t have tomato.

A Michelada with Pumpkin swaps out the tomato base and uses pumpkin instead. That’s something I can support. And I’m not even a fan of pumpkin! 

How to Make a Michelada for Fall

Here in California, fall tends to be on the warmer side. So a refreshing pumpkin beer cocktail is a great idea. And that little bit of heat hits the back of your throat and makes this extra special. 

I never used to be a fan of spice, but I’m really learning to love it. Especially in cocktails! (Try my Spicy Mexican Mule too!)

Ingredients:

• 1 heaping TBSP canned Pumpkin
• ½ oz Lemon
• 1/2 tsp agave syrup
• ¼ tsp ginger
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp cayenne red pepper
• ¼ tsp salt
• Top with Estrella Jalisco (I used about 3/4 of a can)
• Tajin to rim glass

The original recipe called for Chili de Arbol which I didn’t have. I substituted cayenne pepper and I think it worked perfectly. I’m not a fan of salt on margarita rims, but I am a huge supporter of Tajin on a fall beer cocktail! 

I love to use Estrella Jalisco in beer cocktails because it’s super refreshing and has a pretty pale golden color. It’s also super light and doesn’t have a strong aftertaste so it works really well with other flavors. 

Instructions:

In a bar pitcher add pumpkin, lemon juice and agave.

Add cinnamon, ginger and cayenne.

Mix well.

Top with beer.

Mix with a bar spoon.

Rim a glass with a lemon wedge and Tajin.

Pour Pumpkin Michelada over ice.

This fall beer cocktail is super simple to make and will be an unexpected pumpkin recipe to serve at Friendsgiving or any other party your throwing in the next few months. 

Make this Fall Beer Cocktail Your Own!

This pumpkin cocktail is sort of a choose your own adventure situation. There are several ways to personalize it to make sure it suits your tastes perfectly.

• Add more cayenne to kick up the spice even more.
• Use just a little beer so the pumpkin flavor takes center stage.
• Use more beer (I used about 3/4 of a can) to dilute the pumpkin flavor since I wanted it to be a little subtle.
• Add a little tequila to really get the party started. 

The color is pretty and bold! It will look perfect on any holiday table. 

More Pumpkin Cocktails to make this year:

• Pumpkin Spice Margarita
• Pumpkin Moscow Mule with Canned Pumpkin
• Pumpkin Mule with Pumpkin Rum

More Cocktails to Try:

• Serrano Margarita
• Mexican Mule
• Cucumber Margarita

Not ready for a cocktail? Try this Salted Caramel Pumpkin Pie Milkshake! And don’t if you want a boozy dessert make my Fireball Pumpkin Pie. 

Pin this Pumpkin Michelada for Later

If you’ve never tried a Pumpkin Michelada, make one this fall! It’s a delicious beer cocktail that is refreshing and totally unique! 

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