Hipster BBQ, a drink not a dinner
Vodka, lime and a salted beer chaser that tastes, absurdly, of a grill.
At a Glance
Story
Seasoned salt is the whole conjuring trick here, and the original, Lawry's, was mixed in 1938 at a Beverly Hills prime rib house to season steaks tableside before anyone thought to bottle it. A shake on the rim is why a plain vodka-lime somehow arrives tasting of a barbecue no one lit.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ fl oz vodka
- 1 fl oz fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp lime zestplus more for garnish
- 3 fl oz pale aleor more, to top
- seasoned saltabout 5 shakes, plus more for the rim
Method
A michelada's louche cousin, and about as sophisticated. It has no business working and it works completely, which is the story of most good drinks. Whet the appetite with it, then go find a steak.
- Pour the vodka, lime juice, lime zest and a few shakes of seasoned salt into a shaker with ice. Shake hard and cold.
- Rim a pilsner or highball glass with a little more seasoned salt if you are committed to the bit, which you should be. Fill with fresh ice.
- Strain the shaken mix over the ice, then pour the ale in slowly down the side so it doesn't foam over. Finish with more lime zest and a last dusting of salt.
Scaling up for a crowd, batch the vodka, lime and zest ahead and keep it cold, then top each glass with ale to order so the fizz survives. Flat beer helps no one.
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