In The Emoticon, Empellón’s beverage director Noah Small ticks multiple Michelada boxes with his personal riff, which plays on a confluence of Mexican and Japanese flavors: There’s the “tart kick of yuzu for acidity, the umami of white miso and a togarashi-salt rim for heat.”
The Emoticon
Noah Small, Empellón | New York City
Ingredients
Serving: 1
- 1 ounce yuzu-miso (see Editor's Note)
- 1 can light Mexican lager (preferably "Mexicali")
- togarashi salt (see Editor's Note)
Garnish: half-rim of togarashi salt
Directions
- Rim half the glass with togarashi salt.
- Add yuzu-miso to glass.
- Fill glass halfway with ice.
- Top with beer and stir gently to incorporate.
Editor's Note
Yuzu-Miso:
35 grams white miso paste
1 ounce fresh squeezed orange juice
1/2 ounce agave syrup (1:1, agave nectar:water)
Whisk all ingredients together until the miso is fully incorporated. Fine strain using a chinois.
Togarashi Salt:
2 tablespoons shichimi togarashi
6 tablespoons kosher salt
Combine ingredients and grind together in a molcajete or mortar and pestle.