At Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights, a michelada is on the cocktail menu. Here's how to make the spicy Mexican drink at home.
At Universal Studios Hollywood you can eat a banana-flavored cookie in a Minions-fueled land or enjoy Duff Beer in a recreated version of The Simpsons-famous town Springfield, U.S.A., but you can also sip on spicy micheladas and dip birria tacos in savory consommé.
Even Halloween Horror Nights (HHN), an annual event that invites guests to live out their ultimate fears through haunted houses, scare zones and spooky entertainment, is a gastronomical hot bed.
Here, the tricks come in the form of treats — specifically those that lean into the area's rich culinary influences. Los Angeles may be known for the glitz of Hollywood, but the City of Angels also has a diverse makeup of residents — which means for visitors, incredible food awaits.
The theme park destination celebrates Southern California's greatest culinary offerings 365 days a year — from Korean-style corn dogs to slow-roasted mojo pork — but that dedication is heightened during HHN, its biggest and scariest event of the year.
"As an entertainment destination that appeals to a broad array of visitors from around the world, adding cultural influences to the scope of our HHN event and menu is a must," shares Rudy Quezada, a research and development sous chef at Universal Studios Hollywood. "This year, we celebrate Los Angeles' diverse culture with the Plaza de los Muertos, creating a themed menu of drinks and savory favorites like tamales, birria tacos and esquites (Mexican street corn salad)."
Plaza de los Muertos, a plaza filled with bars, dining locations and entertainment, debuted at the event last year and was an immediate smash hit. It connects cinematic-level theming with food and beverage, all centered around the Mexican celebration Día de los Muertos.
"The reactions to the Plaza de los Muertos were incredible, so we were so excited to have it return this year in a more expanded fashion," shares Quezada. "Because the area is located adjacent to the La Llorona: The Weeping Woman haunted house and the Pueblo del Terror scare zone, guests can go from the maze to the scare zone to the plaza to enjoy themed cocktails ... in a continuous experience."
One of the plaza's most popular sips is a traditional michelada served in a light-up skull. The Mexican cocktail is made by combining a light beer with lime juice, tomatoey sauces and spices. A popular beverage in Southern California, variations are served year-round in the park, most likely because the refreshing and spicy drink is the perfect sip for a hot day.
The synergy continues with inspired food offerings that also draw on local influences, like beef birria tacos. Popular in Southern California's Latinx community, the tacos have taken off as a trendy item in recent years and can now be found everywhere from local Mexican joints to high-end restaurants. The dish is made from tender, juicy meat, placed in tortillas and fried. The tortillas are then dipped in a consommé, the broth from the stew the meat is prepared in.
With dozens of specialty menu items created exclusively for the event, preparing for something of this scale is no easy undertaking.
"The process to develop the HHN menu starts months in advance," shares Quezada. "We take a look at the haunted houses for the year and brainstorm sweet and savory menu items that we could create for the event. We also take into account any popular items from previous years to bring them back for our guests."
The real-life manifestation of blockbuster films of the genre become a true multi-sensory experience with food and beverage offerings. While it's all screams inside the houses — like this years Halloween and Killer Klowns From Outer Space haunts — outside it's all about the food. In addition to menus leaning into SoCal influences, there's traditional barbecue, sweet treats and HHN fan-favorites, like pizza fries.
After spending time eating, drinking and screaming my way around HHN, I attempted to recreate the event's michelada, with the help of a recipe provided by Universal Studios Hollywood that gave instructions on producing the cocktail in large quantities. Here's how to add some spice to your life this Halloween season by making a copycat version of this savory drink.
Universal Studio Hollywood's Michelada
Adapted from a recipe provided by Universal Studios Hollywood
Ingredients:
12 ounces of light Mexican beer (Universal uses Modela, but you can use any light beer of choice, like Corona).
1 ounce lime juice
2 ounces of your preferred tomato juice (or Bloody Mary mix)
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 dash of salt
Tajin (chili-salt blend) for rim
Lime for garnish (optional)
Instructions:
1. Rim glass with chili-salt blend using lime juice.
2. Add lime juice, hot sauce, tomato juice (or Bloody Mary mix) and a dash of salt to the glass.
3. Fill glass with ice.
4. Add beer and gently stir.
5. Top with sliced lime for garnish.
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