Corrido Prohibido Tequila and Beer Drink

Corrido Prohibido in a salt rimmed glass, garnished with lime

The Spruce Eats / Margot Cavin

Prep: 2 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 2 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 drink

This simple, refreshing drink comes together quickly—it's as easy as pouring your favorite Mexican beer into a shot of tequila. The corrido prohibido is a delicious beverage that is especially great on a hot summer day and makes a great aperitif at a cookout. Just prep some tall glasses, lime wedges, and salt and mix the drinks to order, as you don't want the fizzy beers to go flat if mixing ahead of time. Enjoy this tasty beverage with or without the salted rim. Pace yourself when drinking it because the corridos go down easily, and you can have one too many without even noticing it. On average, one corrido sits at about 14 percent ABV, similar to a glass of wine, but it also depends on the tequila and the type of beer you are using.

The name of the drink refers to a type of Mexican folk music called "corridos," and in particular to a subgenre that celebrates a life of crime. This music is common in areas where drug dealing and unlawful activities run high, and it's sometimes made on commission. Since the drink doesn't relate to the music directly, it seems that its name just comes from the fact that its ingredients are Mexican, and a racy name never hurt the popularity of a cocktail.

For the tequila, choose a blanco tequila, that is, the slightly aged or unaged type. This is clear tequila with peppery and citrus flavors that is easily found in liquor stores from a variety of brands and at many price levels. Any bottle of blanco tequila will do for this mixed drink, but if possible, buy medium quality, as too cheap a bottle of tequila combined with beer might not have the flavor we're looking for. Go for a mid-priced bottle, such as Espolón Blanco, Casamigos, or Herradura Silver. Reserve other, pricier tequilas, like reposado or añejo, to sip on their own instead of mixing with other liquors or ingredients. As for the beer, choose a Mexican beer that's lightly bodied; think of Corona, Imperial, Modelo, Presidente, or Azteca.

Ingredients

  • Lime wedge, for rimming

  • Coarse salt, for rimming

  • 2 ounces blanco tequila

  • 6 ounces Mexican beer

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make a Corrido Prohibido cocktail

    The Spruce Eats / Margot Cavin

  2. Using a lime wedge to wet the rim of a small chilled beer mug or 8 ounce glass, and salt rim by dipping or rolling it into a small dish of coarse salt.

    A frosted glass rimmed with salt

    The Spruce Eats / Margot Cavin

  3. Pour tequila into glass.

    A hand pouring tequila into a chilled, salt-rimmed glass

    The Spruce Eats / Margot Cavin

  4. Tip glass and slowly pour beer on top.

    A hand pouring beer into the salt-rimmed glass with tequila

    The Spruce Eats / Margot Cavin

  5. Garnish with a lime wedge. Serve and enjoy.

    A Corrido Prohibido cocktail, garnished with a lime wedge

    The Spruce Eats / Margot Cavin

How Strong Is the Corrido Prohibido?

The tequila obviously adds an alcoholic punch to the average glass of beer, but even then, this drink is relatively mild. Let's use the 4.55 percent ABV Tecate for the beer and assume our tequila is 80 proof (which most are). In this instance, the finished corrido prohibido would weigh in at around 14 percent ABV (28 proof), or about the same as a glass of wine.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
225 Calories
0g Fat
13g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 225
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 323mg 14%
Total Carbohydrate 13g 5%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 19mg 97%
Calcium 29mg 2%
Iron 0mg 3%
Potassium 118mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)