Red Beer Recipe: The Midwest Classic Done Right

I hated red beer the first time I tried it.

I moved to Nebraska, became a reluctant Husker fan, and got handed a red beer at a tailgate. It tasted like someone had ruined both a perfectly good beer and a perfectly good tomato juice. Just beer and tomato juice, nothing else.

But here's the thing about red beer: it grows on you. After a few tailgates, a few rough Sunday mornings, and some experimentation with the recipe, I got it. Now I swear by it.

The key is seasoning. Plain beer and tomato juice is boring. A properly seasoned red beer is a savory, refreshing drink that bridges the gap between "I need coffee" and "I'm ready for a real cocktail."

Here's how to make it right.

What Is Red Beer?

Red beer (also called a red eye) is beer mixed with tomato juice. It's a Midwest staple, popular at tailgates, brunches, and anywhere people need something lighter than a Bloody Mary but more interesting than plain beer.

The difference between red beer and a Michelada is regional and stylistic. Micheladas are Mexican, use lime and chili spices, and are often served with a Tajín rim. Red beer is Midwestern, simpler, and usually just seasoned with salt and maybe some hot sauce.

Red Beer Recipe

Prep time: 2 minutes Servings: 1

Ingredients

12 oz light lager (Bud Light, Miller Lite, Coors, or similar)
4-5 oz tomato juice
1 oz Stu's Bloody Mary Concentrate
Pinch of coarse salt
Squeeze of fresh lime juice (optional)

Instructions

Start with a cold glass. A frozen mug is even better.
Add tomato juice. Pour until the glass is about one-third full.
Add Stu's concentrate and salt. Stir to combine.
Top with beer. Pour slowly to preserve carbonation.
Stir gently and taste. Adjust salt or add lime if needed.

Why Use Stu's Concentrate?

Traditional red beer is just beer, tomato juice, and salt. It's fine.

But adding Stu's Bloody Mary Concentrate gives you the spice, acid, and depth that makes the drink actually interesting. All the seasoning is already balanced. You don't need to mess with Worcestershire, hot sauce, horseradish, and celery salt separately.

One pour and you're done.

Best Beer for Red Beer

Use a light American lager. The beer should be crisp and neutral, not hoppy or bold. The tomato and seasoning do the heavy lifting. A complex beer just fights with the flavors.

Good choices:

Bud Light
Miller Lite
Coors Light
Old Style (if you're from Chicago)
PBR

Avoid:

IPAs (too bitter)
Stouts (too heavy)
Wheat beers (wrong flavor profile)
Anything expensive (you won't taste it anyway)

Red Beer Variations

Spicy Red Beer

Use Stu's Smoked Jalapeño concentrate instead of the original. Add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce. Rim the glass with chili salt if you want to go all in.

Dirty Red Beer

Add 4-6 green olives and a splash of olive brine. The brininess pairs surprisingly well with the tomato.

Red Beer with Clamato

Swap tomato juice for Clamato. This pushes it closer to a Bloody Caesar territory but keeps the beer base.

Chelada Style

Add extra lime juice and rim the glass with salt. This bridges the gap between red beer and a traditional chelada.

Red Beer vs. Other Beer Cocktails

Drink	Base	Key Difference
Red Beer	Beer + tomato juice	Midwest style, simple seasoning
Michelada	Beer + lime + spices	Mexican style, chili-forward
Chelada	Beer + lime + salt	Minimal, no tomato
Bloody Mary	Vodka + tomato juice	Spirit-based, not beer

When to Drink Red Beer

Red beer fits a specific moment. It's not a cocktail and it's not a regular beer. It lives in between.

Tailgates. Light enough to drink several, flavorful enough to feel like you're having something special.

Rough mornings. The tomato juice and seasoning settle your stomach. The beer takes the edge off. It's a gentler reentry than a full Bloody Mary.

Long brunches. When you want to pace yourself but don't want to switch to water or soda.

Hot afternoons. Surprisingly refreshing when it's cold.

Tips for Better Red Beer

Keep everything cold. Beer, tomato juice, glass. Warm red beer is unpleasant.

Don't skip the salt. Salt pulls the beer and tomato together. Without it, they taste like two separate things sharing a glass.

Pour the beer slowly. Dumping it in kills the carbonation. You want some fizz.

Find your ratio. I like about 5 oz tomato juice to 12 oz beer, but some people prefer more beer, less tomato. Experiment.

Ready to Try It?

Stu's Bloody Mary Concentrate makes red beer easy. All the seasoning in one pour. Add tomato juice, add beer, and you've got a proper red beer in under two minutes.

Go Big Red.

Related:

Red Beer Recipe - Beer and Tomato Juice