[Photograph: Laren Spirer]

Hecho en Dumbo recently opened their doors on the Bowery, in the space that formerly housed Marion's, an East Village standby. The new tenant brings a rustic and relaxed vibe and tasty, authentic Mexican cuisine, influenced by traditional dishes and more contemporary twists via Mexico City, where the chef spent some time.

Jack Egan developed the cocktail menu and, like many who are enamored of all things agave, waxes poetic about time spent in Oaxaca, sipping small-batch mezcals. That said, the menu he created goes beyond tequila and mezcal cocktails to include another very traditional Mexican beverage—the Michelada. A traditional Michelada includes beer, lime, and salt, but the variations range wildly. A Michelada Cubana adds additional seasonings to the mix; Hecho en Dumbo offers both.

Another friend who spent time in Oaxaca described traveling from bar to bar sampling Micheladas, with no two recipes being exactly the same—"like chicken soup." Hecho en Dumbo's recipe uses dashes rather than precise measurements, and can be adapted to taste. It's like a light and refreshing cousin of a Bloody Mary, making it an ideal brunch alternative—or just a cocktail to toast the arrival of spring weather.

Michelada Cubana

Juice of two limes
4 dashes of Valentina salsa
a few dashes each of Worchestershire sauce and Maggi seasoning
12 oz. Mexican beer

Rim a tall glass with salt. Mix the first three ingredients in the glass. Next, add ice and pour in the Mexican beer of your choice (Hecho en Dumbo uses Bohemia). Garnish with a lime wheel.

Hecho en Dumbo

354 Bowery, New York NY 10003 (at East 4th Street; map)
212-937-4245
hechoendumbo.com