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Modelo Beer and Seafood Botana | 12 Days of Drinkmas

beer with seafood and Christmas ornaments

Ooooh, We got a new favorite over here for the 12 Days of Drinkmas or should I say DRINK-MÁS! 

Christmas Eve gets neglected and when I found out about this I had to adopt it as one of my traditions. A Modelo Botana is sure to make your season bright! Celebrate our interpretation of the Feast of Seven Fishes with us!

So what is the Feast of Seven Fishes? 

The Feast of the Seven Fishes, also known as The Eve, is an Italian-American celebration of Christmas Eve with dishes of fish and other seafood. In Italy, it’s called La Vigilia and is in honor of abstaining from meat until actual Christmas day, and it symbolizes the wait for baby Jesus. First off, know that I am not the expert on this and have not celebrated the holiday with any Italian Americans. I WANT TO. PLEASE, SOMEONE, INVITE ME, POST-COVID. So I have just taken to cooking seafood on Christmas eve and Christmas, my family makes a Southeast Asian Curry Seafood boil every year so Feast of Seven Fishes is right up my alley. Normally it’s a multiple-course meal but Jared, my partner, and I usually just make a big old pot of pasta puttanesca that is heavy on the anchovies and capers! But when quarantine is over I’d like to celebrate at a local restaurant here: Ava Gene’s, if they do their Feast of Seven Fishes again! 

Modelo bear covered in hot sauce and seafood on a table with Christmas ornaments and lights in the background

The Feast of Seven Fishes but make it Mexican inspired? Meet the Modelo Botana.

Again not an expert on the Feast of Seven Fishes, so we did a twist and made our feast Mexican inspired with a Modelo Botana con camerons. Botana meaning snack or appetizer. I found out about what a Modelo Botana is from one of my favorite IG people, @jenuinelyme, and this restaurant in Portland, Don Kamaron. Generally this botana is served with just shrimp but people do crab legs and calamari as well. We decided to do oysters because hello…it’s us. We encourage you: Make it your own gorgeous seafood pile.

Modelo Beer and Seafood Botana

  • Servings: 2-4
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

A Modelo Botana is sure to make your season bright! Celebrate our interpretation of the Feast of Seven Fishes with us! Also great for tailgating and Cinco de Mayo celebrations.

Ingredients

  • 4 Modelo in cans or bottles
  • 1 Lime
  • 1 tbsp Tajin
  • 1 bottle of hot sauce (we used Valentina)
  • Shrimp, cooked (we got cocktail shrimp but feel free to cook your own)
  • Oysters, shucked
  • Cucumbers, sliced
  • Ice
  • Optional: Crab legs and other seafood

Directions

  1. Find your botana! I used this deep dish pizza stone but you can use a baking sheet or an aluminum pan. Something with walls to contain the ice.
  2. Place your beers on botana. Fill the botana with ice. Add oysters, shrimp, cucumbers (and any other seafood) in a haphazard random fashion.
  3. When you are ready to serve, open the cans and sprinkle Tajin and hot sauce over the top of everything.
  4. Squeeze lime over the top and garnish with limes as well.
  5. Serve immediately.

Tips & Tricks:

  • Feel free to use any hot sauce and chili powder combination that you like!

 

We got one last recipe for you for Drinkmas coming at you on Christmas Day! How are you liking it so far? Are there any drinks you want to see in the new year?

Cheers babe!
KK