How to Make a Bloody Mary

All that the classic Bloody Mary really contains is tomato juice and vodka, the rest is just seasonings. I love loads of Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, tabasco, loads of black pepper, and celery salt, but the person next to me might just want one of those. It’s the ultimate bespoke cocktail!

Some love adding a few celery ribs and others don’t want it anywhere near their cocktail. So below I’ve given you the Bloody Mary I adore. Feel free to change it up as you prefer!

The Bloody Mary, which is traditionally made with vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce, is one of the most popular cocktails in the world. It is believed to have been invented in the 1920s by Harry MacElhone at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris. It has also been suggested that it goes back as far as the reign of Queen Mary or Louis XI.

Many claim it is a great hangover cure, but I find adding alcohol to your hangover cure counter-productive!

It is also the brunch favorite and is super easy to make – a great choice when you have to make a cocktail in large batches. Great drinks writer, Wayne Curtis, said never trust anyone who orders a Bloody mary after dinner.

What goes into a Bloody Mary?

Really just two things and then your personality!

• Vodka: You can use any branded vodka for this recipe.
• Tomato Juice: Use either fresh or canned tomato juice. If you are super keen, you can make your own tomato juice in a food processor or food mill using super ripe tomatoes and tomato paste.
• Lemon juice or Lime Juice: Fresh lemon juice or lime just cuts through the sweet tomato flavor.
• Worcestershire sauce: It has an umami flavor and offers a perfect balance of sweet, sour, and spicy flavors.
• Tabasco sauce or any hot sauce: It adds heat to this drink.
• Celery salt: It has a salty and slightly tangy flavor from celery seeds and enhances the celery flavor.
• Black pepper: Add black pepper to taste for a peppery flavor.
• Kosher salt or sea salt: This ups the flavor of everything.
• Garnish: There are tons of alternatives from a celery stick, cucumber stick, pickle spears, and a lime wedge or lemon wedge for garnish.

How to serve a Bloody Mary

Even though the Bloody Mary is one of the easy recipes to make at home, If you have no idea how your guests like to drink a Bloody Mary, it can get complicated with all the extras you need to add. So one great way to serve it is by setting up a Bloody Mary bar. Have everything that anyone would want to add on the side and have them add it themselves. They get to make their ultimate Bloody Mary and it’s easier for you.

If you make them all the time, then you can always pre-batch your own homemade Bloody Mary Mix. Spend the time to figure your what your favorite Bloody Mary Mix recipe is – a teaspoon Worcestershire sauce or a teaspoon celery salt, a cup of tomato juice, your favorite ingredients – whatever makes you happy!

You can also cover the rim of the glass with salt. Take a small plate and fill it with kosher or sea salt and wet the rim of each glass with the lemon or lime juice and dip the glass in the salt.

What tools you need to make Bloody Mary

You won’t be needing a cocktail shaker for this one! Grab a jigger, a barspoon, and a highball glass for the best Bloody Mary recipe.

Here is how you can make this Bloody Mary Cocktail:

• Step 1: First, add ice cubes to your highball glass.
• Step 2: Now, start adding vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, tabasco sauce, celery salt, horseradish, and black pepper to taste. You can add these all to the glass or add everything to a mixing glass and then pour into the highball glass.
• Step 3: Stir so that everything is well incorporated.
• Step 4: Garnish with a lemon wedge, lime wedge, celery stalk, pepper, cocktail onions, and anything else you can stick in your glass. Bottom’s up!

• 🍸Top Tip(le):Here are a few variations of this cocktail:
  • Soy sauce: You can add a dash of soy sauce for a salty and umami flavor.
  • Pickle juice: Add pickle juice to this recipe if you love tanginess.
  • Olive brine: Try adding olive brine for a rich and delicious olive flavor.
  • Old Bay seasoning: Add Old Bay seasoning for a more complex savory flavor. it has a peppery, salty, and smoky flavor which makes this drink more tasteful.
  • Hot Pepper Sauce: I love tabasco, but any hot sauce you love will do!
  • Virgin Mary: Just take out the alcohol!
  • Bloody Maria: Switch out the vodka for tequila.
  • Bloody Caesar: Adding clam juice or Clamato juice adds a touch of the sea!

Where to find more vodka recipes

Here are a few of my favorites:

• The classic of classics: The Classic Gin Martini
• The super popular: The Espresso Martini
• James Bond’s go-to Martini: The Vodka Martini
• Try the Vesper Martini if you love Vermouth
• The Naughty Porn Star Martini
• The Martini of the Moment: The Gibson Martini
• My absolute fave: The Dirty Martini

 Plus more Bloody recipes here

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Here is the recipe!

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