Bloody Mary

To me, cocktail recipes aren’t supposed to be messed with very much. If you go into a bar, and ask for a relatively standard drink, you should know what you are going to get, and not be handed something different. “That’s the way we make them here” just doesn’t cut it for me. The “Mai Tai” does not include pineapple juice, a properly made Lemon Drop does not include triple sec, and the Martini is always made with gin... okay, I’m learning to be a little more flexible on that last one.

The Bloody Mary however is a drink that provides the culinary bartender some wiggle room, where they can express their creativity. I think of it as the “meatloaf” of cocktails, within certain limits, everybody seems to have their own favorite recipe.

The core ingredient of a Bloody Mary of course is tomato juice, the spirit is usually vodka, and the flavor is robust and spicy. Let’s start off with a fairly basic core recipe:

Bloody Mary

• 1 1/2 ounces vodka
• 2 Dashes Worcestershire
• 4 Dashes Tabasco
• Pinch of Salt and Pepper
• 1/4 ounce Fresh Lemon Juice
• 4 ounce Tomato Juice

Combine all ingredients in mixing glass and roll back and forth to mix. Strain into an ice filled pint glass or goblet. Garnish with wedge of lemon and lime.

Worcestershire, Tabasco, lemon juice, salt, pepper, are the traditional ingredients used to add the kick to a Bloody Mary, but you can use horseradish, wasabi, ginger, cayenne pepper, and various other spices to either round out the flavor, or add that special touch to your recipe. Celery salt has become a fairly common ingredient, and works very well. I personally like to add a tablespoon or two of a mild chile powder (chile powder is just ground dried chile peppers, while “chili” powder is a spice mixture) which ads a very enticing depth to the drink.

But the choice of ingredients is only one area where you can add your own personality to this drink. Often the glass is rimmed in not just salt, but a variety of other spice mixtures as well. And of course we can’t ignore the garnish. While a simple garnish might just be a wedge of lemon and/or lime, but celery, asparagus, pickled green beans, and even beef jerky can play a role in your next Bloody Mary.

Bloody Mary’s are also the only cocktail which I feel can, in a pinch, be made with a mix. Demitri’s is one that I like since it is just the concentrated seasoning, to which you then add tomato juice and vodka, so it’s not only easier to keep on hand, but also allows you to increase or decrease the robustness of the final flavor. Other companies, such as Stirrings, Dave’s Insanity Sauce and of course Tabasco are only a few of the companies that weigh in with their mixes which are worth checking out. I might even recommend hosting a “Bloody Mary Party” where each guest brings their own favorite mix or recipe, and in a blind tasting you try to discover which you all like the best.