Time for a Drink: Bloody Mary
"The Bloody Mary is open to almost any interpretation."
I hesitate to even broach the topic of the Bloody Mary. For one thing, it's one of those ubiquitous drinks that absolutely everyone has their own way of preparing. So why even bring it up? Because everyone has their own way of preparing it, and I'm curious how you do it.
The Bloody Mary is, of course, a staple of the American brunch and a universal hangover cure. The drink's origins are oft-rumored and still open to the kind of disputed bickering that is absolutely painful on a weekend morning, so it's best to move onto the heart of the matter: what's essential in your Bloody Mary?
Me, I'm a spicy kind of guy (as long as it's not over the top): a little Tabasco, a little horseradish, and for extra complexity in what can otherwise be a top-heavy drink, I prefer to use gin.
But really, the Bloody Mary is open to almost any interpretation and is one of the few drinks that doesn't follow rigid rules and ideological sniping.
(And while I hesitate to introduce any rules regarding this drink, there is one that you should keep in mind: do not order a Bloody Mary during the evening. Why? Because like unkempt hair and caffeine-deprived mumbling, a Bloody Mary is something that's normal and forgivable during the early hours of the day, but by the evening it's time to get out of your bathrobe and show some signs of life.)
I fix maybe two Bloody Marys a year, and every time I do I wonder why I don't do it more. It's feeling like one of those weekends coming on. Here's my recipe—what's yours?
Bloody Mary
Ingredients
2 ounces vodka (or really, try gin, or even a blanco tequila)
1/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
Dashes of salt and black pepper
1/4 teaspoon horseradish
2 dashes Tabasco sauce
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
4 ounces tomato juice
Procedure
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass and fill with ice. Gently roll from one glass to another until chilled (if you shake a Bloody Mary, the tomato juice will foam, and if you simply build it over ice in a glass, the ice will melt faster and the drink will become insipid before you have a chance to finish it). Strain into a Collins glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a slice of lemon or lime or—who am I kidding?—pretty much anything short of the Hoover Dam.
About the author: Paul Clarke blogs about cocktails at The Cocktail Chronicles and writes regularly on spirits and cocktails for Imbibe magazine. He lives in Seattle, where he works as a writer and magazine editor.
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41 Comments:
The last time I had a Bloody Mary, a friend made them with fresh cilantro. I never want to have a Bloody Mary without cilantro.
kurteye at 6:26PM on 10/23/09
this is the exact recipe i use except i substitute lime for lemon and omit the horseradish. oh and a pony of light beer on the side (minnesota thing?). i'm all for the light, simple bloody recipe. you dont need all that other crap in it.
pkarlisc at 6:26PM on 10/23/09
Yes, gin! I do the same thing, I love it so much more than vodka. And when I have people taste it, they're always pleasantly surprised, even if they thought they weren't gin people.
There's a bar near me that serves them with a Slim Jim. I can't help it; that greasy snap somehow works.
BangieB at 7:25PM on 10/23/09
V8 juice and vodka
redfish at 7:36PM on 10/23/09
First tasted Bloody Mary during the weekend of my nephew's wedding in Long Island. Prefer it simple - vodka, tomato juice, tabasco, worcester sauce, celery salt, stick of celery - result! Just had two of them :)
Sheilsy at 7:38PM on 10/23/09
My favorite cocktail. I make it just about the same, perhaps a little heavier on the spices. Lemon or lime is ok, but not essential. Vodka is my spirit of choice, however tequile is a nice change of pace. So too is V8. Add celery stick please.
dmcavanagh at 8:02PM on 10/23/09
I love them all. Cilantro, horseradish, V-8.... All of them.
But honestly- my go-to is a mix. Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix. It's spicy, horseradishy, zingy. For someone who loves a zesty Mary, but is too lazy to bring all the ingredients out... (like me).
Lime or lemon wedge and I'm good to go.
CJ McD at 8:12PM on 10/23/09
The addition of a little canned beef consomme or broth really helps to deepen the taste--for a gallon of mix I use one can, undiluted. And yes, I used to make my mix by the gallon when I was tending bar. At any rate, the consomme really makes a big difference. I suspect the substitution of Sriracha for the Tabasco might have a similar, but less notable, effect, as Sriracha makes Tobasco taste comparatively thin.
Yes, either gently shake or pour your BM from one glass to another--when you just pour the mix over the liquor in the glass (as happens at far too many bars), the liquor is just displaced to the top and if you try to stir enough to mix it in the glass, you're going to spill all over.
And don't go over board on the garnish.
Sov at 8:14PM on 10/23/09
Oh,and I emphatically second the addition of celery salt to the recipe!
Sov at 8:15PM on 10/23/09
Yum - sounds like a good ingredient combo to me, and I'm VERY curious about kurteye's cilantro addition. May have to try that one very soon.
I garnish with a pimento stuffed green olive, or better yet, a blue cheese stuffed green olive.
finewinendine at 8:54PM on 10/23/09
I used to like them, but lately when I order them they are just too hot. I t seems like everything is just a lot spicier than it used to be.
Jeremiahc at 8:55PM on 10/23/09
@Sov-I use a can of beef broth in my red sauce recipe, and I can appreciate your use of it in your mix. I also used to tend bar, and on nights that I knew I would have Bloody Mary drinkers, I would pre-make my own mix. Saves a lot of time on a busy night.
dmcavanagh at 9:42PM on 10/23/09
Celery salt is a must. My favorite garnish/stir is a pickled green bean.
I have vodka in the freezer and spicy v-8 in the fridge just so I can make a couple every Sunday morning while watching football.
climbhighak at 10:49PM on 10/23/09
I used to add soy sauce in place of half the Worcester sauce, some powdered mustard and a dollop of caster sugar. I never added the lemon to the mix; rather, I squeezed fresh lemon over it, and garnished with cucumber. This works well with vodka or gin.
NotAmerican at 11:36PM on 10/23/09
I like my drinks to taste like drinks, and I don't have a problem with drinking sparkling wine or beer or Corpse Revivers on the rare days when I want a drink early in the day. On the rare occasion I get a Bloody Mary craving, the only booze I find myself reaching for is Aquavit. Tequila is good, gin works fine, but something about the savory taste of aquavit just marries so well with the other flavors. Aalborg seems to work just fine, I say.
Kilbeggan at 12:34AM on 10/24/09
@NotAmerican -- doesn't it get a little salty? Soy sauce is much saltier than Worcestershire. And what's caster sugar? It's not a type I've ever seen. Dry mustard is an interesting thought.....
Sov at 12:49AM on 10/24/09
@kilbeggan--Aah Aalborg! I'm not sure I can get the carroway taste to go with the rest. But it's certainly worth a try, given that aquavit, in my book, is the single biggest rush in the normal western (West from Moscow to Tokyo) drinker's world.
Sov at 12:59AM on 10/24/09
Pass.
I'll take a Ramos Fizz in the morning over a Bloody Mary.
Even a beer.
JerseyRED at 5:18AM on 10/24/09
@Sov; caster sugar is the UK equivalent of 'super-fine' sugar. And I don't add any extra salt on top of the soy, which isn't really that much saltier than Worcester. I also liked to mix it in large batches and let it chill for a few days before serving. The salt helps break down the sweet tomato juice...I've even added brine from jars of olives or pickled onions.
NotAmerican at 6:16AM on 10/24/09
Vodka, V8, celery salt. I crave salt. And I'll order it any damn time of day I please! (snapping fingers) But I usually don't order it out because most places serve you something that looks like a Carmen Miranda hat with oversized garnishes, and that's just embarrassing.
chanterelle at 1:44PM on 10/24/09
I, too, must have crazy salt-needs. My bloody marys involve V8 and beef consomme AND celery salt! A real ankle-sweller, that drink right there.
Lemon juice, Trappey's (no Tabasco in this house, thanks much), Worchestershire (push the mary into The Brown Zone) and metric tons of horseradish round it out. I like a fun garnish. I'll settle for celery (LEAFY PLEEZ!) but squeal at the prospect of a tomolive or a pickled string bean.
When feeling frisky, I'll sub wasabi for the horseradish and lose the Trappy's. Nice zing.
missbhavens at 5:04PM on 10/24/09
Ooo. Bloody mary with cilantro sounds wonderful! I love a bloody mary with oysters - not in the drink, as a dish to eat with the bloody mary, I mean.
yayfood at 9:24PM on 10/24/09
Try garnishing with pickled Okra & Green Beans. Had it on Burbon Street! Yummy
mmmdelp at 10:24PM on 10/24/09
MAN, only this site can make me salivate while i'm home on a saturday night w/ a nasy little stomach bug...i LOVE gin. someone said cilantro - never had it, but me wanty. i live in williamsburg brooklyn and a spot right down the ave from me called Enid's makes theres with a long toothpick full of differnet kinds of wonderful little pickles and olives. WONDERFUL. anything else pickled a bonus. in fact, two long toothpicks full of a variety of pickles. this a fantasy right?! another place called double down saloon on ave A in the east village makes theirs with bacon vodka, and a SLIM JIM swizzle stick. i will also steal the slim jim idea and include it in mine, instead! so that is: gin, cilantro, spicy and horeseradishy/blackpepery, pickle explosion, and a meat stick. a-thank-ayou.
heavymetalpizzaparty at 11:47PM on 10/24/09
One glass to another sounds fine, but if the problem is frothy tomato juice, whatever happened to just stirring vs. shaking? And I mean in the shaker, not the glass in which you're serving the drink.
NorrinRazael at 9:10PM on 10/25/09
The best part of a bloody mary is how versatile the basics are. Tomato juice, liquor, seasoning, and spice. in any combo, with some swap outs, and garnishes it's a drink for all occasions.
I make these a lot. My last one was tomato juice, lime, vodka, celery seed, Worcestershire sauce, tabasco, and a beefstick.
I've made it swapping out the worcestershire for clam juice and the beef stick for shrimp. Or swapping tabasco for horseradish and gardinera. There's just so much you can do.
joeqboo at 9:58PM on 10/25/09
I like mine as a Caesar, actually.
Swap out the tomato juice for delicious clamato juice (much more complex savoury flavour) and add a nice rim of celery salt. Keep the 'worster and the tabasco, garnish any way you please (I like olives) and you've got a lovely Sunday morning. In Canada.
francie at 1:15AM on 10/26/09
@NorrinRazael--Only because when you're using a shaker, its easier to just go from one glass to the other than it is to stir it. It just takes one time from glass to glass to do the job. And I emphasize the matter because so few bartenders do it this way that I either have to specifically ask them to do it, or spill all over when I order one. And it's especially difficult when the thing is garnished all to hell.
Sov at 8:13PM on 10/26/09
Bloody Mary’s are traditionally "rolled" (pouring the drink from shaker to shaker) instead of shaking due to the viscosity of the tomato juice. This will incorporate all the ingredients without overly aerating the tomato juice.
JerseyRED at 10:19AM on 10/28/09
Bloody Mary's are my Saturday gameday staple. I follow a similar recipe, but I include dashes of both lemon and lime juice, go heavy on the horseradish, several dashes of Cholula (so not a Tobasco fan) and a few dashes of celery salt and cayenne, because I like mine extra super spicy. I garnish with a celery stalk, of course, but some olives as well. Oh, and heck no to using V-8 - gross. Real tomato juice all the way.
Myabsurdlife at 3:20PM on 10/28/09
Oh yummy -- all these recipes are making me really want one right now! And I'm in total agreement with the morning/afternoon-only people. I guess it's still afternoon!
I like V-8 or Clamato, but I add my own spice. Worcestershire, Tabasco, lime juice, celery salt, black pepper, no horseradish please. Usually go for a pepper vodka but can't wait to try the gin. Has anyone tried the Tabasco tequila for a Bloody Maria? It's not bad.
Garnishes -- absolutely! We call it "salad" instead. Pickled green beans, pickled okra (guess it's a Louisiana thing), green olives stuffed with ... well ... anything, and a celery stalk with a wide bottom to scoop out the olives. A rim of celery salt or a special Worcestershire/salt mixture adds a kick, too.
BTW, an oyster IN a Bloody Mary is divine! Shrimp, too. Yes, the glasses are enormous!
Editmom at 3:38PM on 10/28/09
I'll try the cilantro but currently I'm all about:
Veggie juice
Svedka vodka (good quality but not too expensive that it's a shame)
Sodium reduced soy (not so salty)
horseradish
lime
Carribean hot pepper sauce (puts Tobasco to shame)
Cheers to a Sunday morning!
Taste Traveller at 7:50AM on 10/29/09
I, too like Svedka as a reasonably-priced but respectable vodka. The big one goes for $18 at the local Costco. (Or you can pay Jewel $25, if that makes you feel good.)
In this vein, did others see the article in the "Weekend" section of the WSJ that described how many of the makers of premium-priced, designer vodkas produced their pricey masterpieces? They start with a RR tank car or tank-truck load of industrial-grade beverage alcohol (97 proof) from Archer-Daniels-Midland and cut that with some kind of fancy water (melted iceberg ice, anyone?) an arty-farty label, a tricky name, and a price to impress the fashion-conscious.
You know who you are.
I'm gonna try some of the suggestions here, including the horseradish, the Sriracha, the aquavit, the cilantro, the celery salt, and the Clamato.
Maybe not all at once, though.
MikeLM at 4:59PM on 10/30/09
My recipe for the mix:
1TB worcestershire
1TB lemon juice
1/2tsp crystal hot sauce
1/2tsp horseradish
1/2tsp celery seed (NOT celery salt)
8 ounces of V8
season salt for the rim of the glass
add the blended vodka and mix to the glass,
then grind black pepper on top.
stalk of leafy celery for the garnish
annaraven at 7:11PM on 10/31/09
Thanx to all for the Bloody recipes. I haven't had a good one since I quit cruising! RCCL used to have the best ones ever (but I'm sure they came from a "mix"). I'll have to try each one here and find the best. Thanx again!
divajinx at 11:47AM on 11/02/09
HORSERADISH---the strength depends on the age. If it's old , it's weak, fresh, it's strong. I feel you should taste it before using! Strong horseradish in a Bloody Mary is what really makes it! Dave
old chef at 1:05PM on 11/02/09
Absolut Peppar vodka and plain tomato juice. The vodka adds all the spice needed.
Shayrose at 7:19PM on 11/02/09
Aquavit - I agree! but not all the time.
Got off of tabasco - and using Frank's hot sauce now.
Definitely olives -- and please no celery, thank you very much
Nonny at 10:09AM on 11/05/09
Many years ago, my husband asked his cousin for his personal recipe for a Bloody Mary because it was the best we had ever tasted. He sent us his recipe on the email and I've been making my version of it ever since.
His had key lime juice, Angostura Bloody Mary seasoning (a liquid like their bitters) and both V-8 juice and Clamato juice in it. I ran out of Clamata awhile back so I've been using V-8 and Sacramento Tomato Juice and they have been really good.
I switch off the hot sauces and try different ones each time. He uses a local one down in FL that we can't get up here without ordering through the internet so I use different favorite ones. I have a whole collection of hot sauces (over 80 bottles at this point) so I try a different one every time.
RisaG at 6:42PM on 11/05/09
My cousin's husband used to make mine with Clamato juice. I was surprised at good that was! Horseradish, pickled okra and/or pickled green beans and Frank's hot sauce if no horseradish make it tasty to me. Personally, cilantro is too bitter for my taste.
ghc630 at 3:38PM on 11/09/09
Here is mine:
2 oz Vodka or Gin
Worchestershire Sauce to taste
A Few Dashes Celery Seed
Fresh Ground Horseradish to taste
A Few Dashes Salt and Pepper
Three Dashes Tobasco
A Few Dashes Ground Mustard
1/2 oz Guinness or other Stout
Lemon and Lime Juices From Muddling
Three Dashes Angostura Bitters
Tomato Juice
In the bottom of a mixing glass, put two lemon and two lime wedges, salt and pepper. Muddle to extract all the juice from the Citrus.
Add the remaining ingredients and fill with ice.
"Roll" the mixture back and forth from mixing glass to shaker tin and back again a few times.
Fill a tall glass or Collins glass with fresh ice and strain mixture from mixing glass into serving vessel.
Garnish how you see fit. I like a pickled green bean and Lemon wedge.
uporontherocks at 5:31PM on 11/10/09