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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.

Absolut Peppar vodka and plain tomato juice. The vodka adds all the spice needed.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

This was just fantastic to read. I bet it'll be even better to read. Thanks so much.

Try garnishing with pickled Okra & Green Beans. Had it on Burbon Street! Yummy

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.

@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.

@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.