If you’ve only ever had a Bloody Mary made from a store-bought mix, you’re in for a treat. Ever the popular brunch cocktail, a good homemade recipe is a must-have, whether you’re drinking them on Sunday mornings, as a hangover cure, or on airplanes (it’s a thing!). The best part? Once you’ve got the basics down, you can really make this classic cocktail your own—read on for our top tips how:
What is a Bloody Mary? A Bloody Mary is a cocktail made up of a mix of tomato juice, vodka, and a variety of other flavor bombs like horseradish and Worcestershire. If you’ve never had one, the combo might sound… interesting, but trust us—the result is a super-savory drink that stands out among the sweeter brunch options (hello, mimosas). We kept ours relatively simple, with a little added heat from hot sauce and black pepper. We think it’s perfect as is, but it’s also great for personalization, from the alcohol to the garnishes.
What is the best alcohol for a Bloody Mary? Bloody Marys are traditionally made with vodka, and thanks to all the other ingredients competing for flavor, there’s no need to go for top-shelf. Classic, unflavored well vodka brands are the norm, but if you want to add some punch to your party, try pickle-, cucumber-, or jalapeño-infused vodkas. You could also try swapping out the vodka for alternative alcohols like tequila (a Bloody Maria), beer (a Michelada), gin (Britain’s Red Snapper), or no alcohol at all (a Virgin Mary). Whatever you go with, have fun with it!
Bloody Mary garnishes. Speaking of fun, the toppings on a Bloody Mary are one of the best parts of the drink, and the possibilities are truly endless. Garnishing your glasses with a stalk of celery and a few green olives is classic, but you can really go wild. You could even set up a Bloody Mary topping bar so your brunch crowd or tailgate crew can choose their own perfect add-ons. Think pickles, cornichons, pickled carrots, cocktail onions, or even bacon. Plain green or black olives are delicious, or opt for fancier types stuffed with pimento or blue cheese, almonds, or garlic.
At the very least, we suggest topping your glasses with lemon or lime wedges, and adding colorful sprigs of fresh dill, parsley, or basil. Set everything out in small bowls, and let your friends and family create their own perfectly customized cocktails.
Can I make the Bloody Mary in advance? Yes, you can prep the mix up to a week ahead of time. Just keep the mix refrigerated, and wait to stir in the vodka until you’re ready to serve.
Made this? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
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Yields:
1 serving(s)
Prep Time:
5 mins
Total Time:
5 mins
Ingredients
Bloody Mary salt or kosher salt, for glass
2
lemon wedges
4oz.
tomato juice
2oz.
vodka
2tsp.
fresh lemon juice
2tsp.
horseradish
1tsp.
Worcestershire sauce
1/4tsp.
celery salt
1/4tsp.
freshly ground black pepper
1/4tsp.
hot sauce
1/4tsp.
kosher salt
Ice
Celery stalks and olives, for serving
Directions
Step 1Pour Bloody Mary salt onto a shallow plate. Rub a lemon wedge around rim of a Collins glass, then dip into salt.
Step 2In a cocktail shaker, combine tomato juice, vodka, lemon juice, horseradish, Worcestershire, celery salt, pepper, hot sauce, and kosher salt. Fill shaker with ice and vigorously shake until outside of shaker is very frosty, about 20 seconds.
Step 3Pour into prepared glass. Garnish with celery stalk, olives, and lemon wedge.
Mary Rupp is a food writer and recipe developer who contributes, tests, and styles recipes for Delish. After graduating from the International Culinary Center in New York, she earned her stripes at restaurants like Per Se and The NoMad. When she’s not cooking Caramel Pecan Pie and Creamy Corn Pasta in the Delish test kitchens, you can find her traveling abroad and hunting for the next great food trend.