Finally! I’ll share my exclusive Bloody Mary recipe with you. Also for me. The majority of Bloody Mary mixes from stores are loaded with additives and other rubbish.
Since years, I’ve been looking for a decent homemade alternative, but all of my prior attempts either tasted bland or made me want to go for a drink of water.
Although Bloody Marys are a contentious beverage, I’m thrilled to share my recipe with my fellow fans of the drink. (Can I persuade the Bloody Mary detractors to try a mimosa?)
Despite being created with simple ingredients, these Bloody Marys taste nuanced, spicy, and fresh all at once. You can create four of these cocktails at once, so invite your friends over and enjoy!
How to Make the Best Bloody Mary
Start with high-quality ingredients
The tomato juice is the base of your cocktail, so choose a good one! I buy organic since tomatoes tend to be high in pesticide residue. R.W. Knudsen’s organic tomato juice is my favorite.
Choose a high quality vodka, too. Tito’s is made in Austin, Texas, and it’s my vodka of choice.
Add fresh cucumber, garlic and black pepper
Fresh peeled and seeded cucumber completely disappears into the tomato juice mixture, but adds a lot of fresh flavor.
Fresh garlic and freshly ground black pepper are key flavors as well. You’ll add those after you’ve blended the mixture smooth. Then you can blend the mixture for just a few seconds to retain their texture. Or, you can blend it completely smooth. Up to you!
Make a few at once
You really don’t want to be making these cocktails individually—it’s much easier to make a batch of four drinks in your blender at once!
You could divide the recipe in half to make just two cocktails. If your blender has a large capacity, you might be able to double the recipe (you might just stir in the vodka at the end, to avoid overflow).
Top with fun garnishes
I like to use fresh garnishes, like leafy celery sticks or little heirloom carrots, mini bell peppers or cherry tomatoes, and fresh lemon or lime. Add something brined, too, like dill pickles, pickled okra or cocktail olives.
Pro tip: Serve with a glass of water
You’re combining alcohol and [salty] tomato juice here, which are dehydrating ingredients. Be sure to drink water on the side!
Also read: Strawberry Oat Muffins
INGREDIENTS
- 32 ounces (4 cups) (4 cups) tomato juice\s8 ounces (1 cup) (1 cup) vodka
- 1 medium-to-large cucumber, peeled and seeded
- ⅓ cup distilled vinegar
- 1 teaspoon celery seed (not celery salt!)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- * \s½ teaspoon hot sauce (I used Tapatío), more to taste
- 1 teaspoon (approximately 50 twists) (about 50 twists) freshly ground black pepper
- 2 medium cloves garlic, crushed or minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt, optional
- Lemon or lime wedges
- Kosher salt, for the rims of your glasses, optional (add chili powder if you’d like)
- Lots of ice, for serving
- Garnishes (select any): Celery stalks, slim carrots with leafy tops, small bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, dill pickle spears, pickled okra, and/or green cocktail olives
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a blender, combine the tomato juice, vodka, cucumber, vinegar, celery seed, Worcestershire sauce and spicy sauce. Securely fasten the cover and blend on high speed until perfectly smooth.
- Taste, then add additional hot sauce for more heat (it’s going to taste rather spicy now, since the mix hasn’t cooled over ice yet). Add the black pepper and garlic. Securely fasten the lid and blend for only a few seconds (or more, for a fully smooth texture) (or longer, for a completely smooth texture). Taste, then whisk in ¼ teaspoon salt for more overall taste if you’d like (tomato juice brands vary by salt content, so this is truly up to you) (tomato juice brands vary by salt content, so this is really up to you). Place aside.
- If you’d like to rim your glasses with salt, run a lemon or lime wedge around the outside rim. Pour kosher salt onto a small plate (mix with chili powder if you’d like), then roll the moist edge of the glass through the salt at a 45-degree angle. Repeat with the remaining glasses.
- Fill the glasses with ice, and pour the Bloody Mary mix on top. Stir with a spoon, and garnish with a lemon or lime slice and garnishes of your choosing. Serve immediately.
NOTES
RECOMMENDED VODKA: I prefer Tito’s. Whichever you use, be sure it’s of good quality.
*MAKE IT VEGETARIAN/VEGAN/FISH-FREE: Most Worcestershire sauces contain anchovies, so be sure to use vegan Worcestershire sauce. I like Whole Foods 365 or Annie’s brands.