Start your brunch with a Bloody Mary! Or skip the vodka and make a Virgin Mary out of it. Just the thing for brunch or to relieve a hangover.
Welcome to the best tomato juice cocktail in the world – the Bloody Mary.
It’s the ultimate weekend brunch drink. It’s also a famous hangover cure, although the benefits are mostly due to the electrolyte replenishment that comes from the liquid, salt and natural sugars in the key ingredients – tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce. The vodka? I suspect drinking more vodka isn’t going to help anyone with a hangover. Although who knows?
My version of this drink has the basics you’d expect — tomato juice, lemon juice, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper — plus a few subtle twists.
Four ingredients for a very special Bloody Mary
- Instead of cayenne pepper or Tabasco, I use Sriracha. It tastes great and I always have a bottle in the fridge.
- I also add dill pickle juice. Pickle makes so many things better, right? (Try adding it to egg salad or potato salad.) It’s salty, flavorful, savory in a way that only comes from fermentation, and makes a great addition to a Bloody Mary mix.
- I use proportionately more Worcestershire sauce than I’ve found in other recipes because it intensifies the savory flavor of the mix and plays well with all the other heavily flavored ingredients. I’ve found that adding vodka to a Bloody Mary base dilutes the flavor intensity significantly, so you can afford to pump up the spices in this drink.
- My final twist on the Bloody Mary base is to add a drop of liquid smoke. It gives the drink a nice light smoky flavor. The liquid smoke is optional, I just love the taste of smoke. (If you decide to experiment with this, I recommend using no more than 2 drops per glass, otherwise it can be overwhelming.)
Optional toppings
Bloody Marys are served with a celery stick. Always.
Everything is good. Add lemon wedges, olives, your choice of Bloody Mary.
Have fun and a happy new year!
Check out these other brunch favorites
- Bloody Mary smoothie
- Classic french toast
- Crunchy hash browns
- biscuits and gravy
- Buttermilk waffles
Damn Mary
Variations: Swap the vodka for tequila for a Bloody Maria, or gin for a Ruddy Mary. For a Virgin Mary, omit the vodka altogether.
ingredients
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4 ounces high quality tomato juice
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2 teaspoons dill pickle juice (I use Bubbie’s)
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1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
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1 teaspoon prepared horseradish (or 1/2 teaspoon fresh)
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1 teaspoon lemon juice
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1/2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
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1/4 teaspoon Sriracha
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1 drop liquid smoke (optional)
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1 1/2 to 2 ounces vodka
- For the rim:
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celery salt
- Side dishes to eat while drinking the Bloody Mary:
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1 thin stick celery (I like to use the inner, tender sticks with fronds)
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1 dill pickle (optional)
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1 piece of candied bacon (optional)
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A slice of lemon (optional)
method
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Rim of glass with celery salt:
Put some celery salt in a small bowl. Wipe the rim of the glass with a sliced lemon and turn upside down in the celery salt to coat. Fill glass with ice.
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Combine ingredients:
In a glass or cocktail shaker, combine tomato juice, cucumber juice, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, lemon juice, black pepper and sriracha.
If you want a hint of smoky flavor in your Bloody Mary, carefully add 1 drop of liquid smoke, no more than 2 drops.
Add a few ice cubes and the vodka and shake well. Strain into the prepared glass.
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Garnish:
with a stick of celery and other side dishes of your choice.
