It’s a tale as old as time…. You’re having a holiday/football/fill-in-the-blank party, and wouldn’t it be great to have a Bloody Mary to offer guests??
They’re not as an intimidating cocktail to create, so let’s get started.
1. Choose a Base.
There are several tomato-based juices to choose from – whether you like a thin or thick base, tomato juice, vegetable juice, or Clamato. There are many options. Consider your guest list (allergen-friendly, gluten-free, vegan etc) before choosing your tomato base. I like straight-up tomato juice to keep things clean, so everyone can enjoy it.
2. Seasoning Your Base.
There are a few products (like ours, Fast Mary’s Bloody Mary Enhancer) that do this work for you. Fast Mary’s is a liquid Bloody Mary seasoning concentrate that can simply be added to your tomato base to create an amazing Bloody Mary. Fast Mary’s has all the seasoning for a Bloody Mary in it, and is naturally vegan, gluten-free, soy free, and no MSG.
If you’d like to do the spicing yourself, I’d suggest starting with the following, per 32 oz tomato base. Start in these small increments and you can always add a little more of something to get to the desired flavor.
2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce (not vegan, however)
1 tbsp Celery Salt
1 tbsp Seasoning Salt
2 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tsp Lemon Pepper Seasoning
2 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Mustard Powder
To Add a Little Spice:
1 tsp Ground Horseradish Root
1 tsp Red Crushed Pepper
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
To be fancy, you can splash a little pickle juice or olive juice in your mix, as well!!
The final touch will be your liquor. Traditionally, Bloody Mary’s are made with vodka, but gin or tequila (think Mezcal) can also be used!! Or offer all three for your Bloody Mary Bar. Add 2 oz (minimum) per pint glass.
3. Garnish Your Masterpiece.
I like to have a little “garnish bar” set up for my guests that they can personally skewer for their Bloody Mary. Again, considering your guests’ preferences, but get as creative as you want!!
Pickles
Olives
Cheese sticks/cubes
Bacon
Sausage Sticks
Marinated Mushrooms/Green Beans/Carrots
Chilled, cooked Shrimp
Celery Sticks
Pickled Jalapenos