Bloody Mary Recipe
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Make the BEST Bloody Mary recipe at home with this simple, spicy combination of ingredients! Adjust the spice to taste, garnish it a little (or a lot!), add vodka or make a Virgin Bloody Mary with just the mix.
This Bloody Mary mix is thick, flavorful and will make perfect homemade Bloody Mary cocktails every time!
Nothing hits quite like that perfect Bloody Mary that’s got all the right flavors, a little salty, a little spicy and a little smoky! I almost never order a Bloody Mary at a restaurant because I’m so biased to my homemade version. I’ve been making this recipe for years, but it wasn’t until this holiday season that it was brought to my attention that the recipe wasn’t on the blog yet!
My friends and neighbors always rave that these are the best Bloody Marys they’ve ever had, so I knew that they had to be shared with the world! A simple combination of ingredients are mixed together in a pitcher for an easy recipe that can be turned into a cocktail, virgin drink or even a Bloody Maria, with tequila! I’ve had it every way, and they’re all delicious!
You can whip up the mix up to two days ahead of time and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve the Bloody Marys. They’re perfect for a holiday breakfast, served with a Bagel Bar, or a New Year’s Day brunch, served with a Bacon Frittata. But don’t just save this recipe for special occasions! It’s so easy to make and flavorful, you’ll want to keep it on hand year-round for anytime you get the craving for a spicy tomato cocktail!
Table of contents
Ingredients
- Tomato juice – I prefer to start my Bloody Mary mix with pure tomato juice, so I can add to it to get the exact flavor I want. Some recipes will start with a base of V8, which is a combination of vegetable juices. This will give the Bloody Mary a different flavor. Other recipes will use Clamato, which is a combination of tomato juice, clam juice and other ingredients. This will also give the mix a different flavor, so I always recommend using tomato juice as the base, then building the flavors with the other ingredients listed in this recipe.
- Prepared horseradish – use your favorite type of “cream style” or prepared horseradish for this recipe. If you like a really spicy cocktail, use extra hot horseradish, found at most major grocery stores.
- Worcestershire sauce – adds a wonderful smoky, umami flavor to the mix.
- Sriracha – this spicy chili hot sauce adds flavor and spice to the mix. Add more or less to adjust the spice level of the Bloody Marys.
- Celery salt + garlic salt + black pepper – the spices that make this the best Bloody Mary mix ever!
Instructions
- In a large pitcher, combine tomato juice, horseradish, worcestershire sauce, sriracha, celery salt, garlic salt and black pepper.
- Fill glasses with ice. Pour 6 ounces of Bloody Mary mix into each glass with 2 ounces of vodka. Stir and serve.
- Add your favorite garnishes. More on that below!
How to garnish a bloody mary
Let’s be honest, a lot of people order a Bloody Mary at a restaurant, because these days, it practically comes with a charcuterie board on top! Garnishes can go from a simple lemon wedge and stick of celery, to an elaborate combination of meats, cheeses and pickled veggies.
I like a Bloody Mary that’s somewhere in the middle. A slice of lemon, stick of celery and sriracha black pepper candied bacon will do it for me! Pick one, two or ten of the garnishes below and be sure to send me a picture if you include all 12!
Be sure to have some medium and long skewers on hand to skewer your meat, cheese and veggies before adding them to the Bloody Marys.
- Lemon slice or wedge
- Lime slice or wedge
- Celery stalk
- Pepperoncinis
- Pickled carrots
- Candied bacon – I recommend using 1 pound bacon, 1/4 cup sriracha and 2 tablespoons black pepper!
- Homemade bacon
- Salami
- Cheese cubes – pepper jack preferred!
- Green olives or stuffed olives
- Pickle spears
- Pickled asparagus or okra
- Cooked shrimp
Tips and tricks
- To make a virgin Bloody Mary, simply pour the mix over ice and do not add the vodka.
- To make a Bloody Maria, use 2 ounces tequila per 6 ounces of mix, and omit the vodka.
- A classic Bloody Mary recipe uses a 3:1 ratio of mix to vodka, but feel free to make it stronger or weaker, depending on your taste preference.
- To make a Bloody Mary Bar, whip up the mix, then serve it on a bar with vodka (and tequila, if you’d like), glasses, a bucket of ice, and a variety of garnishes. Guests can make their own Bloody Marys and keep the garnishes as simple as they’d like, or get really crazy with them!
- This Bloody Mary recipe is gluten free using the ingredients shown above in the post. Always check the label on the Worcestershire sauce to make sure that it’s gluten free. Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce is gluten free.
- For even more spice in your Bloody Mary, use jalapeno infused vodka!
- To add a spiced rim to the glasses, I recommend running a lemon or lime wedge along the rim of the glass, then dipping the glass in a combination of 1 tablespoon salt + 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, combined on a rimmed plate.
- Homemade Bloody Mary mix can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Wait to add the vodka until you’re ready to serve the Bloody Mary’s.
What to serve with it
A Bloody Mary is the perfect brunch cocktail! Serve it with any of these delicious savory brunch recipes for New Years Day, or anytime of the year!
- Chilaquiles
- Breakfast Burrito
- Egg Muffins
- Cheesy Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
- Caprese Avocado Omelette
- Meatloaf Hash
- Breakfast Pizza
Bloody Mary
Ingredients
- 48 ounces tomato juice
- ¼ cup prepared hot horseradish
- ¼ cup worcestershire sauce
- ¼ cup sriracha
- 2 teaspoons celery salt
- 3 teaspoons garlic salt
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 18 ounces vodka, optional
Instructions
- In a large pitcher, combine tomato juice, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, sriracha, celery salt, garlic salt and black pepper.
- Fill glasses with ice. Pour 6 ounces of Bloody Mary mix into each glass with 2 ounces of vodka. Stir and serve.
- Add your favorite garnishes, like lime wedges, lemon slices, celery sticks, stuffed olives, pepperoncinis or sriracha candied bacon.
Notes
- To make a virgin Bloody Mary, simply pour the mix over ice and do not add the vodka.
- To make a Bloody Maria, use 2 ounces tequila per 6 ounces of mix, and omit the vodka.
- This recipe is gluten free using the ingredients shown above in the post. Always check the label on the Worcestershire sauce to make sure that it’s gluten free. Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce is gluten free.
- To add a spiced rim to the glasses, I recommend running a lemon or lime wedge along the rim of the glass, then dipping the glass in a combination of 1 tablespoon salt + 1 tablespoon smoked paprika, combined on a rimmed plate.
- Homemade Bloody Mary mix can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Wait to add the vodka until you’re ready to serve the Bloody Mary’s
Nutrition Facts
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