Bloody Mary

Welcome back, or if it’s your first time here, take a seat, and I’ll fix you a drink.

OK, It’s the first Friday of the new year! Today, I’m going to pivot heavily away from my usual format.? Today, we are going to talk about Bloody Mary’s

I like to tell myself I’m known for a few things; it’s not my rugby or music career. I like to tell myself that I’m known for making great speeches at weddings,? funerals, or big events. I go big and make big speeches. People laugh inexplicably, and I roll with it.

My “Full English” breakfast, one of my first jobs was in a UK service station making English breakfasts “fry ups” all day for 8 hour shifts. For a whole long summer, I did nothing else; I made the best-fried breakfast this side of Watford Gap. (That being the service? station I worked at )

Finally, Bloody Mary’s.

I like to tell myself I’m known for excellent Bloody Mary’s. Particularly, each year, my Wife’s family will go to a beach house for a long weekend, and I bring the Bloody Mary mix. One year, we did a tasting: four different bloodies, small glasses, tasting notes, and tasting cards. Incredible. I even knocked out a fifth batch for my eldest child to join in. A Bloody Virgin. (If that’s the correct term. Not sure that sounds right??)

So typically, right here, after a much shorter introduction, we’d jump into ingredients, but here’s the twist:

I may be incredibly proud of my recipe; I may be confident it’s better than most Bloody’s I’ve had in most places in my life, yet…

What I’m not going to do is give you my recipe; only my eldest daughter and I know that, not even my Wife. When it comes to Bloody’s, my eldest is my bar back and my assistant mixologist; she does a great job to say she doesn’t get to try the finished product.

Let's start with some ingredients:

• So, this time, I’m going to break down a series of ingredients you could and should use. Some essential, some not so much. I’ll explain each one—the why and why not? and how it changes the profile. Then, we will revisit and talk about proportions.

Spoiler: my private recipe has 20 ingredients. (Including two base alcohols)

The Vodka. Let’s start with Vodka. In most circumstances, this is your base spirit, Although if you deviate from the mix and add some other notes, Bourbon can often be a novelty alternative.

Find a Vodka you like, a reasonably priced Vodka. Never buy cheap Vodka. At college (university), my housemates and I kept our Vodka in the freezer (because we were cool). Our cheap Vodka froze, so it clearly wasn’t very good Vodka.

Don’t waste your best, most expensive Vodka in the Bloody; you won’t appreciate the flavor.

Here’s the thing, however. We aren’t making a Bloody Mary here - we are making a mix. So you don’t put the Vodka in the mix* you just get it at the same time.

The tomato juice. So the most obvious ingredient after the vodka has to be the tomato juice, right?

So I’m going to recommend you make a blend of two juices: Tomato juice and V8 Vegetable juice. The V8 is rich and flavorsome; it adds body; some people actually just use this. Yet by mixing it with a reasonable quality tomato juice, you add more tomato flavor back to the drink. It is my opinion that amongst all the other flavors, accents, notes, smells, and everything else in a good Bloody, you really want the tomato to cut through. By using both. You can adjust the proportions to find the right flavor; think about having two dials you can twist independently.

Pickle juice and Clam juice. Next up, we want some Pickle juice. I’d suggest purchasing a large mason jar and straining in the juice from picked things that you enjoy—spicy things, Dill pickles, Bar onions, Pickled onions, jalape?os or pickled vegetables, etc. Try to build a mason jar full of your homemade blend of pickling juice that combines spice, dill, heat, flavor, and maybe a little sweetness.

I keep a couple of large mason jars where I mix this all together and taste them as I go. If it goes wrong, I throw it out and start over. It’s like an infinity bottle for Whisky, except it's much cheaper.

This category would also include olive brine or clam juice. Olive brine can be brought in a bottle, which is handy for Martinis. It can also be poured in from a jar of olives. You can add it to your mason jar of pickle juice or keep it separate.

Clam juice is often a big NO for any vegetarians. Also, many people have seafood allergies; you need to decide who will be drinking your Bloody’s, whether they will like it or not, and whether you do.

Spices. There’s a nice collection of spices you can use to really bring some depth; I use only three. Here are a few ideas for you:

• Trader Joe’s Soffritto mix
• Onion salt
• Salt
• Pepper
• Chili flakes
• Smoked paprika
• Celery salt
• Kaffir lime leaf

I’ve experimented with a few others, too. You don’t want the drink to be too bitty or grainy. Everyone loves a bit of pepper, but nobody wants chunks of anything flying up the straw and hitting them in the tonsil.

Lemon and Lime juice. There isn’t much more to say here. You should use both. Fresh is much better. Bottled is okay. Again, think of it as two levers you can work, more or less of one or the other.

Mustards. I use three very different ‘mustards’ in my mix.? Each country's mustard has a different flavor, heat, spice, and texture. Some are viscous. Some are chunky, and some have seeds.

I’d also consider horseradish here as a “mustard” in this context.

Tabasco isn’t a mustard. Yet, for the proportions below, I’d consider that here. It does the same job.

Find a blend of mustards that works for you.

Worcestershire sauce or perhaps vegetarian Worcestershire sauce.

Honestly, Lee and Perins is the only way to go here.? Many to most vegetarians I know will happily turn a blind eye if this sneaks into their Bloody mix. I’ve never known it to make them sick, like getting the wrong patty might when they order beyond beef and get beef.

Yet, to be precise. This is mostly Anchovies. It is not vegetarian. If you want to be nice, there are some excellent brands of vegan Worcestershire sauces. Whole Foods is a good bet; they tend to have a couple to choose from here.

Random things I've sometimes used:

• Beef broth
• Chipotle Tabasco
• Liquid smoke
• Molasses
• Vodka? - *I said we weren’t using Vodka, I lied. Add a shot of vodka to each mason jar of mix as a preservative. Helps it last longer.
• A second liqueur - Maybe a Whisky, a Gin, or a Sherry. Consider this a ‘note flavor’. Sometimes, I “wash the glass” with this and pour it out before adding the mix. This gives it more of a scent, but you can also throw it in the mix.
• A strong first ginger beer. (Make it flat first, though, else shaking the mix will be a bit, let’s say, interesting)

Sometimes, with some mixes, Vodka isn’t the right spirit. With some variations, I’ve replaced the Vodka with Whisky. For a long time, I used to use pepper Vodka.

Let’s talk about those proportions,…(ratios time)

I’m going to assume you are making this in 800Ml? / 10oz mason jars (wide mouth)

That’s what I use and what I recommend. If you want to rebottle them afterward, go ahead, but the mason jar has a wide mouth, allowing you to spoon and pour things in with ease, and it seals tight so you can use it as a shaker to blend in the thicker ingredients. They also tend to have measuring scales on the side, making It quicker to pour and measure.

Ratios

Start with this. About half the jar should be the blend of tomato and vegetable juice.

Maybe 1/8 of the jar should be the combination of pickle brine or vinegars.

Another 1/8 of the jar can be broth or ginger beer.

Let’s add 1/16th (50ml ) of the vodka to preserve everything.

If you add Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, or other hot sauces, here’s the pace: maybe a good 1/16th (50ml ) of that.

Then lemon and lime juice 1/16th (50ml ) to 1/8th (100ml)

Then, mustards, spices,? and All the other ingredients, and before you know it, the jar will be full, probably above the 800ml line.

Seal it and shake it. - shake it till anything thick, any molasses or sugar syrup, any mustard or horseradish, has fully become one with the drink. You shouldn’t have a sticky residue on the inside of the jar or any big chunks of mustard or horseradish.

Be sure as you go to write down the proportions you used. Then adjust next time.

Was it too vinegary?? Add less of your pickle mix or brine.

Too spicy, use less spices (mustards, hot sauces, spices)

If it isn’t the right color or too tomatoey or not tomatoey enough, then add more tomato and less v8 or vice versa.

To make it more red, add more of this mix and less of something else

It’s all about trial and error, making many, not being afraid to fail, and finding the blend that tastes right for you.

What Glass should I use,…

When you finally serve, the glass doesn’t matter.

• Perhaps a collins or a highball
• Maybe just a large glass
• Even a pint glass

What hardware do I need?

• Mason jars are essential here. Have a few large ones and ensure they are wide-mouth.
• Measuring jigger(s)
• Measuring Spoon set (teaspoon, tablespoon, half’s quarters. You get the idea
• Lemon juicers
• Sticks for spearing the sides.

Let’s dress that drink up.

Celery. It’s my opinion that you should always start here and spike stick through it for everything else, such as;

• Olive
• Chilis
• Bar cocktail? onion
• Moonshine peaches
• Pickled veg (asparagus, carrot)
• A lime wedge or lemon wedge
• A small tomato
• Mini burgers
• Mini tacos
• Candied bacon

The world is your oyster here. In fact, you could even balance an oyster across the glass if you really wanted.

I do not think you should rim the glass with a flavored salt or spicy mix. You just spent ages flavoring a mix; why change it? If those spices and the flavors count, then they should be in your mix, not on the rim.

Enjoy

Tips

• This whole article was a tip!!
• Experiment
• Don’t be afraid to fail.
• If you go wrong and make a bad mix, adjust on the spot. I’ve had so many bad Bloody's at so many bars that you won’t be alone.
• Bloody Mary’s taste better at high altitudes. Fact. Yet typically, they are just tomato juice, sometimes Worcestershire Sauce and vodka. (Always save the pepper from your food and ask for a lemon or lime slice.)