I recently threw a “Breakfast for Dinner” party at my home. While we had lots of bubbly and orange juice to make Mimosas, it just wouldn’t have been right without a good Bloody Mary.
The Bloody Mary has been reinvented so many times and so many ways. It now includes lots of different ingredients and flavors, depending on who is making it. And because of this…I love it.
The best, best, best Bloody Mary I have ever had was when we were staying at the beautiful Sheraton Kauai Resort on PoiPu Beach in Hawaii. I was 3 months pregnant and as nauseated as one could imagine. We were having dinner in one of their outdoor restaurants or bars and I was craving something salty, food was not doing it for me. I ordered a Virgin Bloody Mary and OMG, it had the most amazing flavor. Salty, smoky and full of flavor. It’s all I drank for the rest of our stay. I have been trying to recreate that Bloody Mary for the past 12 years. I’m close with this one.
Bloody Mary’s look great in wide mouth mason jars. There is room for the big celery stick and the glass is easy to fill with ice. I dipped the rims of the mason jars in lime juice and then I dipped them in some Hawaiian finishing salts (a nod to my best Bloody from Hawaii). You can use any type of salt for the rim, just make sure it’s chunky. A mixture of a large flaked salt and celery salt or Old Bay would also be a good choice.
Have your army of glasses ready to go before your guests arrive. If I am having a large group over, I make the Bloody Mary mix up the day before and keep it chilled. I also chill the vodka, the pitchers I am going to use and the mason jars. These drinks need to be cold and you don’t want your ice melting quickly and watering everything down.
My Bloody Mary’s get served on a plate with some skewered pepper bacon and a skewer of tater tots. Have you ever dipped tater tots in a Bloody Mary? You should try it. It’s kind of like a meal. A pepperoni stick would be another epic addition.
I threaded the bacon on the skewer before baking it in a 375 degree F oven on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes. I baked the tater tots on a baking sheet and threaded them on the skewer once they were done. I kept the bacon and the tater tots warm in a 200 degree F oven until I served them with the drinks.
The Best Bloody Mary Ever
Ingredients
- 3 cups V8 juice
- 3 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice (about 4 limes)
- 1-1/2 ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1-2 lemons)
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish
- 2 teaspoons Tabasco
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup vodka
- Garnish with celery stalks, bacon and tater tots
Directions
- Combine all ingredients except for the vodka in a large, non-reactive container and mix well. Cover and refrigerate and let the flavors meld, overnight is best but not more than 24 hours. Add vodka a couple hours before serving and keep refrigerated.
- Pour into mason jars filled with ice and celery stalks. Serve with bacon and tater tots on the side.
I hope you give these a try. they are perfect for Sunday afternoon football parties and even for that early holiday gathering.