Bloody Mary’s Recipe

Rim glasses

Pour coarse salt and ground pepper onto a small plate and mix. Rub a lime wedge around the rim of 4 highball or pint glasses to moisten, then dip rims into the salt and pepper mix to coat evenly. Set glasses aside.

Place a celery stalk, 2 olives, and a lemon wedge in each glass for garnish (reserve additional garnishes as desired). Chill glasses in the refrigerator while you prepare the mix if you like a cold glass.

In a large pitcher or mixing bowl, pour in 4 cups tomato juice.

Add 2 tsp prepared horseradish, 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbs fresh lemon juice, 1 tbs fresh lime juice, 1 tsp hot sauce, and 1 tsp chili-garlic sauce (if using).

Stir in 1 tsp celery salt, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1 tsp smoked paprika, and 1 tbs olive brine. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is homogeneous. Taste and adjust heat, acidity, or salt: add more hot sauce for heat, lemon or lime for brightness, or Worcestershire for umami.

Cover the pitcher and refrigerate the mix for at least 30 minutes to let flavors meld. The mix can be stored in the refrigerator up to 3 days—stir before using.

Measure 1.5 oz vodka per serving. (Note: ingredient list shows vodka as 1.5 cups total — treat that as 4 x 1.5 oz servings; adjust total vodka to match number of servings you plan.)

Fill a cocktail shaker or mixing glass halfway with ice. Pour in 1.5 oz vodka and 4-6 oz chilled Bloody Mary mix (adjust to taste).

Gently roll or stir the cocktail 10–15 seconds to chill and slightly dilute. Avoid vigorous shaking if you want to keep a smoother texture; shaking is fine if you prefer frothier top.

Fill the rimmed glass with fresh ice. Strain and pour the mixed cocktail into the prepared glass.

Garnish each drink with a celery stalk, 2 cocktail olives (skewered), a lemon wedge on the rim, and optionally a pickled green bean or small pickle. Serve immediately.

To batch for a crowd, multiply the Bloody Mary mix and vodka. Use about 4–6 oz mix per 1.5 oz vodka depending on desired strength. Keep batch chilled and stir before serving. Provide ice and garnishes separately so guests can customize.