Cajun Bloody Mary Recipe

Infuse vodka

Combine 2 cups vodka, 2 tbs prepared horseradish, 2 tbs fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp hot sauce and 1 tsp black pepper in a clean glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Stir or shake gently to mix.

Seal the jar and let the mixture infuse at room temperature for 6–12 hours for a bright, spicy profile. For stronger heat, refrigerate and infuse up to 24 hours. Taste after 6 hours and adjust if desired (add more hot sauce or cayenne for heat, more lemon for brightness).

Strain the infused vodka through a fine-mesh sieve or a coffee filter into a clean bottle to remove solids. Label and refrigerate until ready to use. Yield: ~2 cups spicy vodka.

Chill highball or pint glasses in the refrigerator or by filling with ice while you prepare the cocktail.

In a mixing glass or shaker (no need to shake vigorously), combine 4 oz (1/2 cup) Zing Zang Bloody Mary mix, 2 oz (1/4 cup) house spicy vodka, 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce, 1 tbs fresh lemon juice, 1 tbs fresh lime juice, 1 tsp Louisiana-style hot sauce, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper and 1 tsp celery salt. Stir gently to combine. (Recipe scaled to make one large cocktail; multiply ingredients for additional servings.)

Fill the chilled serving glass with fresh ice (about 1 cup). If desired, rim the glass: rub a lemon wedge around the rim and dip it into a shallow dish of kosher salt (about 1 tsp).

Pour the mixed Bloody Mary over the ice, stirring once in the glass to integrate.

On a cocktail pick, skewer 3 mixed cocktail olives. Add the skewer to the glass so the olives rest across the rim or sit inside the drink.

Add one large celery stalk and one blanched green bean into the drink as additional stirrers/garnish.

Finish with a squeeze of the reserved fresh lemon wedge over the drink, then drop the wedge into the glass if desired.

Serve immediately with a napkin. Offer extra hot sauce and celery salt at the table for personal adjustment.