Bloody Mary

Made with a delicious blend of tomato juice, vodka, hot sauce, and spices, this classic Bloody Mary is a healthy cocktail that’s fun to garnish and serve.

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About Bloody Mary

Packed with flavor and one of the healthier cocktails out there, this classic Bloody Mary is an easy – yet still classy – drink to serve any time of year and for any occasion.

Plus, you can make a whole event out of customizing and garnishing this savory, vegetable-loving drink.

Want your drink super spicy? Go for it! Add as many (or as little) dashes of hot sauce as you’d like.

Or want to garnish your drink with a whole salad’s worth of vegetables? Have at it! Bloody Marys are perfect for that. In fact, I’d dare say it’s expected. Have your drink and eat it, too.

What’s in a Bloody Mary?

• Tomato juice – The star of the show. It’s not a Bloody Mary without that vibrant red hue from tomato juice.
• Vodka – Because every mixed drink needs some spirits.
• Lemon juice – Adds a tart citrus flavor.
• Hot sauce – To give this drink its trademark kick. Use your favorite brand and adjust the amount to your tastes.
• Worcestershire sauce – Adds a delicious umami flavor to this drink.
• Celery salt and black pepper – Simple garnishes to deepen the tomato flavor. Feel free to use as much (or as little) of either as you’d like.

What type of vodka should you use?

With any mixed drink, it’s best to keep the spirits simple. Save the super-expensive vodka for enjoying on its own and use vodka with lower-to-mid-range price points for blending with other flavors.

As for my personal recommendation, I tend to use Smirnoff vodka or Grey Goose for drinks like this.

What garnishes can you use?

One of the best parts of a Bloody Mary is all the garnishes you can add. It’s almost like having a salad in your drink!

Some fun ideas would be:

• Cocktail shrimp.
• Crispy bacon, both regular and candied bacon.
• Celery sticks (as pictured.)
• Lemon slices (as pictured.)
• Fresh jalapenos or candied jalapenos.
• Olives, both classic or special types like jalapeno or pimento stuffed.
• Pepperoncini.
• Gherkins (as pictured).
• Cherry peppers.
• Pearl onions.
• Grape tomatoes.
• Pickled okra.

Can you make this drink in advance?

Yes, you totally can mix the core drink ingredients in advance! Prepare the drink as instructed (just without ice) and then store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before serving.

Can you make a big batch of Bloody Mary?

Yes! There are no special “effects” with this drink (such as layering, gradients, etc) so it’s perfectly safe to mix this drink and serve it in a big batch.

And in order to make a big batch, all you need to do is measure this drink in parts.

Recipes that measure in parts usually mean it’s written so that you can adjust the size of the drink to whatever you want. The measurements they give you (1 part, 1/2 part, etc) are so you can keep the ratio of the ingredients correct.

For example, let’s say you wanted to make one drink – this typically means you’re using 1 standard shot glass for measuring. So then when the recipe says “1 part” you would interpret that amount as “1 standard shot glass” full. If the recipe says “1/2 part” you’d fill the shot glass halfway so that it’s “1/2 standard shot glass.” OR, let’s say you wanted to make enough drinks for a few friends. When making the drink you could interpret “1 part” as “1 cup” (or “1/2 part” to “1/2 cup.”)

Given the above, to measure a Bloody Mary in parts, you would need:

• 30 parts tomato juice
• 18 parts vodka
• 4 parts lemon juice
• 2 parts hot sauce
• 1 part Worcestershire sauce
• 1 part celery salt
• 1 part black pepper

From there, be sure you have enough ice and garnishes on hand for each drink that will be poured. You could even set it up bar-style so guests can construct their own drinks and toppings!

Notes & tips for a Bloody Mary

• If you’re feeling adventurous, feel free to experiment with up to a tablespoon of any of these flavor additions: fresh horseradish, old bay seasoning, blackening seasoning, creole seasoning, or pickle juice.

More delicious drink recipes

How to make a Bloody Mary

This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.

Step 1 – Fill a tall glass with ice.

Step 2 – Pour in the following ingredients: tomato juice, vodka, lemon juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, and black pepper.

Step 3 – Give everything a gentle stir.

Step 4 – Serve and enjoy!