Bloody Mary Recipe

The Sunday Scaries will have to wait…it’s bloody mary time.

Is there a better Sunday brunch cocktail than the bloody mary? Back when Patty and I were first dating and she was living in South Boston, we tried every spot that offered bloody marys and brunch. I’ve always LOVED breakfast, but I never got into the whole brunch scene (I don’t know what I’ve been doing my entire life). Here is how you do it: You sleep in late and then you go get breakfast and cocktails. An amazing concept, I know.

It’s never too early for a bloody mary, remember that.

There is one awesome spot in Southie with a bloody mary bar called Barlow’s. Yes, a bar station dedicated to every spice and garnish you could imagine. You choose your base liquor (tequila, vodka, gin, or rum) and then you get to custom garnish your bloody mary with olives, pickles, hot peppers, celery, an array of hot sauces, BACON, and more. I think I’ve tried it all.

Another restaurant in South Boston (Stephi’s) actually has a special order form where you can custom order a bloody mary with every combination imaginable. I’ll go out on a limb and say no ones does bloody marys better than Southie. Needless to say I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect bloody mary recipe ever since. The classic bloody mary has to have the right balance between smooth and spicy. It has to be refreshing but peppery enough provide a kick and it can’t be too watery. For this recipe, I actually used Liquor.com’s parts as a starting point and went from there.

Tips for the perfect bloody mary

1. Don’t skip ingredients. Other than the tomato juice and vodka, horseradish may be the most important aspect of the cocktail. Otherwise it will taste like tomato juice with vodka. Also, the lime and lemon juice add a subtle but refreshing zing.
2. Don’t be afraid to spice it up. A good bloody mary should have a spicy side but not burn your house down in the process. Start with two dashes of Tabasco sauce and add more if needed.
3. Don’t waste top shelf vodka on a bloody mary. If you are going to be adding 4 ounces of tomato juice to anything, something moderate is more than fine.
4. Go crazy with garnishes. pepperoncini, crispy bacon, olives and pickles. If you can’t actually see where your bloody mary starts you’re doing it all wrong.

I’m dying inside as I write this because now all I want is a bloody mary. The curse of the food blogger.

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