How do you take your bloody mary?

[dagoose]

What do you like in yours? Green beens, wasabi, celery, olives with blue cheese in them? There is a place here that does beef jerky. What's your favorite?

[MsDiPesto]

I like using V-8 juice, or Wegman's Spicy Tomato Juice. If I desire to accesorize it, then celery salt, horseradish, worchester, in various combinations. The trouble it it's so savory I gulp it down. That's why I don't get them when out and about.
In this area, there is a bartender who (I think) works at Restaurant Eve in Alexandria, VA who feels that tomato juice is too heavy for a cocktail, so he makes tomato water out of fresh tomatoes and some other ingredients, I can't remember exactly what. I'd like to try that.

[rworange]

I'm interested in using heirloom tomato juice. Martha Stewart had an article about that a while back. However, would a yellow tomato heirloom juice be considered bloody?

I like pickled green beans as a garnish for the basic bloody mary.

[ricepad]

I'm not terribly picky, other than that I hate ice in my Bloody Marys. Shake and strain, please!

[therealbigtasty]

Keep it simple...

Vodka, Tomato Juice, tabasco, worchestershire, horseradish, fresh lime squeeze...use the best of them and you won't be disappointed.

Garnish with celery if available. I like olives in mine, but...

[mojoeater]

I like lots of horseradish or wasabi, louisiana hot sauce, worcestershire sauce, celery salt, and fresh ground pepper. Sometimes a squeeze of lemon. While I like a celery stalk or olive now and then, I could really care less what vegetation there is. It doesn't usually flavor the drink.

[Muskrat]

I don't drink very often, and bloody marys even less frequently -- maybe one a year or so.

That said, I was shocked the first time I was served one with an olive where a celery stalk belonged, but figured it to be an affectation of the bar in question.
.
The second time, at a different place, I knew it to be a dire conspiracy. I want my celery back!

[Dennis S]

I think I'm with you - I have them one to three times a year, depending on the year. It's like comfort foods - you have to be certain with what you change, and it probably needs to fall within the comfort range. If you don't like to mix savory and sweets, don't add the raisins to the stuffing (etc).

[Dennis S]

I now live in the DC area, but years ago in Columbia, MO, I learned from a 'tender from Baltimore to add Bay Seasoning. Been doing it ever since.

On the pickled okra, do you stick it in whole or chop it into pieces?

[jpschust]

They do this in a lot of places in DC, but the place that makes a great old bay Mary is at Bourbon.

[JMF]

I agree that they should be made with gin. I like to play around with several gins depending upon the mood. Tanqueray is an excellent classic London Dry gin, but sometimes you want a different flavor profile. Bluecoat adds a great orange note that goes well with spices. Cascade has great juniper as well as floral and grassy notes. Millers works really well because of the heavy cucumber base. G'Vine's floral strength marries well with tomato juice and a less spicy drink.

I don't like clam juice or clamato. I feel they overwhelm the drink. If you use them then go for a strongly juniper gin, but nothing premium.

Garnishes don't always change the drink much, usually it is the main recipe that determines the taste. I try to use unique garnishes like hot, crisp "Talk O' Texas" pickled okra, peppadews, dilly beans, pickled asparagus, etc.

Here's a link that has a recipe I like every now and then when I want sweet and savory Bloody Mary with lots of spice. The Bloody Forester has sriracha sauce, celery seed, lots of horseradish and worcestershire, lemon juice, and maple syrup.
http://www.slashfood.com/2007/01/01/h...

[anejospirit]

I like mine with Tequila instead of vodka so I guess you would call it a Bloody Maria… then I like to use tomato juice, fresh lemon juice, maggi sauce, tabasco, pepper a celery stick and a lime wedge for the rim.

[MeffaBabe]

I was a bartender for many years and developed my own bloody mary recipe that was always a best seller. It uses tomato juice, worcestershire sauce, tabasco sauce, squirt of fresh lime juice, celery salt, pepper and KETCHUP! Yes ketchup- it adds great flavor and spices and everyone loves it. I rim the glass with celery salt/ regular salt mixture and garnish with stalk of celery and a wedge of lime.

[onlytwomuses]

That sounds really good actually...meffababe Im sure this thread will be moved to spirits can you tell me your fave vodka Your personal choice nt the customer fave. Also did you ever use horseradish

[MeffaBabe]

Yes, I forgot the horseradish- not a lot because most people don't tolerate "spice heat" well... I would mix up a large batch of bloody mary mix before my shift without the alcohol. I found that making them individually would become a problem when people saw the ketchup bottle come out. This way the mix and proportions were always great. If a customer wanted their Bloody Mary spicier I would give them a ramiken with horseradish in it and let them add their own additonal... As for vodka choices- I would not waste a great vodka like "grey goose" or similar for the simple fact that the juice and spices kill the flavor- save the really expensive top shelf stuff for martinis and on the rocks... I would use a smirnoffs for mixed stuff such as bloody mary's....

[venera]

First, I prefer them with gin. Tanqueray, to be exact. Vodka is too smooth. I love that taste of juniper berry.

I rim the glass with either salt and cayenne or Old Bay, depending on my mood.

The tomato juice must have clam juice, garlic, and horseradish added to it. Then I flavor with garlic salt, worsteshire, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Crystal Louisiana or Cholula are about the right heat. It matures if you leave it overnight, so sometimes I make it ahead of time.

I like to garnish with celery and a wedge of lime. I find the mildness and crunchiness of celery a particularly nice foil to the strong flavor of my bloody. Sometimes I'm in the mood for a "salad" in my bloody and add cukes, pickles, olives....

I've never thought of trying wasabi. Innnnnnteresting.

[MVNYC]

I like Crystal Lousiana hot sauce and pickled okra in mine. Plenty of lime, horseradish and worsteshire too