A Bloody Good Bloody Mary!

 I usually avoid dishes and drinks whose name or description use the word “blood” or “bloody”. But I definitely make an exception for the Bloody Mary, one of my favorite morning cocktails. Here’s my recipe for the ultimate Bloody Mary!

Blood is gross. Blood in food is even more gross. Food that features blood as a central ingredient is the most gross. I’ll try almost anything once, but there are just a few things I simply won’t eat – blood sausage is a good example. According to Wikipedia, “blood sausage is any sausage made by cooking animal blood with a filler until it is thick enough to congeal when cooled. Pig or cattle blood is most often used”. Yummy – thickened, congealed blood mixed with filler – sign me up! And it gets worse – other forms of blood-based dishes include “blodpudding” (black pudding], blodplättar (blood pancakes), blodpalt (potato dumplings flavored with reindeer or pig blood) and paltbröd (bread with blood in it). Hungry yet??!!

So, I steer toward eating and drinking food and beverages that might have “blood” in the name but don’t actually contain any real blood in them. Blood oranges are a good example. And one of my favorites, Bloody Mary’s, are another. The origins of this drink, like almost anything else, are muddied and controversial. But it’s likely the drink was invented in the 1920’s in either Paris or NYC. The original was a mixture of vodka, tomato juice, and lemon juice. Nobody knows who named the drink, but legend claims it’s either named after Queen Mary of England (who was nicknamed Bloody Mary) or after a waitress named Mary who worked at a bar in Chicago called the Bucket of Blood.

Today’s Bloody Mary comes in many styles, but almost always includes vodka, tomato juice or a prepared bloody Mary mix, a citrus (either lemon or lime), Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and horseradish (either grated or prepared). You can change out the spirit from vodka to tequila to make a Bloody Maria instead of a Bloody Mary.

Garnishes usually include celery, and sometimes bacon, olives, cheese, and salami (I know, weird). And it can get weirder from there. For example, whenever I order a Bloody Mary in Minnesota, they serve it with what looks like a mini antipasti platter on top of the glass, along with a beer chaser (I guess anything to chase away the winter freeze!). My niece, Sara, always looks at me like I’m from outer space whenever I question the choice of meats and cheeses served with the drink (and, she’s always kind enough to drink my beer chaser for me – I mean, who drinks beer for breakfast anyway?!).

Typically, Bloody Mary’s are served in the morning, with breakfast or brunch – a perfectly acceptable and defensible excuse for drinking in the morning! Not sure how that tradition started, but it’s pretty universal. Also, for some unknown reason, Bloody Mary’s are one of the most popular drinks served on planes and trains. I almost always order one or two when I’m in the air on a flight, and judging by my fellow passengers, I have plenty of company!

My version of the Bloody Mary really emphasizes my likes and dislikes, so the drink is truly personal to me. First, I like to keep my drinks relatively simple, so I always reach for a Bloody Mary mix instead of tomato juice. We’ve tried quite a few and there are many good ones out there, but our two favorites are Dougie’s Bloody Mary Mix and Tres Agaves Organic Bloody Mary Mix – both have nice spice and a richer, thicker texture to them. Also, I like my Bloody Mary’s a bit spicy, so I always add hot sauce to the mix. Also, I really hate horseradish, so I leave that out (neither of the two mixes above have horseradish in them). In addition, I add a good amount of celery salt for additional depth of flavor. And my secret ingredient? A splash of dill pickle juice! Trust me, it elevates the drink to a new level! Finally, I like my Bloody Mary’s served simple and clean, so the only garnish with mine is a stalk of celery to periodically stir the drink and to munch on afterward.  

I’m anxious for you to try my Bloody Mary recipe below – when you do, let me know what you think. And if you have a Bloody Mary mix that you love, send your recommendations my way – I’d love to try others!

Bloody Good Bloody Mary (Serves 1)

Ingredients

3 oz. vodka

7-9 oz. Bloody Mary mix (depending on how “stiff” you want your drink), chilled

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. hot sauce

1/4 tsp. celery salt

1 tsp. fresh squeezed lime juice

1/2 tsp. dill pickle juice

Pinch of fresh ground black pepper

Celery stalk for garnish

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a 2-cup mixing cup and whisk to combine. Pour into a highball glass, then add celery stalk and fill glass with ice.