It’s so easy to make The Best Bloody Mary recipe right at home! Skip the store-bought mix and make your Bloody Mary from scratch with simple, everyday ingredients. Brunch isn’t complete without this classic cocktail!
Get ready to mix up the absolute BEST Bloody Mary right in your own kitchen! it’s as easy as combining a few staple ingredients, adding your own twist, and garnishing for a beautiful and delicious cocktail that’s perfect for brunch or any special occasion.
Why You’ll Love This Cocktail
- Bold and zesty flavors: The classic Bloody Mary is known for its robust flavors.
- Customizable: Adjust the spice level, rim seasonings, and garnishes to your personal taste.
- Simple ingredients: Why buy a pre-made mix when you probably have most of the ingredients to make this classic drink?
What’s In a Bloody Mary
- Vodka – Use your favorite brand of vodka.
- Tomato juice – The primary base ingredient of this cocktail.
- Hot pepper sauce – Such as Tabasco sauce or your favorite brand.
- Worcestershire sauce – Adds a layer of savory flavor.
- Black pepper – Helps to balance the sweet and acidic flavors.
- Prepared horseradish – Gives the cocktail a sharp, peppery kick. Feel free to omit if you’re not a fan of horseradish.
- Lemon and lime juice – Adds a bright and fresh citrus flavor.
- Old Bay Seasoning – For rimming the glass.
How to Make The Best Bloody Mary
For the detailed instructions, please see the recipe card.
- Prepare your glass. Begin by rimming your glass with Old Bay Seasoning (or your favorite seasoning blend).
- Fill the glass with ice. Fill your rimmed glass with ice cubes.
- Add the ingredients to the shaker. In a shaker half-filled with ice, add the vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, lime juice, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, and pepper.
- Shake it up. Secure the lid on the shaker and shake vigorously.
- Pour and garnish. Strain the cocktail into the prepared glass and garnish with your favorite garnishes.
Rim Seasonings Ideas
There are also so many options for rimming your glass. I like to use Old Bay Seasoning, but you can also use one (or a mixture of) the following:
- Celery salt
- Smoked paprika
- Salt and black pepper
- Lemon pepper
- Bacon salt
Bloody Mary Garnishes
The possibilities are endless when it comes to the garnishes (and it’s so much fun to dress this drink up with them!). Here are some of my favorites:
- Celery stalk
- Lemon and/or lime wedges
- Olives
- Bacon
- Pickled okra
- Pickled asparagus
- Cheese cubes
- Cocktail shrimp or steamed shrimp
- Pickle spear
- Pepperoncini peppers
Common Questions
Choose a good quality vodka. You don’t necessarily need a top shelf vodka, but avoid low quality options.
The primary base of a Bloody Mary is tomato juice, whereas the base of a Bloody Caesar is a blend of tomato juice and clam juice. The Bloody Mary is believed to have originated in the United States, while the Bloody Caesar originated in Canada.
Vodka is traditionally the most commonly used alcohol in a Bloody Mary, but other options are gin, tequila, or whiskey. Feel free to omit the vodka for a non-alcoholic Virgin Mary.
Absolutely! Simply multiply the number of servings to your desired amount, add the ingredients to a pitcher and stir to combine. Serve in a glass with ice.
Brunch Recipes to Serve with Bloody Marys
The Best Bloody Mary
Ingredients
- Old Bay Seasoning or seasoning of your choice for rimming glass
- Lemon or lime wedge for rimming glass
- 2 ounces vodka your favorite
- 8 ounces tomato juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 2 to 3 drops hot pepper sauce
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon prepared horseradish
- Dash Freshly ground black pepper
- Garnishes of your choice
Instructions
- Sprinkle Old Bay Seasoning on a small plate. Rub lemon or lime wedge around rim of glass to moisten.
- Dip rim of glass into seasoning to coat evenly. Fill glass with ice.
- Fill a cocktail shaker about ½ full of ice. Add vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, lime juice, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, and pepper.
- Cover shaker and shake vigorously for about 15 seconds.
- Strain into prepared glass with ice. Garnish with desired toppings.
Notes
- I enjoy this recipe as written, but feel free to customize to your personal taste by experimenting with different amounts of ingredients!
- Nutrition info does not include seasoning for rimming glass or toppings.
- This recipe yields 1 (10 ½ ounce) serving.
Nutrition
If provided, nutritional info is a courtesy, is not guaranteed and should only be considered as a guideline.
Crystal {@phatbakes}
I so want to try this. I just looked at the hubs and said “I want to make these!” He just looked back at the TV! He doesn’t share my passion for foot and drink, although he loves to eat it! Love this!
Mike
The garnish is not optional it’s a must, a lime wedge and a celery stick is what you’ll get in most pubs but a pickled green bean or a pickled asparagus spear puts the drink over the top.
Cheers
Nicole
We do it a little different: add 6-10 shakes of worcestershire (this is KEY!) and switch out the Old Bay rim with Celery Salt. I personally don’t like horseradish. I have also been known to add a dash of pickle juice. Oh man, after talking about this, I really feel like having on now.
Kim
You can substitute the horseradish for a few dashes of worchestershire sauce and tobasco too if you like. Sometimes I use gin instead of vodka… Yummy either way!
Cheers 🙂
Caesar Lover
Hi Amy,
Glad you enjoy them. They are really good with the stick of beef jerky, crispy bacon or a pickled spicy green bean in it. Check out the website – there are a couple different recipes.
Fou De Food MTL
Looks great!