15 Ways To Instantly Elevate A Classic Bloody Mary
The bloody mary cocktail is the perfect brunch drink. Savory, salty, and a bit spicy, its complex collection of flavors is designed to wake up your senses. At the same time, its juiciness leaves you feeling even more energized and refreshed. Each component of a bloody mary brings a specific quality to the whole experience of the drink, but unlike many classic cocktails that have strict and specific recipes, there's a lot of wiggle room within the basics. You can adjust this drink to your own preferences.
A classic bloody mary consists of vodka as the base spirit, tomato juice as the main mixer, and then a combination of savory, spicy, acidic, and salty ingredients to add dimension. It typically features horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, lemon or lime juice, salt, and black pepper — although you can play around with just about anything that strikes your fancy. Of course, no bloody mary is complete with a garnish. This can range from the traditional celery stick — which also doubles as a stirring utensil — to incredibly elaborate skewers of vegetables, pickles, and even meats or seafood.
However you like your bloody mary, there are many ways to maximize the cocktail's flavor and presentation. We've put together some of the best techniques and hacks to push this cocktail to the next level.
1. Up the umami factor
Umami, known as the fifth taste, is a somewhat elusive concept, but it's a big part of what makes a bloody mary delicious. Technically, the flavor comes from an amino acid known as glutamate, which is naturally present in many food products. It shows up in produce like mushrooms and tomatoes, seafood like shrimp and anchovies, aged or cured foods like parmesan cheese and prosciutto, and fermented items like miso paste and soy sauce. Umami is often described as a sense of savoriness, and without it, food can seem one-dimensional or bland.
A traditional bloody mary is already something of an umami bomb, with tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce providing the deep flavor. But you can boost it even further by mixing in more savory ingredients. Miso paste is a fun addition, bringing not just umami depth but also texture — great if you like a more substantial, weighty drink. A dash of fish sauce is all you need to enhance the intensity of every other flavor. Soy sauce is another good option and also works as a vegan substitute for Worcestershire sauce, which contains anchovies.
Kombu, a type of seaweed used in Japanese cuisine, is one of the most umami-laden ingredients out there — use it to make broth or dashi and add this to your bloody mary for a big elevation of flavor. Making a broth from dried mushrooms can create a similar flavor effect.
2. Think beyond vodka
Vodka is the classic bloody mary spirit for a reason. It provides a boozy kick while its neutral flavor allows the intensity of the other ingredients to stand out. But the truth is, just about any spirit can provide a good base for this cocktail. Many create unique synergies with the robust flavors of the drink that are worth trying at least once.
The bloody maria is a popular variation on the bloody mary. It uses tequila instead of vodka. Tequila, made from the agave plant, has a naturally vegetal quality to it that really shines in savory drinks. Replace the spirit with gin and you have a red snapper — a drink that lets gin's bright herbal notes enhance the cocktail's complexity. A similar aromatic, herbaceous base to try is aquavit. This variation, sometimes called a Nordic mary, showcases the Scandinavian spirit's caraway-heavy spice profile.
Even whiskey can show up in bloody many variations. Whether it's a smoky Scotch or a toasty sweet bourbon, each beverage adds its own unique personality to the cocktail.
3. Use a blend of spirits
If you like the idea of a little more complexity in your drink, but don't want to go overboard, a great way to achieve this balance is to use a split base. In bartender lingo, this just means that your base spirit is a combination of more than one type. For a bloody mary, this is often vodka and one other more intensely flavored spirit, like gin or tequila. But a split base can be a combination of anything, not necessarily including vodka.
Tequila and mezcal, for example, make a great duo. Both spirits are distilled from agave, so they share similarities but can bring different flavor profiles to the table. Many mezcals are very intense and smoky, and you can temper that by mixing them with a more mellow tequila. The same can be done with a fairly peaty, smoky Scotch and a smoother (or sweeter) whiskey, such as bourbon. These combinations can be a great way to add a punch of flavor, without completely overwhelming the drink.
4. Get creative with your rim
Salting the rim of a bloody mary glass is common, and the salt really helps to enhance the cocktail's flavors. As you sip from the glass, this seasoning hits your tongue first, amplifying the rest of the drink that follows. But if you want to get creative, there are a ton of seasonings and blends that you can adorn the rim with to give the drink an even bigger boost. Any ground or granulated spice can work — on its own or mixed with salt. A seasoned rim also adds visual appeal.
Mix some freshly cracked black pepper with your salt for a kick, or a mix of different peppercorns for more dimension. Red pepper flakes are another great way to pump up the spice level. To go in a more savory direction, flavored salts like celery or truffle bring a real depth of flavor to the drink. Pre-mixed seasoning blends, like Old Bay or Chinese five spice, are a fantastic way to give your bloody mary lots of character. Try a half-and-half rim with two different flavors on either side, and you've basically got two drinks in one.
5. Go for fresh juice
It takes more time and effort than reaching for the container on the grocery store shelf, but making your own tomato juice for your bloody mary will yield the freshest, most flavorful cocktail. Plus, as opposed to store-bought juice, you can customize your ingredients.
If you've got a juicer, you're already halfway there. If not, you can use a blender instead — once you've got the tomatoes pureed to a pulp, you can strain out the solids using cheesecloth or a mesh strainer. Any juiceable fruit or vegetable can be added to the mix. You can even roast or saute the ingredients beforehand to give the juice a richer, more concentrated flavor.
If you prefer a lighter, more elegant cocktail, you can create tomato water instead of juice. Take chopped tomatoes, salt them, and place them in a cheesecloth-lined strainer over a bowl. Let this sit in the refrigerator overnight or longer, and your bowl will be filled with a refreshingly light, intensely tomato-flavored liquid.
6. Serve it up
A bloody mary is typically served on the rocks (which means with ice). This has its benefits, as the ice melts and dilutes the drink, lessening its intensity as you get to the bottom of the glass, making it easier to finish. However, this drink can be made even classier when it is served up. This means it's prepared with ice, but there won't be any ice in your glass.
Rather than building the drink in a glass as you would traditionally do, add all of the ingredients to a shaker. Giving it a vigorous mix with ice will dilute it nicely, so it reaches a light and frothy enough texture to be a sippable cocktail. You can then single or double-strain it into a coupe or martini glass, with a flavored rim of your choosing. Finally, you have an elegant, elevated bloody mary variation. Float some fresh herbs, like basil leaves or a sprig of tarragon, on top for a vibrant garnish.
7. Give it an oceanic twist
A well-known riff on the bloody mary is a drink known as a bloody Caesar, which swaps out tomato juice for Clamato. If you're not familiar, Clamato is a commercial product that's basically a bloody mary cocktail mixer on its own, consisting of tomato juice and clam broth, along with spices and hot sauce. The clam element brings in umami and a briny character to the drink. While it might seem odd at first, seafood ingredients in general work extremely well in bloody cocktails, matching up well with the savory and spicy flavors of the recipe.
Think of the shrimp cocktail: this sauce is very similar to a bloody mary (with tomato and horseradish) so shrimp makes a great garnish if you're a fan of the dish. If you like raw oysters, that's another fun seafood ingredient to play with — in fact, one bloody mary origin story says that the drink started as an oyster-based recipe. The brine of oysters adds a bright salty intensity to the cocktail. A dollop of anchovy paste mixed into the drink gives it a big punch of umami, as do a few dashes of fish sauce. When in need of extra flavor for your bloody mary, just reach for the ocean.
8. Make it extra smoky
If the aroma of a campfire fills you with joy, and the scent of burgers grilling makes you start to salivate, a smoky bloody mary may just be the drink of your dreams. It is easy to tweak a few ingredients in the classic recipe to give the cocktail a rich, potent smoky character that works well with its savory flavor profile.
Start with the base spirit: go for a smoky mezcal or a peaty Scotch. For the juice, if you are making your own, grill or roast the tomatoes and other vegetables first to give them a nice char. Smoked salt is a great option for the rim. Any smoky spice works well too, like smoked paprika or ground chipotle peppers. For the garnish, you can go wild with bacon or other smoked meats, or even a skewer with smoked cheese like gouda or cheddar.
9. Turn up the heat
If spicy food is your thing, turning up the heat on a bloody mary may just make it the ultimate cocktail for you. While a traditional bloody mary involves hot sauce, it's usually a background ingredient, so upping the amount is the easiest way to spice up your recipe. Ramping up the horseradish helps, too. There are plenty of other ways to add heat if you want your bloody mary to make you sweat.
Pickled jalapenos are a common garnish for a spicy bloody mary, but the peppers themselves aren't the only ingredient you should use. Throw some of the brine into your drink to enhance the chile flavor. Have a can of chipotles in adobo lying around? Spoon some of that smoky, spicy sauce into your tomato juice and mix it up for an instant hot flavor boost. Of course, the rim is a perfect place to up the heat factor, using dried spices like ground cayenne or ghost pepper to give each sip an extra kick. Garnish with a super hot, fresh chile pepper, like a habanero.
10. Upgrade your ice
As the ice in a bloody mary melts, it dilutes the drink. This makes the texture lighter but also lessens the flavor. This can make the last sips watery and bland. One way to combat this effect is to upgrade your ice. Making flavored ice is easy, and it'll ensure that your drink remains tasty even until the last sip.
There are a lot of options when it comes to flavoring ice for bloody marys. Citrus is always a good and versatile option — simply grate or peel the rinds of limes or lemons, place them in an ice tray, cover them with water, and freeze. As the ice melts, your drink will get a zesty, fruity kick. Fresh herbs are another excellent choice, from pungent basil to delicate dill. On the other hand, you can just freeze tomato juice and use that instead of regular ice. You can even add other bloody mary ingredients so that, as the ice melts, the cocktail basically refills itself.
11. Go for green
Give your bloody mary a fresh twist by swapping out classic red tomato juice for a green beverage mix. You can achieve this by juicing yellow or green tomatoes, or tomatillos (a similar yet separate species of fruit). Tomatillos are bracingly acidic, giving their juice an extra level of zip and tang compared to tomato juice. It may feel wrong to call it "bloody," due to the color, but it's a variation all the same.
To enhance the green color and maximize flavor, add other green vegetables and herbs to your juice. Cilantro, green onions, parsley, and basil are all aromatic, flavorful, and verdant. Crisp, bright vegetables like celery and cucumber are excellent additions for their fresh, juicy quality. If you like a thicker consistency, avocado is great for texture. Green chiles like jalapenos or poblanos can be thrown into the mix to bump up the heat.
12. Create artistic garnishes
One place you can really show off your creative side is with the bloody mary garnish. Some may scoff at the overly elaborate sculptures that many bartenders build atop their brunch cocktails, sometimes including an entire meal's worth of food, but it's harmless fun. Especially if you're crafting your own at home, there's no reason to hold back when it comes to garnishing your drinks.
A celery stick, a wedge of citrus, and a selection of pickled vegetables are all traditional. Even within this group, you can flex some creative muscle. Upgrade your citrus by grilling your lemon first, for a deeper flavor. Go for less common pickled veggies, like beets or okra, and mix it up with some cooked ingredients too, like a fire-roasted hot pepper. Make your own stuffed olives using any filling you like. Garlic is always good, horseradish is great for a kick, and anchovies add a welcome savory note.
Sprigs of fresh herbs enhance the aromatics of the drink while also reinforcing its refreshing, restorative quality. You can also go the other way, and double down on the filling, rich factor by leaning into more gluttonous garnishes. A thick, smoky strip of bacon can serve the same stirring purpose as a celery stick. A skewer of cheese and salami, in addition to olives and vegetables, makes it less of a beverage and more of a meal.
13. Have fun with bitters
Bitters act as seasoning in cocktails. When used properly, you only need a few drops of the concentrated liquid to enhance and alter the flavors and aromas of a drink. While they're most well-known for their inclusion in classic, simple drinks like Manhattans and old fashioneds, there are plenty of styles of bitters that work well in a bloody mary.
Angostura — the kind you've most likely seen on a grocery store shelf — is the most ubiquitous brand on the market. A couple of dashes add a warm spice to cocktails that are reminiscent of clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg — all flavors that are intriguing in a bloody mary.
There are some other lesser-known styles of bitters that are so well-suited to the cocktail you'll wonder how you ever enjoyed a bloody mary without them. Look for celery bitters, which add an intensely aromatic vegetal note to the drink. Cucumber bitters are another complementary type. Japanese umami bitters, which include essences of mushroom and seaweed, are a transformative addition to savory bloody marys.
14. Experiment with different hot sauces
If you're turned off by the idea of a bloody mary because it's spicy, don't worry — the main ingredient that brings the heat is hot sauce, and you can easily find flavorful versions that won't set your mouth on fire. A mild bloody mary can be just as complex and enjoyable as a five-alarm level beverage. It's totally up to your personal preference.
Tabasco, and other vinegar-based hot sauces, have a nice zippy tang that matches up well while bringing a moderate amount of heat. Many brands also make mellower sauces, like Tabasco's Green Jalapeno sauce, which has a mild and fresh flavor with just a little pinch of spice.
Sriracha brings a robust garlic flavor to the table. It also has a bit of sweetness to balance its heat, making it a good choice for medium heat lovers and those looking for a little extra depth of flavor. Of course, if you're a fire-breathing hot sauce fanatic, go for your favorite and use a heavy hand.
15. Make it meaty
A bloody mary is, by nature, a savory drink. Since it includes ingredients like Worcestershire sauce and horseradish (that are commonly served alongside beef), your mind may connect the cocktail to meat in some subconscious way. It turns out, that's not such a wild thought. Meaty ingredients are a great way to boost your bloody mary's flavor.
Adding meat stock or bone broth, like beef or chicken, helps to thin out the bloody mary's texture while adding a deep level of flavor. If you're vegetarian, you can always use vegetable or mushroom stock to achieve a similar effect. Garnishes can enhance this flavor profile. Try using strips of bacon, beef sticks or jerky, and even mini burgers. If you've got a skewer going with the traditional olives and pickled vegetables, throw a few bites of grilled meat on too. The kebob can be used to stir, garnish, and snack on, all at the same time.