ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

2 Bloody Mary Cocktail Recipes

Updated on May 7, 2013

Traditional Bloody Mary

if all hangovers could look this good...
if all hangovers could look this good...

What is a Bloody Mary? This legendary cocktail serves as the day after cure for many drink aficionados-which is a really nice term for alcoholic- and is easily identified by it's blood red colour and common garnish of celery stalk.

History says that the original drink was little more than vodka and tomato juice before being taken on by other bartenders and being turned into the monster shopping list it presents today.
Even now the common recipe is added to regularly, sometimes it is changed so dramatically you wouldn't call it a Bloody Mary.

Here I present two versions that I know;
The New Orleans Bloody Mary, and a traditional recipe - with an optional English twist.

The Traditional Recipe

When you're making a Bloody Mary for someone else it's usually a good idea to ask how they like it. Spicier? More savory than sweet? Less alcohol? Less hangover, more alcohol? As with any cocktail it's good to try it out for yourself, try to make one that's quite balanced to begin with. This means good old scientific experimentation for you m'lad!

Lucky your good friend Vodka is involved.

How do you like your Bloody Mary?

See results

Ingredients

  • Vodka
  • Tomato Juice
  • Slice of Lemon
  • Worcester Sauce
  • Tabasco (Hot) Sauce
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Celery Stalk (or Celery Salt)
  • Ice
  • Horseradish

Who's gonna need a Bloody Maaary?

Take a bow Sheldon!

Recipe

To a tall glass with Ice, add;

1-2oz Vodka (30-60ml)

3 oz Tomato Juice (90ml)


Once you get past this part, how much of the rest you add is a matter of taste, and therefore completely up to you.

I like my Bloody Mary spicy and savory, so I add generous splashes of both Tabasco and Worcester sauce, quick dashes of salt & pepper, and a tiny smidge of celery salt (in absence of an actual stalk)

You can either squeeze in some Lemon Juice, or simply garnish with a slice of Lemon, I prefer the latter but again, that's up to you and whether you'd prefer a sweeter Bloody Mary


Stir vigorously and garnish with a Celery Stalk.

Amongst others I recommend trying the awesomely named Sharps Doom Bar, and St. Austells Trelawny. For non-English residents, any ale should be fine - though St. Austell have started supplying supermarkets across Europe
Amongst others I recommend trying the awesomely named Sharps Doom Bar, and St. Austells Trelawny. For non-English residents, any ale should be fine - though St. Austell have started supplying supermarkets across Europe

The English Twist

Ale

Yes. That flat, warm stuff that the English call beer.

As unlikely an addition to any cocktail it might seem I'm asking you to cast aside thy doubts for a moment and think about it - Almost every ingredient in a Bloody Mary is an unlikely cocktail recipe.

Believe it or not, Ale can actually do wonderful things for a Bloody Mary, and the best part is that English Ale comes in thousands of varieties, with many variables. In an English bar, saying "Wellllll this ones nice" simply doesn't cut it, and serious beer fanatics will devour you through a foot and a half of bar for not knowing what's what.

So when combining the ingredients, simply add a measure of Ale equal to the amount of Vodka.

At least she didn't BATHE in the blood of 280 Protestants!
At least she didn't BATHE in the blood of 280 Protestants!

What's in a name?

Where does one get a name like this for a cocktail? It's an obvious choice, being sort of blood red and all that, but the original intention of the name is a source of some contention.

Many opt for the Queen Mary argument, who history remembers (perhaps a little unfairly) as being a bit bloodthirsty.

Other candidates for the dubious honour include a spirit of folk-lore, a Hollywood actress and a bar waitress

New Orleans Bloody Mary

This sweat inducing variation is a favorite of mine, involving many New Orleans-popular spices, it's for those who would have more Tabasco sauce in a regular 'Mary than not. The recipe comes from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch.

Essence / Bayou Blast

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Makes 2/3 Cup

Drink and Essence Recipe from HERE

Emeril's New New Orleans Cooking
Emeril's New New Orleans Cooking
Like this cocktail? Try some more in the style of Creole from this awesome tome of knowledge
 

Ingredients

  • Vodka
  • Tomato Juice
  • Worcester Sauce
  • Tabasco Sauce
  • Lemon Juice
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Cayenne
  • Essence (see right)
  • Horseradish
  • Cocktail Onion

Recipe

Prepare the concoction as you would the traditional Bloody Mary.

Then add half a teaspoon of Essence (Bayou Blast), half a teaspoon of Horseradish, and a pinch of Cayenne.

I find the lemon juice to be optional where others find it essential, I'd recommend no more than a tablespoon. You can use an equal amount of lime juice with the lemon juice if you like.

Stir well and garnish with a cocktail onion.

More!

The continued list of Bloody Mary variations is practically endless, many substituting vodka for other liquors (like Whisky in a Bloody Molly, Gin in a Bloody Murder, etc etc), others adding further alcohol, like in the English Twist above. Removing all alcohol results in a Virgin Mary, so on, so forth.

With a cocktail this diverse, it's possible to do almost anything to better suit it to your taste, give it a go. Experiment, when you know what you like best about a Bloody Mary (or what you don't like at all) you should be able to compliment it's better part with something else you like.

Just, go wild... and when you feel like you've been dragged through the bush backwards the next day, there's always a Bloody Mary to kill that hangover with!

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)