In my opinion, brunch beverages
are the best. They are flavorful and fresh, easy to customize, and they offer
just enough kick to make any weekend morning a real celebration
and a great way to start off the day.
Here are just a few wonderful brunch
beverages and yes, these are all considered acceptable at a morning setting:
Sangria.
Moscow Mule.
Bellini.
Prosecco.
Mimosa.
Tequila Sunrise.
Spiked Sweet Tea.
Chilled Wine Cooler.
Iced or Hot Coffee Drink.
Spiked Hot Chocolate.
Mint Julep.
Margarita.
Screwdriver.
However, I believe – hands down -
a Bloody Mary is the brunch beverage to end all brunch
beverages. I just love sipping on one, sitting in my wicker rocking
chair on our screened porch balcony, basking in the Southern summer sun. I love
a good Bloody Mary so much so that I could drink it any time of the day,
morning, noon or night (and truthfully, I have!)
I am a Bloody Mary connoisseur - ok,
a Bloody Mary snob. There are good (oh, so very good) Bloody Marys and
there are “oh my gosh, who made this…?” Bloody
Marys. Actually, I am very proud of my Bloody Mary skills and over the years, I
have found a Bloody Mary shortcut or two that helps in the process of setting
up a killer Bloody Mary bar.
A Bloody Mary is one of those drinks
that an ‘elaborate prep bar’ with all the yummy DIY ‘fixings’ can accommodate to
create the ultimate Blood. The options are endless but the basic drink mix itself
is the key to a good Bloody Mary. A Bloody Mary basic cocktail recipe includes vodka, tomato
juice, and usually your choice of spices, flavorings and garnishes.
While there are
some decent bloody mary mixes on the market, creating your own Bloody Mary mix
guarantees a fresh and flavorful mix.
Stock Your Bar
Anyone hoping to make a killer
Bloody Mary will need a great recipe. The classic Bloody Mary
recipe includes the following list of ingredients:
A Good Tomato Juice, not that premixed ‘vegetable
juice’ stuff!
I recommend you use Campbell’s
Tomato Juice only – the quality and
the taste is the best around and after all, this is the drink’s number one
ingredient.
A few other key ingredients to be
added to the tomato juice, all of which you can pick up at your nearest grocery
store:
Worcestershire Sauce
Tabasco sauce
Horseradish
Celery ribs
Salt and fresh
ground black pepper
Lemons and limes
Now one of those ‘shortcuts’ that
I spoke about earlier: Whiskey Willy's Bloody Mary Mix (find it on Amazon) – GRAB IT! It
comes in original and HOT, I believe the HOT is TOO HOT to really enjoy and you
can add Tabasco to warm up your drink if you prefer. If you use this mix, you
can forego all the mixing of additional ingredients, just shake it up, pour it
in a pitcher and serve.
Lemons and Limes
I think the choice here is a personal
preference, I prefer only lemons in my Bloods, but some people prefer limes, so
offer both at your Bloody Mary bar. I cut them into quarters because a slice
just doesn’t give you all the powerful favor that I believe the drink needs.
Now, along with the bowl of
lemons and limes, I juice several lemons and put the juice into a small pitcher.
Lemon juice is a main ingredient in my Bloods (I add a shot per serving).
Don't neglect the add-ons:
Garnishes provide a signature to
a Bloody Mary. Of course, this is also a personal choice (seeing a pattern
here?) I like a combination of celery sticks, lemons and olives, but you can
also add cocktail onions. Now if you want to add a Southern flair to your
Bloody Mary, you can use pickled okra
or pickled green beans as an unexpected garnish. Inspired additions can
transform this classic beverage into a memorable, one-of-a-kind brunch
creation. Yes, I’ve seen those Bloods with crab legs, sliders, chicken breasts
etc. but STOP this is your beverage NOT YOUR MEAL!
But if your personal
preference goes towards extra garnishes:
Add Salad to Your
Bloody Mary
·
Cucumber slices
·
Kosher pickle spears
· Pimento, garlic or blue cheese stuffed green olives (plain’s ok
too)
·
Pickled beans, okra and asparagus
·
Pickled beets, cauliflower or carrots
·
Pickled jalapeños
·
Pepperocinis, peppadews or other peppers
·
Large caper berries
·
Marinated artichoke hearts
·
Marinated pearl onions
·
Baby corn
Add Protein to Your
Bloody Mary
·
Bacon
·
Oysters
·
Cooked shrimp
·
Beef jerky or pepperoni sticks
·
Steak bits
·
Hard boiled eggs
·
Cheese squares
And last but not least, A Good Quality Vodka. Yes, I
know it is a mixed cocktail and people say the top shelf stuff isn’t as
important… WRONG! Juice and vodka, that’s the drink, do you really want
to skimp? My preferred vodka is Absolut Citron (remember I am all about the
lemon?), but there is also Absolut Lime. And don’t forget about Absolut Peppar,
if you like to spice it up on occasion.
My second choice on vodka is Ketel
One Vodka. (hands down the smoothest vodka around and my stand-by for martinis
as well).
THE PERFECT BLOODY MARY RECIPE
INGREDIENTS (makes one serving)
1/4 cup (2 ounces) Campbell’s Tomato Juice.
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce.
1 ½ oz lemon juice.
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated horseradish.
3 dashes hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco.
1 pinch salt.
1 dash freshly ground black pepper.
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) vodka.
*can be added to mix or omit it for each guest’s discretion in
pouring
About 1 cup ice cubes
NOTE: Remember, if you
purchased Whiskey Willy’s – a lot of this has already been done for you. And NO
not all Bloody Mary Mixes are alike! PERIOD!
INSTRUCTIONS
Mix the tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, horseradish,
hot pepper sauce, salt and black pepper in a large pitcher.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
To assemble drinks, mix celery salt, kosher salt,and/or Old Bay Seasoning
(your choice of favorite seasonings) on a small plate. Dip the rim of your
glass in a shallow amount of lime or lemon juice, then dip into the salt mix
and twist. Fill an 8-ounce glass to the top with ice. Add 2 ounces of vodka
then top with bloody mary mixture.
NOTE: all
this can be set on a bar for each guest to DIY their drink.
Garnish with anything your heart desires.
Outfit Your Bar
For novices and pros alike, don’t
forget to stock your bar with stylish pieces to further elevate your Bloody
Mary-mixing experience. Whether you have a bar cart
tucked into a corner of your living room, a fully stocked bar spread, or are
mixing up drinks over your kitchen sink, you need some key items.
Pick up a set of highball
glasses. Not just any highball glasses, though. They should be durable,
tall enough to accommodate the meal of garnishes you’ll add, and delicate at
the rim but with a satisfying heft at the base – it will be a ‘top heavy’ drink
when complete.
For stacking your garnishes and
angling them jauntily on the rim of the glass, you’ll need a durable pick. I have sterling silver
picks that are long enough to add several olives and lemons or whatever your
choice of garnish is going to be.
To
accompany your drink, always include a cloth or paper cocktail napkin.
There’s a vast array of choices out there from monogrammed linen to fun images
on paper. Set the mood of the brunch with your choice of cocktail napkins.
When refilling guests’ glasses,
you’ll need an elegant pitcher.
Your option here is whether to mix the Bloody Mary mix and vodka together in
the pitcher or set several choices of vodkas on the bar for that DIY drink
experience. The advantage of a Bloody Mary Bar is that your guests make their own
drinks, freeing you up to be a guest at your own Brunch.
For ease, I suggest that you have
an ice bucket stocked with small
cubes of ice (not too large, they take up too much room in the glass) along
with a nice ice scoop. I prefer a
scoop, not ice tongs because I get completely frustrated with those stupid
tongs. But that’s your call.
Arrange the Bloody Mary, tools, mixes and garnishes
so guests can easily access them and create their own customize drinks. For example: Celery
should be presented in clear, tall glasses or arranged on a tray. Fill beautiful
glasses and dishes with the rest of your garnishes. Arrange the highball glasses, picks, etc at the beginning of the procession, add the cocktail napkins at the
end of the bar, and let the celebration begin.
There you have it! With a few key
ingredients, a couple of clever additions, and those essential tools, your
Bloody Mary bar will be ready.
Invite a few friends over this
weekend, and brunch will become your favorite meal of the day—if it isn’t
already.
