🍸 Haley's Home Bar

Hey Sippers! We are officially into the pinnacle of summer, and this week, I want to take you back to basics with my method to achieving the perfect Bloody Mary for your weekend brunches. Now, this is going to be part spirits education, part cocktail recipe, but stick with me. 

In my humble yet experienced opinion, the ideal Bloody Mary is 80% flavor, 20% tomato juice. Think about building the perfect outfit. The pint glass is the mannequin and you get to dress it however you want. The spirit is the main pieces, the flavor components are all the glitzy accessories, and the tomato juice is the purse you use to carry everything. In this case, when talking about the flavor components (accessories) we’re operating on the idea that more is more. Now, a Bloody Mary can be made using a variety of base spirits, and most restaurants default to vodka because of its neutrality. That said, my personal preference is mezcal. Most people think that mezcal is a type of tequila, but it’s actually the other way around. Tequila is a specific style of distilled spirit made exclusively from blue agave and primarily produced in the state of Jalisco around the city of Tequila. Mezcal is a broader category defined as a distilled spirit made from agave in Mexico. Production is centered around Oaxaca, but also occurs in other Mexican states. Mezcal can be made from more than 30 different types of agave, and its flavor profile will vary depending on the type of agave and preparation style. Mezcal is known for its smoky flavor achieved by roasting the agave hearts before fermentation and distillation. I enjoy using mezcal for my Bloody Marys because the earthy flavor compliments the rest of the ingredients really well. 

Now that we’ve chosen our main piece, it’s time to accessorize! Again, more is more, so get ready.

The way I make my Bloody Mary is to load it up with several complimentary flavors, but if any of these things don’t appeal to you or you prefer something different, go for it. The fun part about this cocktail is that you can almost always adjust it to suit yourself however you like. 

Full disclosure, I also don’t measure much for this drink, because it’s very much personal preference, but my signature Bloody Mary is (mostly) as follows: 

2 oz. Mezcal (or other clear base spirit like vodka or gin)

.5-ish oz. Olive Brine

.5-ish oz. Pickle Juice

Several dashes of hot sauce to taste (I like Tapatio but use what you like)

Small bit of horseradish to taste 

Cracked black pepper

Sprinkle of Tajin

3 dashes of celery bitters

.5-ish oz. Pepper Sauce
-this is peppers in vinegar for those confused. I get homemade stuff from my parents’ neighbors (Hi Virginia & Joey!) but Texas Pete and the Louisiana Hot Sauce brand also produce it. You can also use the brine from a jar of pepperoncini peppers as well. 

Toss all this stuff together and give it a quick shake or stir, pour it over ice in a pint glass, and top it with tomato juice until the glass is full. Garnish with olives, pickles, cocktail onions, peppers, or anything else that strikes your fancy. Again, this is a drink that is super customizable, so feel free to change or substitute or even omit anything from this recipe that isn’t your style. 

As always, if you have questions, comments, or need help finding any of these ingredients, send me an email at [email protected] and I will be happy to help. Cheers!

Haley’s Home Bar is a space designed for helping you learn how to create delicious craft cocktails from the comfort of your own home. As you all know by now, a huge part of my platform is teaching thoughtful, respectful, and responsible enjoyment, and HHB is just another place for me to do that. I believe that craft experiences don’t have to be a fancy night out but can instead be something you can enjoy whenever you want. I also believe that thoughtful enjoyment is key to achieving that luxurious feeling that a perfectly crafted experience can bring. Tips, tricks, tool recommendations, pairing suggestions, recipes and more are all “on the bar cart” for you to explore and enjoy at your leisure, and I will continue to provide you with my weekly features and suggestions here as well.

As always, if you have any questions or comments or need recommendations, shoot me an email at [email protected] and I will be happy to help. Your barstool is always open-cheers!