Love a kick of heat with your cocktail? Then you’re going to love this Best Bloody Mary Recipe that’s made with secret ingredients that bring the heat and pack in savory flavor!
Bloody Mary’s Are A Brunch Bar Must!
In a world of sweet, fruity drinks there’s something to be said about a savory Bloody Mary Cocktail. Especially when sipping one at brunch after a long week alongside your bacon and home fries.
But just when you thought a Bloody Mary couldn’t get any better, in walks THIS recipe! While it has all the traditional elements, I kicked it up a notch with a few secret ingredients that bring a touch of heat and enhance the savoriness of the drink!
Trust me, you won’t be disappointed! When it comes to this savory, spicy Bloody Mary, you’ll be licking your lips until the very last drop! (And then you’ll be headed for a refill!)
I love how this cocktail impresses with all its fun garnishes and sophisticated flavor yet is still super simple to make so that even a beginner can whip it up!
Ingredients For The Best Bloody Mary Recipe
- Vodka
- Jalapeno
- Pure tomato juice
- Pickle juice
- Worcestershire sauce
- Hot sauce
- Lime
- Black pepper
- Celery salt
- Garnishes
As you can see this Bloody Mary recipe is made with traditional ingredients such as tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, lime, and vodka. But then this drink gets kicked up a notch with the addition of “secret ingredients”!
The first secret is that this recipe makes the cocktail with jalapeno-infused vodka. This is easily made by simply steeping sliced jalapeno peppers in vodka.
The extra kick of spice this lends to the cocktail is a wake-up call you’re going to love!
Pickle juice is the next secret ingredient! This brine adds a sour, salty flavor that tastes delicious once combined with the tomato juice in the cocktail.
The last touch on this recipe is to serve it in a highball glass with a celery salt-coated rim. This makes for an extra dose of savory goodness that keeps you sipping nonstop!
Bloody Mary Garnish Ideas!
One of my favorite crowd-pleasing ways to serve this recipe is with a skewer loaded with fun Bloody Mary garnishes! If you’re serving friends for brunch, set up a Bloody Mary Bar for guest to garnish their own! Here are some tasty ideas to get you started:
- Strips of bacon
- Sausage links
- Jumbo shrimp
- Green Olives
- Celery sticks
- Pepperoncini peppers
- Pickles
- Lime wedges
- Fresh herbs such as cilantro and basil
- To add a bit of sweetness to this cocktail you can even slide some mini donuts onto the skewers!
How To Make The Best Bloody Mary
Step 1: Combine the vodka and sliced jalapenos and set them aside to steep.
If you’re making a Virgin Bloody Mary, go ahead and skip this step and omit the vodka from the recipe!
Step 2: In a small pitcher (these carafes are the perfect size), stir together the tomato juice, pickle juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, lime juice, and black pepper.
Adjust the seasoning to your taste, and then place the pitcher in the fridge to allow the mixture to chill.
Step 3: Place the celery salt onto a plate or shallow dish.
Step 4: Rim each glass with a lime wedge and then dip it into the celery salt.
Step 5: Fill the glasses halfway with ice and add sliced jalapenos.
Step 6: Evenly divide the jalapeno-infused vodka between the two glasses.
Step 7: Pour the bloody Mary mix over the top of the vodka and stir each one gently.
Step 8: Garnish the drinks as desired. Then serve and enjoy!
Best Bloody Mary Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 ounces vodka
- 1 jalapeno seeds removed and sliced into rounds
- 12 ounces pure tomato juice
- 2 ounces pickle juice
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 lime juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- celery salt for rim
- crazy garnishes
Instructions
- Combine the vodka and sliced jalapenos and set aside to steep.
- Combine the tomato juice, pickle juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, lime juice, and black pepper in a small pitcher and stir gently. Adjust seasoning as needed and place in the fridge until nice and cold.
- When ready to serve, rim each glass with a lime wedge and dip into the celery salt. Divide the vodka and jalapenos between two glasses, then pour the bloody mary mix over top and stir gently.
- Garnish each drink as desired with crispy bacon, celery, olives, pepperoncini, kettle chips, and mini taquitos or tacos. Enjoy!
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How To Serve The Best Bloody Mary
It’s best to serve a bloody mary once the blood mary mix has chilled in the fridge until ice cold. To save time and speed up the process you can even prep the bloody mary mix and steeped vodka and jalapenos the day before.
I especially love prepping the day before if I’m serving these bloody marys to a crowd at brunch or a fun gathering. That way I can double, triple, or even quadruple the recipe so I can enjoy more mingling with guests and less cocktail mixing!
What To Serve with Bloody Mary Cocktails
Sipping a cocktail isn’t complete unless there are snacks nearby! Therefore, pair your blood mary with yummy munchies such as kettle chips, mini taquitos or tacos, and roasted nuts.
Of course, Blood Mary Cocktails also go great at brunch! I highly recommend pairing savory breakfast foods with them, such as quiche, eggs, bacon, home fries, and ham.
If you love pairing sweet and savory you can’t go wrong with pancakes, chocolate chip muffins, or cinnamon rolls!
How long can you store Bloody Mary mix in the fridge?
Bloody Mary mix can be stored in an airtight container or jar with a tight lid for up to a week. Be sure to shake or stir to recombine the ingredients before using the mix.
What other alcohol can I use in a Bloody Mary?
Vodka is the classic alcohol when making a Bloody Mary; however, you can use whiskey, which would then make it a Bloody Maria. You could also swap the vodka out for gin to make a Red Snapper.
Where was the Bloody Mary Cocktail invented?
It’s said that the drink was invented in Harry’s New York bar in Paris by Fernand in the 1920s. This is the same bar that the French 75 was created in a few years earlier.
The New York Bar was popular among Americans, particularly expatriates, tourists, and soldiers. So while it was invented in a Parisian bar, a lot of the drinks that came out of it were inspired by Americans, like this one!
This recipe was originally published in February 2018 and was updated with new photos and information in January 2024.
Comments & Reviews
Karen says
Horsin Around Bloody Mary’s kick it!!!
Marlena says
I use jalapeno stuffed olives and horseradish in my bloody mary
John Rawlinson says
Hi everyone. I’m a bartender and this is top-notch. You should def try this one. I added a bit of horseradish and a splash of A1 sauce but this is really good on it’s own merit. Very nice job. I’m putting this Bloody Mary on my menu at work and may owe Rebecca a cut when I’m done selling the shizza out em’ Thanks Rebecca
Rebecca Hubbell says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, John and the A1 and horseradish sound like great additions!
Jane @ LittleSugarSnaps says
Wow. This is almost like a meal in itself. I bet the jalapeno doesn’t take many minutes to infuse its flavour with the vodka. Superb idea.
Sandi says
Oh my gosh, I love how you stuffed that blood mary with so many delicious treats!!
Rebecca Hubbell says
Thanks, Sandi, a little over the top but so delicious!