I remember the first time I saw a Bloody Mary: I was watching Will + Grace circa 2001 and Karen Walker (alias: Anastasia Beaverhausen) was walking around holding what looked like a glass of tomato juice with a celery stalk. “Who in their right mind would drink a glass of V8?,” I questioned. Oh, how wrong and foolish 11-year-old me was.
I love a good Bloody Mary bar for brunch, I can load up on funky garnishes to my little heart’s content. By far, my favorite garnish has to be grilled cheese bites. It’s like grilled cheese + tomato soup for adults. Love when my childhood favorites get a fun upgrade.
But while I might load up on hot peppers at brunch, when I make a Bloody Mary at home I rely on a few ingredients and let simplicity take the wheel.
P.S. Do you have a favorite Bloody bar in DC?
Ingredients
Bloody Mary Mix (My favorite is Zing Zang)
Hot Sauce (I opt for Tabasco)
Ground Pepper
Skinnygirl Bare Naked Vodka
Ice
Optional: Pickle Juice (Hear me out, people)
Directions
In a tall glass, fill about 1/4 of the way up with ice.
Sprinkle the ground pepper + a couple of healthy dashes of hot sauce.
Pour in the vodka until it covers the ice.
Optional: Pour in about an inch’s worth of pickle juice.
Fill the rest of the glass with the Bloody Mary mix.
For good luck, I always top off with some more dashes of hot sauce.
Stir and serve.
Okay, time to talk about pickles. You know how I feel about pickles, ours is a love that is deep and long lasting. A favorite weekend errand is to pick up “Hot ‘n Spicy Pickles” from Eastern Market’s In A Pickle stand. The spicy brine and Bloody Mary mix are a match made in cocktail heaven. Trust me on this one. Or you can trust my new boyfriend, he’s got a winning smile.
P.S. Don’t forget to enter my Blue Chair Bay giveaway!
My boyfriend likes Bloodys, too. True love right here ^
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