by Jordan Catapano
Setting up a Bloody Mary bar in your home doesn’t require a special occasion, only a little company. And what better time than the holidays, when family and friends will be congregating in your home during all hours of the day, to designate a little corner of your house as the Bloody Mary station? It’s the ultimate “anytime” drink, appropriate at breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even as an afternoon snack.
Here are a few quick steps to creating the perfect, self-serve Bloody Mary bar in your home.
Choose Your Vodka
Use your favorite brand, or ask your BevMo! expert which vodka lends itself well to Bloody Marys. I love using vodka made from potatoes or corn for the subtle flavor it adds to the cocktail. If you’d like to offer several vodkas, consider adding a pepper or jalapeno-flavored vodka to the bar. And then for those Bloody Maria fans, put out a bottle of tequila or even mezcal.
Shop Vodka : Absolut Peppar, Absolut, Blue Ice Vodka or Akvinta.
Shop Tequila: Sauza Hornitas Reposado, Sauza Hornitas Plata
Select a Mix
With over a dozen homemade-tasting Bloody Mary mixes at your fingertips, you will be able to satisfy the taste buds of every guest in your house. I’d recommend offering a variety of mixes for people to choose from. Find one with a strong tomato flavor, another with noticeable heat to it, a third with a slight sweetness, and then a mix with a savory taste. Or you can make your own batch. Just ask to be directed to the tomato juice, Worcestershire, horseradish, Tabasco®, salt, and lemons.
Shop Bloody Mary Mix: Big Daddy’s Bloody Mary Mix, Dr. Swami Bloody Mary Mix, Powell and Mahoney Bloody Mary Mix
Plan the Garnishes
Half the enjoyment of a Bloody Mary comes from the fun of feasting off the garnishes. Use your imagination and get creative with what could accompany each cocktail. BevMo! offers a huge selection of gourmet stuffed olives, pickled green beans and asparagus, edible cocktail stirrers, beef jerky, fresh lemons and limes, salt, and an abundance of other options. Build the perfect cocktail and try something different with every refill.
Keep the perishable garnishes and mixes chilled or on ice. If stored properly, most of your ingredients will last a week. You may not want your company to stay that long, but at least you’ll have a fantastic cocktail to look forward to once you’ve got your house all to yourself again.
Bloody Mary Pitcher Recipe
Serves 10
20 Parts Vodka
32 Parts Tomato Juice
1 part lime juice
1 part lemon juice
4 tsp Tabasco®
2 T Horseradish
1 T Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp Celery Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp smoked Paprika
1 lime wedge per drink
1/2 tsp salt
Your choice of garnishes: gourmet stuffed olives, pickled green beans and asparagus, edible cocktail stirrers, beef jerky, fresh lemons and limes, salt, celery, cucumber, and an abundance of other options.
Method:
1. In a pitcher with a tight-fitting lid, combine all ingredients except the Vodka.
2. Close the pitcher and shake well.
3. Rub the lemon or lime wedge around the rim of each highball glass and then roll glass in remaining celery salt.
4. Fill each glass with ice cubes, fill 1/3 with Vodka and top off with the Bloody Mary Mix.
5. Garnish with a long celery stalk, long cucumber slice and lime wedge.
Cheers!
