Stories abound regarding exactly when vodka and tomato juice first met and became lifelong soulmates, but bartender Fernand Petiot is often credited with immortalizing the base mixture for the Bloody Mary — tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, black pepper, salt, cayenne, lemon, and Tabasco — at the King Cole Bar at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City in 1934. This signature balance of salty, savory, spicy, and umami components has been making weekend brunches more leisurely, flavorful, and creative ever since.
Bloody Mary mix is arguably so established that it might seem like tinkering with it is unnecessary — but there’s plenty of room for creativity. It’s a feisty, full-bodied beverage often served with so many towering garnishes it can double as a small meal. Here, Southern chefs, mixologists, culinary pros, and a few others with a special connection to this cocktail share approachable techniques for infusing your Bloody with added flavor.
#1: Add pickled okra juice
Since Bloody Mary’s origin story is rooted at the St. Regis, let’s start there. Every St. Regis property (there are 54 in the world) has its own signature Bloody, or “their own particular twist on this delicious classic,” explains Gordon Kelley, the manager of the St. Regis Bar in Atlanta. Gordon describes the West Paces Mary at St. Regis Bar in Atlanta as having a “delightful savory and briny profile” due to adding a tablespoon of pickled okra juice to the mix.
SB TIP: We love the brine from Wickles Wicked Okra, flavored with garlic, red chili peppers, and turmeric.
#2: Try a ‘Nashville Hot’ infusion
Downtown Nashville’s Liberty Common offers an unforgettable Bloody inspired by Nashville’s signature hot chicken. Julia Dixon, the assistant general manager at Liberty Common, explains the recipe also helps them reduce food waste. “We began using some of the chicken we were preparing for our entrées to infuse Skyy Vodka,” says Julia. “We use our fried chicken thighs and infuse them in refrigerated vodka for at least 24 hours.”
After resting overnight, they filter and strain the liquid before bottling it. The restaurant also kicks up its signature hot chicken seasoning a notch with cayenne, chili flakes, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and white pepper. This seasoning is also added to its Bloody Mary mix, along with Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, tomato juice, pickle juice, olive juice, salt, pepper, and Tabasco. It can be tweaked to achieve your desired level of heat!
#3: Garlic, Garlic, Garlic
George Olsen owns and operates Libations Mobile Bar & Catering at the Market on Main, a green market in Stuart, FL, along the St. Lucie Riverfront in picturesque Martin County, FL. George’s company caters for events such as weddings, parties, festivals, and markets, and he regularly infuses vodka to align with varied menus.
METHOD: Infuse a liter of vodka overnight (or longer, depending on your palate) with roughly eight garlic cloves. Once the infusion has achieved its desired taste, strain it to pull out the solids and retain that perfect balance of flavor.
#4: Soak black peppercorns
Did you know that the French Lick Resort in Indiana is the birthplace of tomato juice? In 1875, Chef Louis Perrin created an impromptu tomato concentrate when the restaurant ran out of orange juice. Guests were delighted, and local tomato juice production for the hotel ultimately led to the distribution of canned tomato juice. And without that ingredient, the Bloody Mary may not have been!
METHOD: Tomi Parker, bartender at 1875: The Steakhouse in French Lick, adds half a cup of black peppercorns to a liter of vodka and infuses it overnight.
#5: Make it green
Liz McCray, founder of Bloody Mary Obsessed, shares a Tomatillo Green Bloody Mary Recipe that is refreshing on summer days as well as year-round. “The recipe is perfect for a festive St. Patrick’s Day or even Cinco de Mayo celebrations, substituting the vodka for gin or tequila,” says Liz. She also points out that tomatillo juice is packed with nutrients and flavor — and delicious on its own.
BONUS TIP FROM LIZ: “In this recipe, cooking the tomatillos isn’t necessary; that’s why it’s so easy to make! If you have time, you can roast the tomatillos in the oven beforehand — make sure to get a nice char on them! Roasting the tomatillos brings out the full flavor profile; then, you could even pair it with a smoky mezcal.”
#6: Try pickled Piparra peppers
Chef Katie Button of Asheville, NC, tells us, “These zesty pickled peppers from the Basque country in Spain make almost any dish come to life. They are on the menu at La Bodega by Cúrate in the Bocadillo de Gambas Fritas (crispy red shrimp with oil, garlic, Piparra peppers, arugula, and a baguette) and the Tortilla Vaga (lazy omelet).”
At La Bodega, Katie was turned onto the power of pickled peppers when combined with spirits. “We began using them in martinis, and from that moment, I knew they would be delicious in a Bloody Mary. These can be hard to find, but make sure to grab a jar anytime you find them! At La Bodega, you can pick a jar up from the market downstairs,” says Katie. (You can also find them on Amazon!)
RECIPE: To infuse vodka with Piparra peppers, take a clean glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and combine 3/4 cup vodka, 1/4 cup Piparra brine, and three Piparra peppers. Close the jar tightly and place it in the back of a dark, cool cabinet. Allow it to infuse for at least two days. Use it in place of regular vodka in your favorite Bloody Mary recipe!
#7: Chop a mirepoix
The mirepoix trio — chopped carrots, celery, and onion — along with herbs (and occasionally chopped ham or bacon) is the base for many classic soups, sauces, and stews. At Young Hearts Distilling in Raleigh, a rotary evaporator extracts flavor from carrots, celery, and onion for a vodka infusion teeming with freshness. Owner Chris Powers shares that home mixologists can achieve the same effect by infusing a high-proof spirit like Everclear with mirepoix (pronounced meer-pwah, if you are wondering!).
RECIPE: Roughly cut 1/2 pound of carrots, 1/2 pound of celery, and 1/4 pound of white onion to equal size. Add vegetables, the zest of one lemon, three bay leaves, and a 750-ml. bottle of high-proof spirit (such as Everclear) to a container that can be sealed and airtight. Allow the liquid to infuse for seven days. Then, separate the vegetables from the spirit using a colander or strainer. After measuring the volume of the infused spirit, add the same volume of water and stir. The final infusion should last up to four weeks!
For a real deep dive into Bloody Mary history, check out Simon Difford’s and Jack McGarry’s extensive reporting on the subject.
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