I do love me a bloody mary. Nothing defines a weekend, or a vacation, or New Year’s Day better than this one drink. When I sit down for brunch or lunch and order a bloody, I love everything about it — the anticipation of what garnishes will come, wondering if I’ll like the restaurant’s tomato mixture, how spicy it will be, do I have the option of a salted rim … there are so many ways that each new bloody mary can surprise and delight, and even disappoint. But, even a disappointing bloody is better than no bloody at all!

But until recently, I had not had a bloody bull, and WOW! Was I missing out!

A bloody bull is a bloody mary with beef broth added, still served cold, and it’s delicious! It’s not at all soupy, which was my worry. It’s just a mix that has more depth and richness, and I highly recommend the following recipe. The added flavor makes it great for pairing with some fun garnishes like pimento cheese sandwiches, bacon, blue cheese olives, shrimp, and more.

RELATED: This Couple Makes the ULTIMATE Bloody Marys

This recipe comes straight from my friend Dan Stubbs in South Georgia. It’s called Papa Joe’s Bloody Bull, in honor of Dan’s dad. Whether you are making this after a day of hunting or fishing, or for your at-home gathering, it’s really, really good. And just like all good bloody marys do, this one brings anticipation and that certain incomparable “first sip” joy.

Of course, if you don’t want alcohol, simply make it without the vodka and still enjoy all the fun garnishes. A bloody bull is a great drink to have alcohol-free as well.

Bloody Bull RecipePin
This recipe, without vodka, makes just under a half-gallon of the mix, as seen here with two quart-sized mason jars filled with deliciousnesses.
Bloody Bull recipePin
But, once the vodka is added to this bloody bull recipe, it makes enough to fill two quarts to the top, and there is exactly enough left over for one serving … reserved for the person who made it!
pimento cheese sandwiches on white bread.Pin
And, the perfect accompaniment is a pimento cheese sandwich with bacon. Serve on the side or put on a big wooden skewer and serve as a fun, over-the-top garnish.
Bloody Bull recipePin
Here is the bloody bull, all garnished and ready to wow. For tips, I used a 16 oz mason jar as the glass and filled it to the top with ice. Then, I poured in about 8 ounces of the bloody bull recipe, already mixed with vodka. It’s then garnished with celery, as celery always makes mixing the cocktail easier as you drink it. It’s also garnished with two blue cheese stuffed olives, skewered UNDER two quarters of a pimento cheese sandwich. Having the olives under the sandwich means the sandwich won’t absorb the liquid from the beverage. And, a couple of shrimp always make a better bloody. A big slice of bacon would have been a nice addition, too. Consider pickled okra, green beans, or pepperoncini peppers as well.
This One Bloody Mary Ingredient Is a Game-Changer - Bloody Bull RecipePin

Papa Joe's Bloody Bull Recipe

It's a bloody mary with lemon juice, beef broth, and some extras to taste!
4.45 from 9 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Alcohol, Beverage
Cuisine American
Servings 9 servings
Calories 133 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 32 oz bottle bloody mary mix I like Walker's brand, but use your favorite!
  • 2 cups beef broth I use just under 2 cups from a 15.9 oz box of Kettle Fire brand beef broth.
  • 1 cup lemon juice
  • 2 cups vodka I fill the Kettle Fire beef broth box up to measure the vodka, so just shy of two cups, but it makes it easy to measure without creating another dish to wash.
  • Salt, pepper, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce to taste
  • Celery and other desired garnishes

Instructions
 

  • Mix everything in the same order as the ingredients are listed, in a large pitcher.
  • Taste to decide if you want to add more salt and pepper. The need for additional salt will vary greatly depending on your bloody mary mix and your beef broth. For example, using Walker's bloody mary mix and Kettle Fire beef broth makes for almost 2.5x LESS sodium than Zing Zang and Campbell's beef broth. So, the ingredients you use and personal preference make for a large variance for the need for additional salt.
  • Add Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce as desired.
  • Add vodka of choice. A citrus vodka is especially nice!
  • Garnish with at least a celery stick. Beyond that, have fun!

Nutrition

Calories: 133kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 1gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.01gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.05gSodium: 199mgPotassium: 58mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 2IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 0.1mg
Keyword Big-batch cocktail, Bloody Mary
Tried this recipe?Rate it above to let us know how it was!

Now, you need to make this World’s Best Pimento Cheese and you’re all set!

World's Best Pimento Cheese recipePin
Make this World’s Best Pimento Cheese recipe and embrace the controversial ingredient! See recipe here.

Happy sipping!

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See all recipes in our SB recipe archives here.

Liza Graves
About the Author
Liza Graves

As CEO of StyleBlueprint, Liza also regularly writes for SB. Most of her writing is now found in the recipe archives as cooking is her stress relief!