SPICY BLOODY MARY

I know that I am not alone in thinking that one of the most decadent weekend or vacation treats is a Spicy Bloody Mary! Geez-oh-man, do I love them! I am not alone either, my husband, sister, and so many friends are bonkers for a good Bloody Mary.

For most of my life, I refused to even taste a Bloody Mary. Gah! I can’t believe it! I would hang out with friends who would plan whole mornings around the ritual of Bloody Mary’s and never even consider taking a taste. I THOUGHT, I would hate them becuase of the tomato juice or the thickness…or something. I would think about it and say to myself…Colleen, you love tomatoes, vodka is your favorite spirit and your are crazy for good horseradish…maybe you would like them”. So one day I had a little taste. It wasn’t think and nasty, it was like a symphony in my mouth!

I was hooked!

The thing is that locally, at a neighborhood bar, a bartender we know makes her special Spicy Bloody Mary on Saturdays. That’s it just Saturdays. Each Bloody Mary Shelly makes is a labor of love. She is the one who stops for cooked shrimp before she gets to work and she crafts each one individually. I have had 3 once or twice, they are that good!

Once one person orders one of Shelly’s Spicy Bloody Mary Drinks, usually heads turn and a few more orders get put in.

Shelly has wrecked me, my husband, my sister and so many others, because usually, any other Bloody Mary lets us down. Especially when you ask for a Spicy Bloody Mary…Some bartenders just add a bunch of Tobasco to the drink….Noooo! That’s awful, it’s like you are now drinking Tobasco.  The horseradish is the key to making a great Bloody IMO, and Kelchner‘s is the BEST!!. Pickle juice is a great addition too especially if it’s from spicy pickles, mmmm! Is it Saturday yet??

I have nothing more to say about this other than…Make it!

SPICY BLOODY MARY

Author: Colleen Kennedy

Prep time:  15 mins Total time:  15 mins

Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS

16 oz tomato juice

2 TBS fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 TBS lime juice

½ TBS Worcestershire sauce

a few shakes of Tabasco

½- 1 TBS prepared horseradish (not horseradish sauce)

2 teaspoons of pickle juice

1 tsp olive juice

1 tsp pepperoncini juice (optional)

A few shakes black pepper

1 TBS Old Bay seasoning

4-6 ounces of good quality vodka

Garnish ideas: Pickle spear, celery stalk, green olives (plain or stuffed with blue cheese), shrimp, pepperoncini, lemon slice or a lime slice

Additional Garnish: I also like to serve some homemade spicy cocktail sauce on the side for dipping the shrimp, I then will toss some in my Bloody too, it is SO good!

INSTRUCTIONS

Wet the rim of two (16-20 oz) glasses with a piece of fresh lemon. Then dip the glass rims into a tablespoon of Old Bay seasoning (shake it onto a flat dish).

Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice.

Fill glasses halfway with ice.

Mix all of the ingredients together in a separate pitcher or container, stir it up well, and then pour mixture into your cocktail shaker, one batch at a time.

Give it a good shaking to get it nice and cold, then pour the contents into your prepared glass.

Slide in a pickle spear or stalk of celery, a few Old Bay seasoned shrimp, a couple of big fat olives, and you are good to go. You can also add a lemon and or a lime slice, and if you’re feeling crazy add a whole pepperoncini to your Bloody, my husband and sister love this…Yum!

NOTES

A note about cocktail sauce. Never buy it, it really is never good, even if you think it's good, lol! Store-bought cocktail sauce is usually gelatinous. Blech! Instead, simple stir together ketchup and horseradish and if you wish a splash of Worcestershire sauce. Make it as spicy or mild as you wish...Me?? I want the taste of my cocktail sauce to go up my nose, behind my eyes and into my brain and go whaaaa! Then I taste it again! Mmmm!