Making A Perfect Bloody Mary

tomato juice - homemade lemon or lime juice
horseradish
Worcestershire and Tabasco
black pepper
celery salt
celery
lemon wedge

How did my friend the food scientist describe these ingredients that are basic to a bloody mary? “They have a central flavor volatile, a flavor non-volatile for a definite taste and an aroma that fades out for a perfect ending.”

Enough about science because most of my friends describe this combination as essential to  a perfect Bloody Mary.

You can make them visually interesting by garnishing with just about anything including pickled brussels sprouts, turnips, green beans, radishes, pickles, olives or caper berries.

I’ve even heard of a green bloody made with tomatillos, lime, cilantro, pineapple and tequila and another with pureed yellow heirloom tomatoes and tomato-infused vodka. Whatever way you mix it, put on your signature touch and people will remember.

Here are some things to remember:

Use Only The Best Ingredients

Fresh cut lemons and limes, beautiful, plump fresh tomatoes, shaved fresh horseradish. Honestly, everything needs to be fresh because the freshest ingredients produce the strongest bouquet and taste.

Make Tiny Drinks

The blend of ingredients is very unbalanced chemically and starts to taste different within a half hour after it is made. Make tiny drinks to get the best flavor

Make A Fresh Mix

If I did one thing to improve the quality if a bloody mary, it would be a fresh mix. Best time to do this is during framers market when tomatoes are at their prime.

Use homemade infused vodka

The robust, spicy flavor of a Bloody Mary overpowers the flavor of the vodka, so don't use a premium vodka but a homemade infused vodka.

I’ve tried everything from lemon to tomato infused vodka but I like this pepper infused which really gives the bloody a kick.

Pepper Vodka

1 serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and quartered lengthwise
1 jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded, and quartered lengthwise
1 red habanero chilie, stemmed, seeded, and quartered lengthwise
One 750-ml bottle good-quality vodka

Place the chiles in a large glass container, add the vodka, and cap.

Let stand at room temperature for 48 hours, shaking once or twice a day.

Infuse for a few days and taste daily until it is perfect. Don’t allow it to infuse longer than 2 weeks, or the vodka will have a bitter flavor.

Strain the infused vodka. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Bon Appetit!