There are few weekend activities that people hold as dear as brunch with friends. The salty bacon, the savory eggs and sweet and doughy pancakes are the perfect accompaniment to great conversation with the people closest to you.
Of course, for many, the most important part of brunch isn’t the people or the food, it’s the fact that it is socially acceptable to imbibe a drink spiked with alcohol. Brunch is a reason to get your drink on in the A.M. Some grab for the tried and true mimosa and others have a thirst for the cocktail king of brunch: The Bloody Mary.
“A great Bloody Mary depends on its depth of flavor,” says Adam Geringer, co-owner and chef at Greenpoint Fish & Lobster in Brooklyn, New York. “It has to have the right balance and body to the drink. We like ours with lots of Worcestershire and cracked black pepper.”
In recent years, some bars have gone a little over the top with their Bloody Marys, offering drinks adorned with Slim Jims, pieces of pizza, fried chicken and even whole cheeseburgers. That kind of flare is all well and good, but what most people look for in a great Bloody Mary is the taste. You can mix in wacky flavors and ingredients, but it has to have the famous tomato juice and vodka base. “When people start adding too many things to the drink, it’s no longer a Bloody Mary,” says Geringer. “It’s a meal on a skewer in a glass. I think the drink just needs a little something to nibble on.”
Here are five outstanding Bloody Marys.
Bloody Ramen
Recipe from Bar Sardine in NYC
Photo by Paul Wagtouicz
Ingredients (makes six servings)
15 oz. beef broth
3 oz. light soy sauce
4 Tablespoons Sriracha?
10 oz. good quality tomato juice?
Togarashi (A Japanese condiment that is a mix of 7 different spices. It can be found at any Asian market and most grocery markets)?.
6 limes?
12 oz. vodka??
Directions: Combine the beef broth with the soy sauce and sriracha in a large container or bowl. Add the 10 oz. of tomato juice to make the base.?? Rim a pint glass w/ Togarashi.?? Fill the glass with ice and then add 4.5 oz. of the beef broth-tomato juice base, the juice of one lime, and 2 oz. vodka. Stir and garnish with a skewer of vegetables.
County’s Bloody Mary Recipe
From County Restaurant in NYC
Ingredients
1 can tomato juice (46 fl oz.) – Sacramento Brand
3 tablespoons grated fresh horseradish
3 tablespoons pureed chipotle paste
1 tablespoon celery salt
2 oz. fresh lemon juice
3 oz. fresh lime juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon paprika
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a big pitcher and stir for Bloody Mary mix. Fill mason jar with ice. Add 2 oz. of vodka and fill glass with house-made Bloody Mary mix (roughly 5oz). Garnish with olives and lemon wedge.
Bloody Maria
from the Black Ant in NYC
Ingredients
3 oz. of fresh tomato juice
1 teaspoon horseradish
A dash of garlic
2 drops of Sriracha
1 oz. tamarind puree
1 oz. of fresh orange juice
A dash of black pepper
A dash of salt
A dash of cumin
2 oz. of Death’s Door Vodka
Directions: Combine all ingredients into a tall glass and stir. Add ice.
Vampiro
from La Pulperia in NYC
Ingredients
2 oz. of prickly pear puree
2 oz. pomegranate juice
2 oz. of chipotle infused tequila
1/2 oz. of fresh lemon juice
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a tall glass and stir. Add ice. Top with a splash grapefruit flavored soda. Garnish with orange peel and hibiscus and Morita Pepper Salt rim.
Oyster Shooters
Ingredients (makes four)
2 oz. of fresh tomato juice
1 teaspoon of tomato paste
1 teaspoon of pomegranate molasses
A dash salt
A dash of black pepper
1 strawberry (small dice)
1 slice of red onion (small dice)
2 slices of cucumber (small dice)
2 drops sriracha
1 oyster per glass (seasonal)
3/4 ounces of pisco or tequila
Directions: Combine all ingredients, except for the oysters, in a pitcher and stir. Place the oysters at the bottom of champagne glass and layer ingredients over the oyster with a tall spoon.