Make brunch even better (and boozier!) with a DIY Bloody Mary Bar.
This DIY Bloody Mary Bar Will Perk Up Your Brunch
According to lore, the Bloody Mary was “born” in Paris in the 1920s at the hands of bartender Fernand Petiot. (The birthplace, Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, happened to be the hangout of choice of Ernest Hemingway and other American expatriates looking to quench their thirst.)
Petiot’s version was simple — vodka, tomato juice, salt and pepper, a concoction he allegedly brought to New York after the end of prohibition. However, the Bloody Mary didn’t catch on in the mainstream until the 1950s. And by then it had picked up a few more accouterments along the way, including Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and horseradish, along with celery and olives for garnishes.
Fast-forward to 2016: the Bloody Mary is having its second Renaissance. Boozy brunches are king right now, and nothing marries breakfast and booze quite like the Bloody Mary. The savory cocktail hasn’t been spared from our current cultural trend towards total customization. Throwing a Sunday brunch or Super Bowl party? Lay out a fully loaded DIY Bloody Mary bar and let your guests decide how to dress up their drinks.
SEE ALSO: How to Make a Gold DIY Bar Cart
The Art of the Bloody Mary Bar
There’s no set rules for making a rocking DIY Bloody Mary bar, but according to the Star Tribune there are elements a good home barkeeper should have on hand for a do-it-yourself gathering:
Bloody Mary mix.
Homemade or a commercial variety. Better yet, have several options. For a real treat and the best Bloody Mary ever, make fresh tomato juice at the height of summer, when tomatoes are at their prime. As with all cooking, the better the ingredients, the better the final product.
So many garnishes.
Many of us swoon over the multiple options of a buffet table. A display of garnishes for the Bloody Mary is no different. Offer a mix of flavors and shapes. Many traditional garnishes lean toward the pickled variety (olives, pickled green beans or asparagus), so balance them out with more savory or at least non-vinegary flavors (cheese, meat, red or yellow bell peppers, shrimp).
Extreme garnishes, should you be inspired.
Try waffles, hard-cooked eggs, fried chicken and even sliders.
Meat sticks or cured meats cut into shapes
As for those meat sticks on the market, consider using good quality cured meat and cutting them into shapes for the skewers. Your guests will thank you.
Skewers.
The garnishes need to go somewhere! Wooden skewers, long and short, are available in most supermarkets. The long ones make it easier to balance the garnishes in the glass, especially if there are a lot of them.
Ice cubes.
Must have. This is a drink that calls for ice.
Salt and fresh lime juice.
Guests can coat the top of their glasses with salt, as you would a margarita. Have fresh lime juice on a plate to dip the top of the glass. Have salt options on another plate. Go with kosher or sea salt, or create a flavored blend (half salt and half celery salt mixed together, or half salt and half chipotle chile powder, or other variations).
Booze.
Garnish suggestions.
Consider picking up some of these delectable Bloody Mary add-ons.
• Celery ribs, with or without leaves
• Green olives/stuffed olives
• Lemon and lime wedges
• Cornichons (tiny pickles)
• Bacon strips (cooked)
• Boiled shrimp
• Cheese cubes
• Red or yellow pepper chunks
• Pickled asparagus or green beans
• Capers (large size)
• Yellow or red cherry tomatoes
• Shishito peppers, roasted or sautéed
• Pickled peppers (pepperoncini)
• Pickled herring
Bloody Mary Recipes
Planning on playing bartender at your next brunch meetup? If you want to give your guests some tried-and-true Bloody Mary options, check out these recipes curated by the Star Tribune:
CLASSIC BLOODY MARY
Makes about 6 cups.
Note: The classic and tomatillo bloody marys are the two most popular variations at Burch restaurant in Minneapolis, says executive chef Daniel del Prado. At the restaurant, the juice, ice and 1 1/2 ounces vodka are shaken before being added to a pint glass with a salty rim.
• 1 1/4 quarts (5 c.) tomato juice
• 2 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 6 tbsp. dill pickle juice
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp. Tabasco hot sauce
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. dill seeds
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp. freshly grated horseradish
• Celery salt
• Kosher salt
• Fresh lime juice
• Ice cubes
• Vodka (see Note)
Directions
Combine tomato juice, Worcestershire, pickle juice, garlic, Tabasco, 1 teaspoon salt, dill seeds, pepper and horseradish in a blender and process until smooth.
For a salty rim on the glass: Combine 1 part celery salt to 1 part kosher salt, and place on a plate. Pour lime juice on another plate. Dip top of glass first in lime juice and then in the celery salt mixture. Add ice to the glass and carefully pour the bloody mary mix and vodka into the glass. Add a skewer of garnishes to the glass.
Nutrition information per 1½ cups, without alcohol or garnish:
Calories 67 Fat 0 g Sodium 1,460 mg
Carbohydrates 16 g Saturated fat 0 g Calcium 55 mg
Protein 3 g Cholesterol 0 mg Dietary fiber 2 g
Diabetic exchanges per serving: 3 vegetable.
TOMATILLO BLOODY MARY
Makes about 6 cups.
Note: This is the most popular bloody mary at Burch. When servers walk through the restaurant with this vivid green drink, everyone wants one, says executive chef Daniel del Prado. At the restaurant, the juice, ice and 1 1/2 ounces vodka are shaken before being added to a pint glass with a salty rim.
• 6 tomatillos, husked and washed
• 4 medium green tomatoes (or substitute yellow tomatoes), cored
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 English cucumbers, peeled
• 1/2 c. roughly chopped fresh cilantro (stems included)
• 1/2 c. roughly chopped Italian parsley (stems included)
• 2 serrano chiles, seeded and deveined
• 2 jalapeños, seeded and deveined
• 1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice (1 lemon)
• 1/4 c. dill pickle juice
• 1 tbsp. salt
• Chipotle chile powder
• Kosher salt
• Fresh lime juice
• Ice cubes
• Cucumber-infused vodka
• Condiments of choice
Directions
Combine tomatillos, tomatoes, garlic, cucumbers, cilantro, parsley, chiles, jalapeños, Worcestershire, lemon juice, pickle juice and 1 tablespoon salt in a blender and process until smooth.
For a salty rim on the glass: Combine 1 part chipotle chile powder and 1 part kosher salt, and place on a plate. Pour lime juice on another plate. Dip top of glass first in lime juice and then in the chile-salt mixture. Add ice to the glass and carefully pour the bloody mary mix and vodka into the glass. Add a skewer of garnishes to the glass.
Nutrition information per 1½, without alcohol or garnish:
Calories 95 Fat 1 g Sodium 2,080 mg
Carbohydrates 21 g Saturated fat 0 g Calcium 84 mg
Protein 4 g Cholesterol 0 mg Dietary fiber 5 g
Diabetic exchanges per serving: 3 vegetable, ½ other carb.
BLACK PEPPER BLOODY MARY
Serves 3.
Note: Anchovy fillets offer a layer of complexity to this drink. No need for any extra hot sauce. Use Tabasco and not another hot sauce, says Emeril Lagasse, who notes it’s the vinegar notes in the Tabasco that the recipe needs. From “Essential Emeril.”
• 2 oil-packed anchovy fillets
• 2 1/4 tsp. prepared horseradish
• 2 tbsp. minced celery
• 1 tbsp. chopped celery leaves
• 2 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2 1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce (see Note)
• Juice from 1/2 lemon (about 2 tbsp.)
• 1 3/4 c. tomato juice
• 1 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. celery salt
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• Ice cubes
• 6 oz. (3/4 c.) vodka
• Pickled green beans, for serving
• 3 celery hearts, for serving
• 3 thin slices lemon, for serving
Directions
Add the anchovies, horseradish, celery and leaves, Worcestershire, Tabasco and lemon juice to a blender with enough tomato juice to cover the blade. Blend on high for 15 seconds. Add the remaining tomato juice and continue to blend 20 seconds longer. Stir in pepper, celery salt and kosher salt. This mix will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice; add vodka and bloody mary mix and shake well. Strain over fresh ice in 3 (10-oz.) glasses; serve with a pickled green bean, celery heart and lemon slice.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories 180 Fat 0 g Sodium 1,060 mg
Carbohydrates 13 g Saturated fat 0 g Calcium 58 mg
BLOODY MARY MIX
Makes about 6 cups.
Note: This is one of the offerings at Hell’s Kitchen in Minneapolis at its 35-foot bloody mary bar. From “Damn Good Food,” by Mitch Omer and Ann Bauer.
• 5 c. tomato juice
• 1/3 c. fresh lemon juice
• 5 tsp. lemon pepper
• 5 tsp. celery salt
• 5 tsp. Sweetened Ginger Purée (see recipe)
• 4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tsp. Tabasco sauce
• 2 tsp. horseradish
Directions
Mix all ingredients together in a large stainless steel, glass or ceramic bowl. Place in a container with a tightfitting lid. Will keep refrigerated for up to 1 week. Stir well before serving.
Nutrition information per 1½ cup, without alcohol or garnish:
Calories 88 Fat 1 g Sodium 3,210 mg
Carbohydrates 22 g Saturated fat 0 g Calcium 68 mg
Protein 3 g Cholesterol 0 mg Dietary fiber 2 g
Diabetic exchanges per serving: 3 vegetable, ½ other carb.
SWEETENED GINGER PURÉE
Makes about 2 cups.
Note: From “Damn Good Food,” by Mitch Omer and Ann Bauer.
• 2 c. grated fresh ginger
• 1 c. sugar
• Juice from 1 lemon
Directions
Place ginger, sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat until nearly all moisture has evaporated. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
Place in a food processor fitted with a steel chopping blade, and purée until smooth, 3 to 5 seconds.
Put ginger purée in a stainless steel, glass or ceramic container with a tightfitting lid and refrigerate. Will keep for up to 1 month.
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