4 Ways to Make a Bloody Mary

A bloody Mary needs no introduction. Any adult, and most kids, have seen it a hundred times before. While we love the classic cocktail we enjoy putting new twists on it now and then. It isn’t about reinventing the wheel, it is more about a little tweak here and there. Sometimes we are inspired by a fresh vegetable from the garden or an amazing slab of bacon we recently tasted, other times it is all about a craving for spice or a certain texture.

When I have the time I love to freshly juice my tomatoes. But, since I don’t own a juicer — how I would love one of these from Williams-Sonoma! — I usually use tomato juice from the store. No doubt fresh juice takes a bloody to a whole new level. But, if you don’t have a juicer don’t sweat it. Last weekend my husband and I were inspired to make a little bloody Mary bar at home and these are what we came up with:

Classic with a Spin: A classic bloody with sriracha,  cheese stuffed olives, sliced jalapenos, and celery. Perfection with a little extra heat!

Don’t Mess with Texas: A classic bloody with superhot sauce, bacon compote, and a pickle!

The Oh-Canada: A classic bloody with Canadian bacon, sliced apples, and maple syrup. An unlikely salty sweet combination that works. We tried to get the maple syrup to float but it sunk to the bottom which actually was great.

The Hangover Helper: A classic bloody with a fried pickle! After all, pickle juice is supposed to be the key to beating hangovers, right? It is even better when it is fried.