I love a good Bloody Mary, don’t you? There are so many things you can add to one to give a unique and totally delicious flavor. If you usually get the standard Bloody Mary, you are going to be blown away at how the things on this list can make it even more enjoyable. Next time cocktail hour rolls around, toss of these tasty ingredients into your Bloody Mary. You won’t be sorry!
1 Bacon
Let’s be honest here. Bacon makes pretty much anything better. Adding a cooked slice of bacon to a tall Bloody Mary gives it presentation appeal and adds just the right touch of saltiness to counteract the tomato juice. I think it works best if the bacon is cooked pretty crispy so that it stands up in the drink. When your Bloody Mary is gone, you can crunch the bacon to finish things off.
Frequently asked questions
2 Jalapeno
Like things spicy? Me too, which is why I toss jalapeno slices into my Bloody Mary. It only takes a couple to give it a bite and flavor that you won’t find anywhere else. Sometimes I also add a couple splashes of the juice for a jar of pickled jalapeno. If you want to set things on fire, that’s the way to go.
3 Celery Salt
Many Bloody Mary recipes call for a stalk of celery, but you don’t get much of the flavor that way. When you sprinkle in celery salt, you get that taste and a touch of saltiness at the same time. I like to put it over the ice so that when I pour the Bloody Mary, I get the flavor throughout the drink.
4 Garlic
When you add garlic to a Bloody Mary, you give a savory appeal that makes it worthy of enjoying any night of the week. You can use freshly minced garlic if you want or just add a couple dashes of garlic powder when you shake the rest of the ingredients. Fresh garlic adds just a kick of spiciness while the powdered version just gives you the garlicky taste you crave.
5 Beer
Ever had a red beer? That’s a beer with tomato juice mixed in. If you love it, you can recreate it with flair by adding a few ounces of beer to your Bloody Mary. Use it to replace the vodka or simply have both. Either way, you are going to love the refreshing dose of flavor that a beer adds to your cocktail.
6 Pickles
Again pickles give a Bloody Mary saltiness, but they also add a pleasing tart flavor that will make your mouth pucker. You can add just the pickle juice or you can go ahead and toss in a few slices or a whole spear. No matter how you do it, you’ll never go back to drinking them any other way.
7 Shrimp
I know it sounds a little strange, but bear with me. You like shrimp cocktail, right? Me too! This is sort of like that. You’ll add the shrimp so you get their flavor while you drink your Bloody Mary, then you can enjoy the vodka soaked crustaceans once you’re done. It’s like dinner in a glass!
What’s your favorite way to make a Bloody Mary? Will you try any of these ideas next time?
