Classic Bloody Mary Mix
Pour the tomato juice, horseradish, Worcestershire, and spices into a pitcher. Get out a large serving pitcher and pour 6 cups (1,400 ml) of tomato juice into it along with 3 tablespoons (45 g) of prepared creamy hot horseradish, 3 tablespoons (44 ml) of Worcestershire sauce, 2 1/4 teaspoons (9.5 g) of celery salt, 1 tablespoon (12.5 g) of garlic salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper.Tip: Use the best-quality tomato juice you can or substitute vegetable juice if you'd like a deeper flavor. You can substitute your favorite type of horseradish if you don't have creamy hot horseradish.
Stir in Tabasco sauce and taste the mix. Add 10 to 15 shakes of Tabasco sauce and stir or whisk the mixture until all of the ingredients are combined. Then, take a spoon and scoop up a little of the mix so you can taste it and adjust the flavor. For example, you might find that it needs a little more Worcestershire sauce if it isn't savory enough or it may need a hint more salt.
Cover the pitcher and refrigerate the mix for at least 2 hours. Chill the Bloody Mary mix so the flavors get a chance to blend and develop. Remember not to add the vodka until you're ready to make the cocktails. You can refrigerate the classic Bloody Mary mix for up to 1 day.
Fresh Tomato Bloody Mary Mix
Chop the tomatoes, celery, and parsley. Use a small paring knife to trim the stems from 3 pounds (1.4 kg) of ripe tomatoes. Then, take a chef's knife and coarsely chop the tomatoes, 3 celery ribs, and 1 cup (25 g) of flat-leaf parsley.Variation: Play around with using different herbs, such as basil or cilantro. There's no need to chop the pieces smaller than ⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) to 1 inch (2.5 cm) because you're going to blend them.
Puree the chopped vegetables, parsley, and salt until they're smooth. Transfer the chopped tomatoes, celery, and parsley to a blender and add 1 tablespoon (14 g) of fine sea salt. Put the lid on the blender and puree the mixture until the produce is totally smooth. If all of the tomatoes, celery, and parsley won't fit into your blender, you may have to puree them in batches.
Chill the puree for at least 1 hour. If your blender has a storage lid, cover the mixture and put it into the refrigerator. If it doesn't, you can pour the vegetable puree into a bowl with a lid. Chill the mixture for at least hour. You can do this step up to 1 day in advance.
Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and pour the chilled vegetable puree into it. Once the liquid has drained into the bowl, pour it into a serving pitcher and discard the solids. If you prefer, you can use a food mill to strain the vegetable juice.
Stir in the horseradish, Tabasco, and lemon juice. Add 1 tablespoon (15 g) of prepared horseradish, 1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) of Tabasco, and 1 ⁄2 teaspoons (7.4 ml) of fresh lemon juice to the strained liquid and stir to incorporate the seasonings. If you'd like the mix spicer, add the extra 1/2 tablespoon (7.5 g) of prepared horseradish and ⁄2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) of Tabasco.
Store the mix in the fridge for up to 1 day. Although you can use the Bloody Mary mix right away, it's fine to refrigerate the mix until you're ready to make cocktails. The flavor will continue to develop the longer it's stored, so plan on using it within 1 day. Avoid stirring the vodka into the mix until you're ready to make the cocktails.
Spicy Bloody Mary Mix
Pour the liquid ingredients into a serving pitcher. Put 4 cups (950 ml) of vegetable juice into a large pitcher. Then, pour in ⁄2 cup (120 ml) of lemon juice, 3 tablespoons (44 ml) of lime juice, 3 tablespoons (44 ml) of Worcestershire sauce, 3 tablespoons (45 g) of prepared horseradish, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of hot sauce, and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of olive juice.Variation: Although vegetable juice will give you a deeper flavor, you could use plain tomato juice instead. Feel free to substitute vinegar for the citrus juice. Use your favorite brand of hot sauce.
Stir in the spices and taste the Bloody Mary mix. Stir or whisk in 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) of celery salt, 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) of kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon (1.5 g) of garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon (0.5 g) of ground black pepper. Then, taste a little of the Bloody Mary mix and adjust the seasonings according to your taste. If you'd like more of a tart or zingy mix, squirt in a little more lemon or lime juice. To get a salty or briny flavor, stir in more olive juice or celery salt.
Cover the pitcher and chill the mix for at least 2 hours. Place the Bloody Mary mix in the refrigerator so the flavors can blend and develop as the mix chills. You can make the mix up to 1 day in advance. Wait until you're ready to serve the cocktails before you add the vodka.
Assembling a Bloody Mary Cocktail
Dip the rim of a serving glass in seasoned salt. Take a serving glass that's at least 1 cup (240 ml) in size and moisten the rim of it with water. Place a little seasoned salt on a plate and dip the rim of the glass in the salt so it sticks. To make a simple seasoned salt, you could mix equal parts of celery salt with kosher salt, for instance, or use smoked paprika with kosher salt.
Fill the glass with ice and pour in ⁄4 cup (59 ml) of vodka. Use large ice cubes instead of crushed ice so the ice doesn't melt and dilute the cocktail. Then, pour in your favorite vodka. You can add extra flavor to the cocktail by using a flavor-infused vodka, such as pickle-infused or habanero-infused vodka.
Stir in about ⁄4 cup (180 ml) of Bloody Mary mix. Pour in any type of chilled Bloody Mary mix and use a spoon to stir it gently so it combines with the vodka. Plan on garnishing and serving the cocktail immediately so the ice doesn't dilute the drink. For a garnish, consider using:Tip: For a protein-filled garnish, hang cooked shrimp from the edge of the glass or insert a strip of fried bacon into the drink. Lime or lemon wedges Celery stalks Blue cheese-stuffed olives Small pickles
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