Homemade Bloody Marys

Finally! I have a signature Bloody Mary recipe for you. (And for me.) Most store-bought Bloody Mary mixes are full of preservatives and other nonsense.

I’ve wanted a great homemade option for years, but my previous attempts either tasted flat or sent me running for a glass of water.

I know Bloody Marys are a polarizing cocktail, but I’m excited to share this recipe with my fellow Bloody Mary lovers. (For the Bloody Mary haters, can I interest you in a mimosa?)

These Bloody Marys are made with basic ingredients but tastes fresh, spicy and complex all at once. Invite your friends over, whip up these cocktails in a blender (you can make four at once), and enjoy!

How to Make the Best Bloody Mary

Start with high-quality ingredients

The tomato juice is the base of your cocktail, so choose a good one! I buy organic since tomatoes tend to be high in pesticide residue. R.W. Knudsen’s organic tomato juice is my favorite.

Choose a high quality vodka, too. Tito’s is made in Austin, Texas, and it’s my vodka of choice.

Add fresh cucumber, garlic and black pepper

Fresh peeled and seeded cucumber completely disappears into the tomato juice mixture, but adds a lot of fresh flavor.

Fresh garlic and freshly ground black pepper are key flavors as well. You’ll add those after you’ve blended the mixture smooth. Then you can blend the mixture for just a few seconds to retain their texture. Or, you can blend it completely smooth. Up to you!

Make a few at once

You really don’t want to be making these cocktails individually—it’s much easier to make a batch of four drinks in your blender at once!

You could divide the recipe in half to make just two cocktails. If your blender has a large capacity, you might be able to double the recipe (you might just stir in the vodka at the end, to avoid overflow).

Top with fun garnishes

I like to use fresh garnishes, like leafy celery sticks or little heirloom carrots, mini bell peppers or cherry tomatoes, and fresh lemon or lime. Add something brined, too, like dill pickles, pickled okra or cocktail olives.

Pro tip: Serve with a glass of water

You’re combining alcohol and [salty] tomato juice here, which are dehydrating ingredients. Be sure to drink water on the side!

Homemade Bloody Mary Cocktails

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Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 cocktails 1x
Category: Cocktail
Method: Blended
Cuisine: American

★★★★★

4.6 from 25 reviews

Make Bloody Mary cocktails at home with this delicious recipe! This Bloody Mary mix is made from scratch with basic ingredients. It’s perfect for your next brunch. Recipe yields 4 cocktails.

Scale

Ingredients

32 ounces (4 cups) tomato juice
8 ounces (1 cup) vodka
1 medium-to-large cucumber, peeled and seeded
⅓ cup distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon celery seed (not celery salt!)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce*
½ teaspoon hot sauce (I used Tapatío), more to taste
1 teaspoon (about 50 twists) freshly ground black pepper
2 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced
¼ teaspoon salt, optional
Lemon or lime wedges
Kosher salt, for the rims of your glasses, optional (add chili powder if you’d like)
Lots of ice, for serving
Garnishes (choose any): Celery stalks, skinny carrots with leafy tops, mini bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, dill pickle spears, pickled okra, and/or green cocktail olives

Instructions

In a blender, combine the tomato juice, vodka, cucumber, vinegar, celery seed, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Securely fasten the lid and blend on high speed until completely smooth.
Taste, and add more hot sauce for more heat (it’s going to taste quite intense now, since the mix hasn’t cooled over ice yet). Add the black pepper and garlic. Securely fasten the lid and blend for just a few seconds (or longer, for a completely smooth texture). Taste, and stir in ¼ teaspoon salt for more overall flavor if you’d like (tomato juice brands vary by salt content, so this is really up to you). Set aside.
If you’d like to rim your glasses with salt, run a lemon or lime wedge around the outside rim. Pour kosher salt onto a small plate (mix in chili powder if you’d like), and roll the wet edge of the glass across the salt at a 45-degree angle. Repeat with the remaining glasses.
Fill the glasses with ice, and pour the Bloody Mary mix on top. Stir with a spoon, and garnish with a lemon or lime wedge and garnishes of your choice. Serve immediately.

Notes

Recommended vodka: I prefer Tito’s. Whichever you use, be sure it’s of good quality.

*Make it vegetarian/vegan/fish-free: Most Worcestershire sauces contain anchovies, so be sure to use vegan Worcestershire sauce. I like Whole Foods 365 or Annie’s brands.

▸ Nutrition Information

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