WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Most bloody Marys have plenty of capsaicin burn from hot sauce but fall flat when it comes to the clean, sinus-clearing heat we get from horseradish. We remedied that problem by replacing timid jarred prepared horseradish with the Chuck Norris roundhouse kick of freshly grated horseradish. Horseradish heat dissipates fairly quickly once grated, so the prepared stuff can simply never compete with fresh. To add another layer of heady heat, we included dry mustard, as both mustard
and horseradish (along with wasabi) get their eye-watering sting from the same natural compound. But this drink isn’t all bite—it’s also an umami bomb with fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and Old Bay in the mix. Lemon juice brings everything into balance with some fresh acidity. In addition to lemon wedges and celery ribs, we often like to garnish these cocktails with skewered olives, cocktail onions, and cornichons.
Makes: 6 cocktails
Total time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
BLOODY MARY BASE
- 3¾ cups tomato juice, chilled
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup finely grated fresh horseradish root
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
COCKTAILS
- Ice
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons vodka
- 1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges
- 6 celery ribs
INSTRUCTIONS:
- For the bloody Mary base Whisk all ingredients together in large bowl or pitcher. (Base can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
- For each cocktail Fill tall glass with ice. Combine ¾ cup bloody Mary base, 3 tablespoons vodka, and ¼ cup ice in cocktail shaker and vigorously shake for 30 seconds. Strain cocktail into prepared glass and garnish with lemon wedge and celery rib. Serve immediately.
