The BEST Bloody Mary Mix
Some call it a spiked nutritional breakfast and hangover cure all in one. I call it the BEST Bloody Mary Mix recipe ever made. This easy Homemade Bloody Mary Mix is made with zingy, zesty ingredients that will leave you wanting more. Super simple to make, lasts forever, freezer friendly for Bloody Mary emergencies.
Best Bloody Mary Mix
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I’ve had many Bloody Marys in my life to know what I like. And while some people like them super peppery and others like them super horseradish-y, I find that everywhere I go there always a bit different. I’m more of a fruity with a hint of spice Bloody Mary fan but when you make them at home, you can pretty much flavor them anyway you like.
One of my favorite things to do during the holidays, (when I have it all together, of course) is set up a make your own Bloody Mary Bar. I like to have all the fun and flavorful cocktail accoutrements like candied bacon, salty olives, cocktail onions and celery, of course.
But the main attraction to any great bloody mary is a fabulous Bloody Mary Mix….and this one is the best ever. Slightly fruity, tangy with a hit of spice. It’s not overly tomato-y and if you have friends who like things spicy, they can remedy that with the hot sauce from the bloody mary bar.
Show up at Sunday brunch and there’s sure to be a Bloody Mary on the menu. It’s one of the only cocktails, besides the Mimosa, that’s perfectly acceptable to drink before noon.
What is a Bloody Mary
A Bloody Mary is a vodka cocktail that’s made with tomato juice and other spices including Worcestershire sauce, hot sauces, horseradish, celery, olives, salt, black pepper, lime juice and celery salt. It’s one of the best hangover cures on the planet. Hello, Hair of the Dog!
This spicy cocktail tastes like V-8 vegetable juice or a very heavily spiced up tomato juice. It’s definitely a savory drink and not usually for the vegetable hater friend in your life.
How To Make Bloody Mary Mix
This Bloody Mary Mix recipe is super simple to make and the best part is that it will last in your fridge for several weeks. You can even freeze your bloody mary mix for up to 1 year with excellent results. I like to freeze it in one cup portions using these ice cube trays (they’re amazing for soup, too!)
A lot of recipes call for lemon and lime juice but since this is a breakfast cocktail, kinda, I like to add orange juice to the mix to give it a sweeter flavor. It makes the mix taste light and fresh.
- To make your Bloody Mary Mix, simply add the tomato juice, lime juice, orange juice, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, salt, celery salt, celery seed, olive brine (the juice from a jar of olives), and black pepper to a jar or pitcher.
- Stir to combine and cover tightly.
- Store your Bloody Mary Mix in the refrigerator overnight to allow the flavors to blend together.
- When you’re ready to serve, simply combine one cup of bloody mary mix to a glass (or more if you’re really thirsty) and add vodka.
If you don’t like olives or are adverse to using olive brine in this recipe you can make your bloody mary mix with pickle brine, too! And if you need a virgin Bloody Mary, you can simply leave out the vodka.
Tips for the Perfect Bloody Mary
Now that you’ve made the the best bloody mary mix, you can make the perfect Bloody Mary recipe.
To make your cocktail, rim your glass with lime juice and set aside. Whisk together 2 tablespoons celery salt and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Dip the rim of the glass in the seasoned salt and fill with ice. Add 1 cup of your homemade bloody mary mix to the glass and top with vodka. Garnish with olives, celery, bacon or nothing at all.
Bloody Mary Garnishes
While a big, fluffy, leafy celery stalk is classic and traditional in a bloody mary, I like to add a few extra garnishes to my Bloody Mary Bar.
Here are my favorites:
- Millionaire Bacon….a little sweet….a little salty.
- Olives…lots of them. Blue Cheese Stuffed, Kalamata, Jalapeno Stuffed Olives….the more the merrier
- Cocktail Onions, you know the ones.
- Pickled Okra….try it, I bet you’ll be hooked, too!
- Beef Jerky or really thin smoked sausages work, too.
- Garlic Roasted Shrimp Cocktail is super fancy….but not really.
- Large caper berries are always a fun and briny addition
- Go big with a Pickled Red Beet Egg!
There really is no limit for how you can garnish a simple Bloody Mary so use your imagination. I’ve seen them with an over the top cheeseburger garnish so go big or go home. Your guests definitely won’t need a big breakfast after their first drink.
And since we like to mix things up a bit over here, we also love this Palmetto Bloody Mary made with Old Bay seasoning and this Bloody Margarita which is really a Bloody Maria but because it’s made with tequila and is like a margarita but with tomato juice I called it a margarita. Because I can. 🙂
More Cocktail Recipes
- The BEST EVER Chocolate Martini
- Classic Mint Julep is always trendy.
- Simple and Fruity Orange Crush…my fave.
- The Manmosa….for the man who’s too manly for a regular Mimosa.
- Craving a Margarita.…this easy mix has you making them on the fly!
Get the Recipe: The BEST Bloody Mary Mix Recipe
Ingredients
- 23 ounces Tomato Juice
- 6 tablespoons grated horseradish
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Tabasco
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh oranges juice
- 2 tablespoons olive brine
- 1 teaspoon coursely ground black pepper
Equipment
- 1 Pitcher
Instructions
- In a quart-sized container or pitcher, add the tomato juice, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, salt, celery salt, celery seed, lime juice, orange juice, olive brine or pickle brine, and black pepper.
- Stir the ingredients together to combine.
- Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator overnight.
- To make your Bloody Mary, pour 4 ounces Bloody Mary mix into a glass and stir in 1 1/2 ounces of vodka. Garnish and serve.
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24 Comments on “The BEST Bloody Mary Mix”
Very good recipe. However, no need to add more salt – already adding celery salt and tomato juice is loaded with salt.
That is true and you can leave it out but we found it needed just a bit more.
Love to make bloody marys, I was known for mine where I tended bar. I find that the best has to start with the BEST tomato juice, makes all the difference. Sacramento Tomato Juice is the best I have found, it is thick and so tasty, (without any seasonings).
When my daughter moved to Las Vegas years ago, she had a house gathering and had set up a “Bloody Mary Bar” and 3/4’s of her quests had never had or heard of them. They really enjoyed them.
Your Bloody Marys sound yummy. Have you seen what some places are putting in theirs- Sliders, Chicken actually everything but the itchen sink! Enjoy your site very much!
Thank you so much, Sharon! I do love a good Bloody but the sliders and chicken….that can stay on a plate for me. Cheers to you!
It deserves 5+ stars! Very very good!
Thank you so much! Happy you enjoyed it!
Why is it good for only 14 days if the tomato juice is good for longer than that?
Yes, because you’re adding other ingredients that could spoil. Safety first!
Our ladies group try different Bloody Mary’s recipes and this one was rated Number 1!
I love to hear that! Thank you for your comment and I’m so happy you loved it.
Don’t drink alcohol so will make this without the Vodka
It’s quite good without the vodka!
Excellent!
Thank you so much!
If you do freeze this in one cup container do you thaw it overnight?
Yes, I thaw it in the refrigerator, usually.
My fiancé loved this recipe. He says it’s the best Bloody Mary he has ever had, so thank you!
Thank you so much! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
I had to sub out a few things for ingredients I had on hand- I used lemon juice rather than lime, and pickle juice rather than olive brine. Also cut way back on the horseradish because I’m not a huge fan of how horseradish hits the sinuses. I also had it as a virgin Bloody Mary, because I’m pregnant. Overall though, it was very good! I cannot wait to try this with vodka after the baby is born! I pressure can a lot of tomato products this year, and I’m even planning on adding it to the list of things to make and keep on hand at all times!
Thank you so much for your comment! Congratulations on your new addition!
This sounds so good! So many of your recent recipes I wanted to save, but I can’t get your yummly button to work on any of them. Have a hard time with the comments too, it won’t let me put name until I hit send and then let’s me put name. Love your site though.
I’m sorry the Yummly button is malfunctioning. Have you tried pinning it to Pinterest? I prefer that over Yummly, anyway. I’ll try to get it fixed asap! Thanks so much for your comment!
Where do I find those glasses? I love them!! Thank you!!
They’re from Crate and Barrel!