Bloody Mary With Layers of Tangy Flavour and a Pickle-Cheddar Garnish
A Bloody Mary always tastes better on a Sunday morning (and by “Sunday morning”, that could mean 9am, 11am, or even 1pm). This Bloody Mary recipe combines tomato juice, vodka and a small parade of delicious extras to create a drink that feels almost like a half-meal in itself – or at least a very pleasant appetite stimulator before a long Sunday lunch.
Bloody Mary Salt
Salt combined with a touch of onion powder and smoked paprika creates the perfect Bloody Mary salt for rimming the glass. Don’t skip the onion powder – the small amount plays an important role, adding a subtle savoury kick and lip-licking deliciousness without an obvious onion flavour.
Bloody Mary Garnish
Bloody Mary garnishes seem to have no limits these days, with bacon strips, whole shrimp and even asparagus stalks competing for space in the glass. This Bloody Mary recipe strikes a happy medium, featuring a pickle-led garnish complemented by British cheddar and an almond-stuffed olive. It’s generous enough to raise an eyebrow with excitement, yet restrained enough to keep the drink a drink rather than turning it into a full meal.
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Bloody Mary Recipe with Pickle and Cheddar Garnish
Ingredients
Bloody Mary Salt
- 1 tbsp sea salt flakes, preferably Maldon
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
Bloody Mary
- 100ml vodka
- 300ml tomato juice
- 3 tbsp pickle juice from a jar of pickles
- A good squeeze of lemon juice
- 4 dashes of Worcestershire Sauce
- Dash of hot sauce or tabasco
- 1 tsp dill fonds chopped fine
- 1 tsp horseradish from a jar
- 1/2 tsp Bloody Mary Salt, from the recipe above
- Cracked black pepper
Garnish
- 2 sticks of celery + leaves
- 1 gherkin or pickle cut into 2 bite-size pieces
- 2 green olives, preferably stuffed with almonds, peppers or anchovies
- 2 small pickled onions
- 2 cubes of cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Make the Bloody Mary Salt: Combine sea salt flakes, onion powder and smoked paprika in a mortar & pestle and grind down into a fine powder.
- Make the bloody mary: Combine all bloody mary ingredients in a mixing glass and stir to combine. Taste and if necessary, season further to your liking by adding more pepper or hot sauce.
- Build the drink: Transfer the Bloody Mary Salt to a small plate. Using 2 tumbler glasses, rub a wedge of lemon along one side of each tumbler and then dip it into the bloody mary salt.
- Place a celery stick into each glass, then fill with ice. Divide bloody mary between the two glasses (if your celery leaves are separate from the celery stalk then place them alongside the stalk).
- Garnish: Using 2 cocktail sticks, skewer each with a pickle wedge, cube of cheddar, olive, and pickled onion. Rest on top of the glass and serve.
