The Cocktail Hour: Jalapeño Bloody Mary
Is there anything quite as perfect on a Sunday as a Bloody Mary? It's the quintessential brunch beverage. It doesn't have the elegance of champagne, or the citrusy effervescence of a mimosa, but depending on the garnishes it can almost be a meal on its own. For me, that's part of the appeal.
The Bloody Mary is one of my personal favorites and while I keep it pretty traditional with olives, a stalk of celery, bacon (because bacon always makes things better), and some salt mixed with Tony's around the rim, sometimes the occasion calls for a little extra something special. Like Mother's Day.
Enter Half Baked Harvest and their Jalapeño Bloody Mary that's both spicy and sweet-just like my Mama. Let's just call it the Mama Mary, okay? It's a two step process, but considering all the extra's you can add to this tangy and savory Mary each one will be as unique as the person who makes it. Just make sure you let your Mama go first. It is her day after all.
Happy Mother's Day to all y'all. Cheers!
Jalapeño Bloody Mary Mix
Ingredients
1 (48 ounce) jar pure tomato juice
3/4 cup pineapple or orange juice
2-3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
Juice of 2 lemons
1-2 tablespoons jarred high quality horseradish, to taste
1-2 teaspoons hot sauce, to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons old bay seasoning, plus more for the rim
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Sea salt, for the rim
3/4 - 1 cup jalapeño vodka, recipe follows
crispy bacon, pineapple wedges, olives, lemons, and thyme for serving
pepperoncini for serving
Instructions
1. In a large pitcher, combine the tomato juice, orange juice, worcestershire, lemon juice, horseradish, hot sauce, old bay seasoning, and pepper. Stir until fully combined. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. Keep in the fridge until well chilled or ready to serve.
2. In a shallow bowl combine 1 part old bay seasoning and one part sea salt.
3. To serve, run a lemon wedge around the rim of each glass, then dip through the seasoning mix. Pour 1 shot jalapeño vodka over ice. Pour over the Bloody Mary mix and stir to combine with a celery stick. Taste and if too spicy, add a splash of pineapple juice to tame the heat. Garnish each drink as desired with crispy bacon, pineapple wedges, olives, pepperoncini, lemons, and thyme. Drink!
Jalapeño Vodka
Ingredients
2-3 jalapeños, sliced
1 (750ml) bottle vodka
Instructions
Slice the jalapeños, removing the seeds if desired for less heat. I like to leave the seeds inside 1 jalapeño and remove them from the rest. If my jalapeños are small, I will use 3. It all just depends on how spicy you want the vodka to be. Add the jalapeños to a large glass jar. Pour over the vodka. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 1 week. The longer the jalapeños sit in the vodka, the spicier it is going to be, so be tasting it as it sits to check for spiciness.
Strain and serve as desired.
*all images courtesy of halfbakedharvest
