Football has been on my mind the last couple of days because I've been working on my annual Super Bowl cocktail menus (more on that later, but here's the article if you're itching for it). This brought up the thought of one of my favorite football-watching drinks of all time: the Bloody Mary.
Granted, I'm not a football fan in the general sense, but I do enjoy watching a game here and there, especially when it involves one of the local college teams kicking some tail around the field. That said, I do thoroughly enjoy tromping through the snow on the weekend to the local sports pub at game time for a sandwich and a spicy Bloody Mary. It's an experience, a whole package of comfortable fun and it often doesn't matter what game is on.
A few years back, however, I discovered the joy of going beyond the vodka-tomato-spice mix and switching it up every now and then. One of those non-routine days brought me to fall for the Bloody Maria where tequila replaces vodka, adding that wonderful agave and spice to the drink. Then more came along experiments came along and I began collecting tomato-based recipes of all sorts and today seems like a good day to share a round up of some favorites.
- Central Park - New Amsterdam gin makes up the base here and the addition of vanilla does the job of bringing that flavor and the tomato together in a happily ever after marriage.
- Ginger Mary - This one muddles a whole tomato, uses a bit of fresh ginger, and Sagatiba Pura Cachaca. It's a funky taste that is too much fun to ignore. At times I will do something similar by muddling cherry tomatoes with ginger, using either cachaca or tequila, shaking, then serving it in a cocktail glass.
- Red Pepper Sangrita Margarita - Similar to the Maria, this one has a tequila base but is shaken with what Cabo Wabo called a 'pepper mix' that adds more sour mix for that 'Margarita' feel.
Always on the search for new recipes, I created a place for readers to share their own 'bloody' drink. The few on there so far are interesting, from a simple variation to a custom pickling juice additive to one made with the Thai Lao Kao spirit. Check them out and feel free to share your own here: My Bloody Mary Recipe.
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Comments
You need to check out Jimmy Luv’s Bloody Mary Mix, manufactured in Milwaukee Wisconsin. I’m not sure how many states it is available in but you can get it through their website if it is not in your local stores. Really a superior product, and there are a few cooking recipes on their website (great Chili !) at jimmyluvsbloodymarymix.com