Are you ready for New Year’s Day and a fresh start? January 1st also happens to be National Bloody Mary Day and what could be a more fitting way to start the new year than a Bloody Mar bar? Bloody Mary bars are all the rage for Sunday brunch, but they’re especially appropriate for a celebratory New Year’s Day brunch when a little “hair of the dog” that bit you on New Year’s Eve might be required while spending the day with family and friends rehashing events of the past year and goal setting for the year ahead. Or not. There’s no shame in waking up to the grand New Year’s tradition of watching the Rose Parade in your pjs followed by hours of football games – cheering your team on if they made it to a bowl game, or jeering at the rivals who knocked your team out of contention until next year!
When it comes to the “perfect” Bloody Mary, everyone has their own interpretation. Some like the traditional vodka Bloody Mary with a simple salted rim, celery stick and lemon, while others crave a Bloody Mary that sets you on fire with jalapeño or habanero chiles and generous amounts of Tabasco, Sriracha or hot sauce. Bloody Mary’s can also be a meal in a glass – with a handful of vegetables and adorned with shrimp, bacon, and even a cheeseburger slider and onion ring like the Bloody Mary Royale at Franklin & Co. in L.A. Other fans of this garden-in-a-glass cocktail prefer the “South of the Border” version with tequila, aka the Bloody Maria. It’s all good and the best part is, when you build your own Bloody Mary, you can have it any way you want it!
HOW TO BUILD A BLOODY MARY BAR:
Essentials:
ICE – lots of it
Bloody Mary Mix – chilled Powell & Mahoney Original Recipe, Chipotle, Sriracha, and/or Jalapeño*
Salt* for rimming your glass
Spirits:
Vodka
Gin
Tequila
ADD A SALAD TO YOUR MARY:
Lemons
Limes
Celery
Green Beans*
Asparagus*
Mezzetta Giardiniera pickled vegetables
Cucumber slices
Kosher pickle spears
Olives
Pickled okra
Pepperocinis, peppadews or other peppers
Marinated artichoke hearts
Marinated pearl onions
Baby corn
ADD PROTEIN:
Crisp Bacon
Hard-boiled Eggs
Grilled or Cooked Shrimp
Oysters
Dry Salami
Cubed Cheese
- 4 ounces Powell & Mahoney Bloody Mary
- 1 ½ ounces vodka
-
Glassware: Pint glass packed with ice.
-
In a shaker, gently shake the vodka and Bloody Mary mix and strain over ice.
-
Garnish with celery stalk, slice of lemon, pickled long beans, olives, salami, grilled shrimp or a slice of crispy bacon.
Perfect Bloody Mary by Tad Carducci and Powell & Mahoney.
For inspiration, here are a few of my local Bloody Mary favorites:
The St. Regis Bloody Mary – the St. Regis New York’s King Cole Bar is where the Bloody Mary was born.
The Bloody Mary Meal – Jimmy’s Famous American Tavern
Bloody Mary with Beer Chaser – TAPS Fish House & Brewery
Bacon and Blue Cheese Bloody Mary – Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
Short of making your own Bloody Mary mix, distinguish your signature Mary with a Powell & Mahoney Bloody Mary mixer: Original Recipe, Chipotle, Sriracha, and Jalapeño. Lovers of cocktails, Powell & Mahoney spent over two decades traveling the world and sampling the finest creations from the most talented and knowledgeable bartenders in the industry. Along the way, they collected recipes, techniques and stories, which were used to craft their line of Powell & Mahoney Vintage Original Cocktail Mixers. * Our personal favorite is the Sriracha and I’m looking forward to trying the Peach Bellini soon!
Using only the finest juices, essential oils and pure cane sugar, they have authentically reproduced the flavors of some of the world’s best-loved classic cocktails – with a few twists of their own. In addition to offerings like Margarita, Mojito and Lemon Sour, their Old Ballycastle Ginger Mixer is perfect for a Dark and Stormy, Moscow Mule, or as the base for creative mixology. With Powell & Mahoney all-natural cocktail mixers you can expect quality, consistency, and delicious, perfectly balanced mixers to complete your bar or tailgate party. You can find Powell & Mahoney at your local Whole Foods, Wegmans, Stew Leonard’s or specialty and gourmet grocery stores or visit their online store.
At the 2014 Los Angeles International Spirits Competition, Powell & Mahoney won a Silver Medal for its original Bloody Mary, and Gold Medals for its Chipotle Bloody Mary and Sriracha Bloody Mary, which also swept “Best of Show” and “Best of Division.” Other Powell & Mahoney award-winning mixers include the Peach Bellini (Gold Medal) and the Jalapeno Margarita (Silver Medal).
Disclosure: I received three bottles of Powell & Mahoney’s Vintage Original Cocktail Mixers to try. All opinions expressed are my own.
I’m getting ready to get on a plane, so a Bloody Mary may not be a great idea. Then again… GREG
For your long flight, I highly recommend a Bloody Mary to settle in. Looking forward to reading about your culinary adventures in Peru, Greg. Cheers to the New Year!