The Best Bloody Mary Recipe

You can’t have a killer Bloody Mary without an award-winning Bloody Mary Mix! This classic mix is the perfect combination of tomato juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice and horseradish sauce (optional).

Touted as the ultimate hangover cure (hair of the dog!), this homemade Bloody Mary Mix recipe is extremely adaptable and deserves to have a spot on your Bloody Mary Bar!

This mix can even be used to make a Michelada, Bloody Maria or Bloody Caesar. 

Ingredients

Here are the Bloody Mary cocktail ingredients required to make this Bloody Mary spice mix. With the exception of horseradish, each one is crucial to the recipe so shouldn’t be omitted or substituted.

• Tomato Juice – Any tomato juice will work, however I strongly recommend V8. Clamato juice will work as well if you’re into a Clamato Bloody Mary.
• Horseradish – Horseradish is a hit or miss ingredient. Omit if you’re not a fan.
• Worcestershire Sauce – Don’t skip this umami bomb. It adds a ton of flavor.
• Hot Sauce – Tabasco is classic, but Tapatio, Texas Pete or Louisiana Hot Sauce work great. You can even use Sriracha, Frank’s Red Hot Sauce or Chohlula, but it will affect the final flavor.
• Lime Juice – Fresh is best! But sub-in bottled lime juice if that’s what you have on hand.
• Celery Salt – Numerous bartenders let me know this is a key ingredient. Try not to sub in regular salt.
• Garlic Salt and Black Pepper
• Vodka – use your favorite brand.

New to horseradish? Here’s an article breaking down the differences between prepared horseradish vs horseradish sauce.

Bloody Mary Mix

Is this a spicy Bloody Mary recipe? It can go either way – it just depends on how much hot sauce and Horseradish you add. Start with a drop or two of hot sauce and 1 tsp of horseradish, taste, and go up from there.

How To Make A Bloody Mary

Make The Mix

Stir together the tomato juice, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, garlic salt, lime juice, black pepper, and Tabasco in a large pitcher or mason jar. Taste and adjust as desired.

Rim The Glass

Add celery salt, margarita salt or Tajin to a wide, shallow dish to cover the bottom. Rub the rim of the glass with water or lime juice from the squeezed lime. Dip the glass into the salt to create a salt rimmed glass.

Make The Drink

Add the mix and vodka to a cocktail shaker or mason jar. Shake away to mix. Pour over a large glass filled with ice. Garnish and serve!

Mixer To Vodka Ratio

For a standard drink, calculate 2 oz. of vodka for every 8 oz of mix. Of course if you like it stiff, make it a double!

Best Vodka for Bloody Mary

I rarely say this, but most tomato based drinks can get away with a lower quality vodka brand. There’s so much flavor from the mix it’s easy to hide the cheap vodka taste. I certainly wouldn’t splurge and use my top shelf brands.

My favorite vodka brands for tomato based cocktails are Smirnoff, Stoli or Skyy Vodka.

Mixologist Tips

• To make a Dirty Bloody Mary, throw in some green olive brine.
• After making the mix taste it to see if anything needs to be adjusted. Add extra vodka, lime juice, horseradish, etc., to taste.
• Hosting and want to make a huge batch to save time? Throw all the ingredients into a large pitcher and pour over ice, once ready to serve. Keep the same proportions as a single drink.
• If possible, make 3-4 hours in advance to allow the flavors to blend together. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
• For a Virgin Mary, just omit the vodka. The mix is fabulous on it’s own.

More Mexican Cocktails

A few more drinks to serve at your next Mexican fiesta or Taco Tuesday: Chelada, Cantaritos, Mexican Mule, and a Mexican Candy Shot.