a good bloody mary, like a good martini, is hard to find. a bloody mary is really a meal, whether hungover or not. if tragically hungover, serve it straight up, strained, like a martini, for effect. when serving marys for brunch, offer an array of garnishes for variety. make the mix ahead of time if you like, but there's something to be said for conversing with a guest while tailor-making their drink. In a pint glass shaker nearly filled w/ ice, add a dime's worth of horseradish, squeeze a quarter lemon & add as well, plus 3-4 grinds of black pepper. pour in 1 1/2 oz good vodka (smironoff is reasonable and of consistent quality) a 2 count of worcestershire and 3-4 good shakes of louisianna hot sauce and almost fill with tomato juice. (you can substitute clamato juice for an east coast bloody caesar or add a jigger of consume for a bloody bull) fit the aluminum can over the glass and shake. pour directly into another glass rimmed w/ celery salt, or strain into a large martini glass rimmed w/ celery salt & add a pinch of dill to finish. have the garnishes set up for the guests to choose. fresh stalks of celery, bacon strips, pickled beans, carrots, green beans or asparagus for stand-alones. also, queen green olives, pickled green tomatoes, onions, cauliflower and pepperoncini that can be speared onto bamboo skewers. and as a variation on this theme, for a great bloody mary salad dressing, check out eatwelleatcheap.blogspot.com.
