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Greet the weekend with this homemade Bloody Mary Recipe loaded up with every savory, crunchy, pickled thing you can get your hands on. The mix is super easy to whip up the night before; when it’s time for brunch, this deliciously cheerful cocktail is raring to go.
Meggan’s notes
I grew up hearing that if a cocktail could be a meal, a Bloody Mary was it. My peers in college suggested a weak cocktail to start the evening, such as a Bellini, followed by the “meal,” the aforementioned Bloody Mary, and then winding down with a dessert cocktail such as an Amaretto Sour (or Sweet). Oh, to be young again!
I do like the concept of a Bloody Mary as a breakfast cocktail, though. Our long-time lake house resort adds pepper vodka-soaked sausage sticks as a garnish, but why stop there? Why not bacon and eggs?
Crispy skewered bacon and creamy deviled eggs make unique, delicious, dare-I-say protein-packed additions to your beverage. But don’t stop there! Celery sticks, pickles, olives, pickled asparagus, cocktail onions, dilly beans, skewered cubes of cheese and wedges of lemon and lime are great, too.
I love seasoned salt on the rim, but Tajin is a good choice too. Or use regular coarse salt. This recipe checks all the right boxes: a perfectly seasoned (and super easy) Bloody Mary mix with ample amounts of horseradish, celery salt, and enough spice to keep things interesting. The recipe makes enough for 12 cocktails.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Clamato or tomato juice: Personally, I love the little extra umami flavor of Clamato which is made with a hint of clam juice. If that’s not your thing, go straight-up tomato juice.
- Vodka: The best vodka for Bloody Marys is the one you like. No need to buy the fanciest, most top-shelf vodka here; the bold tomato mix will overpower it. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t use a pepper-infused vodka for a little kick!
- Celery salt: You make homemade celery salt (from leftover celery leaves) or use store-bought.
- Hot sauce: Optional depending on your need for heat. I prefer Cholula.
- Garnishes: Classic garnishes for a Bloody Mary are typically celery ribs, green olives, maybe an extra lemon or lime wedge. But I like to add heartier stuff, too: beef sticks (soaked in vodka if you have time), a skewer of cheese, pickled garlic, and dilly beans.
Watch the video
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 12 cocktails.
- Storage: Store leftover Bloody Mary mix in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: Mix everything together at least a couple hours before you plan on serving. Or better yet, make it the night before (even up to 24 hours ahead) and stow it in the fridge to let the ingredients mingle.
- Keep the mix separate: In case some people want a lower-octane brunch cocktail, make the tomato mix but keep the vodka out. Let everyone add the amount of spirits they prefer later.
- Virgin: You can drink the mix as-is, without the booze, and it’s delicious!
- The works: If you can dream it, do it. Make your Bloody Mary a salad in a glass by reading the refrigerator. Garnish with chilled poached shrimp, beef jerky, lil’smokies, cooked bacon, hard boiled eggs, pickled asparagus, radishes, pickle spears, pepperoncini, fried chicken, anything!
- Bloody Maria: Switches out the vodka for tequila.
- Red Snapper: Use gin instead of vodka, and that’s what you get.
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Bloody Mary Recipe
Ingredients
- 48 ounces Clamato or tomato juice (6 cups, see note 1)
- 2 cups vodka (see note 2)
- 4 ounces fresh lemon juice (from 3 lemons)
- 1 ounce Worcestershire sauce
- 4 teaspoons prepared horseradish
- ¼ teaspoon celery salt (see note 3)
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce plus more, to taste
- 12 celery ribs for garnish
Instructions
- In a large serving pitcher, whisk together Clamato, vodka, lemon juice, Worchestershire sauce, horseradish, celery salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Cover and refrigerate until flavors meld, about 2 hours.
- Stir bloody marys to recombine and serve over ice in chilled collins glasses. Garnish with a stalk of celery and anything else that sounds good.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Clamato or tomato juice: Personally, I love the little extra umami flavor of Clamato which is made with a hint of clam juice. If that’s not your thing, go straight-up tomato juice.
- Vodka: The best vodka for Bloody Marys is the one you like. No need to buy the fanciest, most top-shelf vodka here; the bold tomato mix will overpower it. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t use a pepper-infused vodka for a little kick!
- Celery salt: You make homemade celery salt (from leftover celery leaves) or use store-bought.
- Yield: This recipe makes 12 cocktails.
- Storage: Store leftover Bloody Mary mix in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Step-by-step instructions
- In a large serving pitcher, whisk together Clamato, vodka, lemon juice, Worchestershire sauce, horseradish, celery salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Cover and refrigerate until flavors meld, about 2 hours.
- Stir bloody marys to recombine and serve over ice in chilled collins glasses. Garnish with a stalk of celery and other items as desired.
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
This is absolutely delicious! I made the celery salt from your other recipe and had been looking forward to using it. IT IS SO GOOD. This recipe is amazing.
This is a great recipe. Just for grins, try using low sodium V8 juice. For my tastebuds, it has a heftier flavor and better consistency than other mixers. Plus the more you drink, the more veggies you consume. A win-win.