A classic Bloody Mary drink is bold, savory, and anything but boring. Made with rich tomato juice, fresh lemon juice, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and just the right hit of hot sauce, this traditional cocktail delivers layered flavor in every sip. It’s the ultimate brunch drink – perfectly balanced between spicy, tangy, and refreshing. And just as welcome at a weekend gathering as it is at a laid-back afternoon get-together.

Three Bloody Marys on a wooden cutting board. Each is garnished with a leafy celery stick, olives on a skewer, and a lemon wedge. In the background is a bowl of lemons, as well as a vodka bottle and carafe of tomato juice.

As promised, more cocktails to add to your brunch menu. What is brunch without a cocktail like a Bloody Mary, Paloma, Limoncello Spritz, or the traditional Mimosa?

When it comes to brunch, I think the classic cocktail is the Mimosa, but the Bloody Mary has got to be a close second. What do you think? Feel free to leave a comment below below. It goes great with all the brunch dishes whether savory or sweet.

What is the history behind the Bloody Mary? Well, that is a hard one to decipher as different people in different locations claim to be the creator. Who is actually right and who is wrong? Or maybe all are true. But one version is credited to Fernand Petiot in Paris who worked as a bartender in the 1920’s. He was playing around with vodka which had recently been brought into Paris by a wave of Russian immigrants, and American canned tomato juice brought by Americans. Later as a bartender in the US, he began adding spices. Another version gives credit to George Jessel (1920’s) to have invented it as a hangover cure in Palm Beach. If interested you can read more about it on the Difford’s Guide Website “The history of the bloody mary”.

Why You Will Love This Bloody Mary Drink

Perfectly balanced flavor – Savory tomato, bright lemon, subtle heat, and a touch of spice all work together beautifully.
Classic and traditional – No gimmicks – just the tried-and-true bloody Mary ingredients done right.
Easy to customize – Adjust the spice level, saltiness, or horseradish to suit your taste.
Brunch-ready – Pairs perfectly with eggs, bacon, quiche, and all your brunch favorites.
Make-ahead friendly – Mix the base in advance and add ice when ready to serve.
Simple ingredients – Everything is easy to find and likely already in your kitchen.
Fun garnish options – Keep it classic with celery and olives or build it up with creative extras.

Equipment Needed For This Bloody Mary Drink

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A bartending set is great if you will be making cocktails in general. You can use the jigger and shaker in this recipe. But if you don’t have a shaker, you can easily stir the ingredients together too.
Highball glasses work great.
Citrus Juicer – to make your own lemon juice.
Cocktail Picks – optional

Ingredients in a Bloody Mary

Good Quality Tomato Juice
Vodka
Fresh Lemon Juice
Prepared Horseradish Sauce
Worcestershire Sauce
Hot Sauce
Black Pepper
Celery Salt

Garnishes

Celery Rib
Lemon Wedge
Green Olives

Side shot of the ingredients used to make a Bloody Mary. Vodka, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, horseradish, lemon, celery salt, black pepper.

Good Quality Tomato Juice – This is the base of the drink, you want to pick a high quality juice you enjoy. I find the V8 and other “vegetable juices” to be a bit thick, so I like to get a pure tomato only juice.

Vodka – A regular plain vodka is traditional, but you could also choose a spicy vodka or lemon infused.

Fresh Lemon Juice – Brightens the drink with a little zing.

Prepared Horseradish Sauce – Adds to the spiciness of the drink.

Worcestershire Sauce – Brings the umami adding a lot of depth to the flavor profile.

Hot Sauce – another ingredient to up the spice factor. Tabasco is the traditional hot sauce used, but you can use your favorite like Franks, or Cholula etc.

Black Pepper – Just a pinch brings a little heat.

Celery Salt – again just a pinch for seasoning. Also used to rim the glass.

How to Make a Bloody Mary

Exact amounts can be found in the recipe card at the bottom.

Add celery salt to a small plate.

Wet the rim of a high ball glass with a lemon wedge, then rim the glass in the celery salt on the plate. Set the glass aside.

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Fill with 4-5 ice cubes, and shake shake shake (about 10 seconds).

Strain into a prepared highball glass filled with ice.

Choose your garnishes from the list, mix and match, or add your own ideas.

Serve and Enjoy

Three pictures side by side showing how to make a Blood Mary Drink. On the left a highball glass is being rimmed with celery salt. In the middle the same highball glass is filled with ice and the tomato cocktail is being poured in out of a cocktail shaker. The picture on the right is of a single Bloody Mary in a highball glass with ice and garnished with celery, a skewer of olives, and a wedge of lemon.

How To Make a Batch of Bloody Marys

Ingredient amounts can be found in the recipe card at the bottom.

Using a 64-70 oz pitcher add all the ingredients minus the ice. Give it a stir and keep covered in the fridge until ready to serve. Add ice to prepared glasses and pour from the pitcher. Garnish and Serve.

Build Your Own Bloody Mary Bar

If you are hosting a group of people it can be fun to make a DIY Bloody Mary Bar. Make a pitcher of Bloody Mary beforehand and set out on the bar once guests arrive. You can pre-rim the glasses for your guests, or you can set out the necessary items for guests to do it themselves.

One of the best parts of a Bloody Mary is the garnish. Keep it classic or turn it into a full brunch centerpiece. Set everything out on a large board with wooden skewers and cocktail picks so guests can build their own signature Bloody Mary. It instantly turns their cocktail into a conversation piece.

Classic Garnishes

Celery stalk
Green olives
Lemon wedge
Lime wedge
Pickle spear

Savory Add-Ons

Crisp bacon strip
Cocktail shrimp
Cubed cheese
Salami or pepperoni
Stuffed olives

Spicy & Bold Options

Pickled jalapeños
Pepperoncini
Hot pickled beans
Extra horseradish rim

Over-the-Top Brunch Style

Mini sliders
Deviled eggs
Grilled cheese triangles
Fried chicken bites

Variations on the Bloody Mary

Bloody Maria – swap the vodka out for tequila
Caesar – Canada’s version of the Bloody Mary. Tomato juice is swapped out for clamato juice.
Red Snapper – swap out vodka for gin
Bloody Molly – swap out vodka for Irish whiskey
Bloody Geisha – swap out vodka for sake

What to Serve with Bloody Marys

A refreshing Bloody Mary is a great drink to serve at brunch or dinner. At brunch it goes great with savory dishes like quiche Lorraine, eggs benedict, or sweeter dishes like crepes, buttermilk pancakes, and strawberry scones. At dinner it pairs well with grilled meats like garlic parmesan chicken skewers, bang bang chicken skewers, or Portuguese chicken to name a few.

Side shot of a bloody mary drink. No props just the drink garnished with celery, skewered olives, and a lime wedge.

Pro Tips

Traditionally tabasco sauce is used for the hot sauce. But you can use Franks, Cholula or your favorite.
If you like a thicker bloody Mary, choose a vegetable tomato juice like V8. If you like it thinner go for a 100% tomato juice.

FAQs

What is in a classic Bloody Mary?

A classic Bloody Mary is made with vodka, tomato juice, fresh lemon juice, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt, and black pepper. It’s typically garnished with celery and olives.

What alcohol is best for a Bloody Mary?

Vodka is the traditional alcohol used in a Bloody Mary. It provides a clean base that allows the savory and spicy flavors to shine.

Can you make a Bloody Mary ahead of time?

Yes. Mix everything together except for the ice ahead of time and refrigerate. Add ice just before serving.

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Side shot of 4 different flavors of mimosas in champagne flutes. The first is a pineapple mimosa garnished with a pineapple wedge. The next is an orange mimosa, garnished with an orange wedge. The third is an apple cider mimosa with an apple wedge, and last is a cranberry mimosa with cranberries and a sprig of rosemary.

Close up side shot of a paloma drink. This pink cocktail is garnished with a grapefruit wedge and a sprig of mint.

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Bloody Mary Drink

Leanne Neill

Print Recipe

Prep Time 4

Total Time 4

Course Brunch, cocktails, Drinks

Cuisine American

Servings 1 drink

Equipment

1 cocktail shaker optional
1 jigger
1 Citrus Juicer for juicing lemons
cocktail picks optional

Ingredients

For 1 Cocktail

2 tbsp celery salt for rimming of the glass
4 ounces tomato juice
2 ounces vodka
2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes hot sauce
1 pinch Black pepper
1 pinch celery salt
ice cubes

To Make a Batch (6 drinks)

3 cups tomato juice 24 oz
½ cup vodka 12 oz
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
18 dashes Worcestershire sauce
12 dashes hot sauce such as Cholula or Tabasco
¼ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp celery salt

Instructions

Add celery salt to a small plate.
2 tbsp celery salt for rimming of the glass
Wet the rim of a highball glass with a lemon wedge, then rim the glass in the celery salt on a plate. Set the glass aside.

For a Single Cocktail

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Fill with 4-5 ice cubes, and shake shake shake (about 10 seconds).
4 ounces tomato juice, 2 ounces vodka, 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce, 2 dashes hot sauce, 1 pinch Black pepper, 1 pinch celery salt
Strain into a prepared highball glass filled with ice.
Garnish and Enjoy

For a Pitcher (6 cocktails)

To a pitcher add all the ingredients minus the ice. Give it a stir and keep covered in the fridge until ready to serve.
3 cups tomato juice, ½ cup vodka, ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, 18 dashes Worcestershire sauce, 12 dashes hot sauce, ¼ tsp ground black pepper, ¼ tsp celery salt
Add ice to prepared glasses and pour from the pitcher.
Garnish and Serve.

Notes

Traditionally tabasco sauce is used for the hot sauce. But you can use Franks, Cholula or your favorite.
If you like a thicker bloody Mary, choose a vegetable tomato juice like V8. If you like it thinner go for a 100% tomato juice.

Keyword Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary Bar, Bloody Mary Drink, Bloody Mary Recipe, Recipe of Bloody Mary