Bloody Mary Batch Recipe
I have worked in restaurants that we would make our Bloody Mary mix 25 gallons at a time. Now this recipe only makes about 16 portions which is not enough for a restaurant with 300 seats but it is a good start to a brunch at home for 8. I love the combination of cooked flavors with fresh that really adds a depth of flavor your guests will love. To really wow your guests get creative like the team at Sobelman’s in Milwaukee.
Ingredients for the Mix
1 cup of white onion diced
1 cup of Celery sliced
1 cup of carrot sliced
4 cloves of garlic sliced
2 cans of 28 oz whole peeled plum Tomato (I prefer the Trader Joe’s store brand for their real fresh flavor and low sodium)
2 oz Lemon Juice
2 oz Worcestershire
2 oz Prepared Horseradish
2 oz Olive brine
1 oz Crystal hot sauce
2 tbs fresh ground pepper
1 tbs celery seeds
Ingredients for infused vodka
750 ml bottle of Vodka (I actually have most of my Bloody Marys on Southwest flights so I enjoy Finlandia)
2 Whole Jalapeños sliced into disks
2 Whole Chipotles
2 tbs of Whole black peppercorns
Garnish
Celery Stalk
Lime wedge
Olive
Celery Seeds
Fresh Ground Pepper
kosher salt
Glassware
10 oz tumbler
Assembly of Mix
Heat a sauté pan and add two tablespoons of olive oil and heat until shimmering in the pan. Add half the onion, celery and carrots and stir until softened. Add garlic and stir only until garlic becomes aromatic. Remove from the heat and put in blender. Pulse a few times and add raw onion, celery and carrots and pulse until combined well. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Do not be concerned if it seems much thinner than the store mixes. It will be. If you prepare in advance the liquids will separate. Just shake before serving. With a wedge of lime moisten the rim of the glass and crust in kosher salt, cracked pepper, and celery seeds in a shallow dish. In a shaker combine ice, with all ingredients and stir vigorously until chilled. Pour contents into a tumbler glass.
Assembly of Infused Vodka
Place all the peppers into a glass jar with a tight sealing lid. This recipe can be quadrupled for a gallon jar for infusing. The vodka will need at least 1 week to properly infuse.
Suggestions for Infusing
The peppers are flavoring the vodka with their oils. The longer the peppers are in the oil the more spice and flavor is added to the vodka. Because their oil will run out, it is better to finish a batch before starting another batch and not just topping up with more peppers and more vodka.
Assembly of Cocktail
With a wedge of lime moisten the rim of the glass and crust in kosher salt, cracked pepper, and celery seeds in a shallow dish. Fill the tumbler with ice and put 1 1/2oz of infused vodka. Top with Bloody Mary Mix and garnish.
Suggestions
For entertaining, have fun with your garnishing. Down south, we used pickled string beans, cherry peppers, picked okra, sugar cane. People have very personal ideas about their Bloody Mary’s, so for parties give them the ingredients and let them craft their own. Set out the mix and your infused vodka and bottled vodka for the less adventurous. If you find yourself in New Orleans, check out the Bloody Mary bar at the Palace Café on Canal Street. However you like your Bloody Mary they are sure to have the fixings.
One quick way to add flavor is to add a little smoke. The next time you have food in your smoker place a thin layer of salt on a sheet of tin foil and stir a few times to color evenly. Use the smoked salt to rim your glasses and add a whole new level of flavor to your cocktail.