I don’t know why I love Bloody Marys so much – maybe it’s because I love anything with a tomato in it. But I could totally crush a couple of these on any day of the week – not just for brunch.
Of course I had to make it spicy! If you haven’t noticed by my recipes – I pretty much make everything spicy! I do try to give you tips on how to make my recipes in mild versions though, which I’ll be happy to discuss with this one as well.
For this recipe, I used Bedlam Vodka which is a rice based vodka brewed locally in Durham, North Carolina. A word of caution – if you like a vodka that hides, this is probably not the best choice for you. Bedlam only distills their vodka once so it has a stronger flavor for sure.
In my opinion, the best bloody marys have a smoky and punchy flavor, so I achieved this by adding Cholula Chipotle hot sauce and prepared horseradish for the kick. Feel free to sub for another hot sauce if you don’t want to buy a new product.
As for garnishes, you can get crazy with bloody marys. I love it when people add candied bacon to theirs, but who has time to do all that at home for just a cocktail? So my favorite easy garnishes are these two pickled items and a fresh lemon wedge:
For the spicy components I used dried guajillo chiles that I soaked in water and blended into the mix and a fresh jalapeno with the seeds and membranes included. If you’d prefer a bloody without the spice, omit the chiles and jalapeno. Keep the Cholula because it’s very mild in spice.
I found this bag of chiles at a Mexican supermarket in Raleigh. Sometimes you can find dried chiles at your local chain grocery store but it’s hit or miss. If you can’t find them and don’t live near a Mexican supermarket, just omit them. It will still be spicy from the jalapeno!
I toast them in a skillet first, then soak them for 20 minutes to soften them up so they blend easily into your bloody mary mix.
Once you’ve prepped all your ingredients, just combine them all in a blender to make the base mix. Make sure everything is chilled before you start. Bloody Marys are best when they are cold. You can actually make the Bloody Mary mix up to 3 days in advance and just add vodka when you’re ready to serve.
Spicy Bloody Marys
Ingredients
- 3 oz vodka
- various garnishes such as pickled okra, celery, candied bacon, pickled peppers, lemon wedges
For the Bloody Mary Mix:
- 2 Guajillo chiles, dried
- 2 cups tomato juice
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tbsp Cholula Chipotle hot sauce or alternative hot sauce of your choice
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp prepared horseradish
- 1/4 tsp celery salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 jalapeno, stem removed
Instructions
- Stem the dried chiles and remove seeds. Toast the chile for a few minutes on each side in a dry skillet over medium heat until they start to blacken a bit. Remove from pan and soak in water for 20 minutes.
- Combine soaked chiles, tomato juice, lemon juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire, horseradish, jalapeno, and seasonings in a blender. Puree until completely smooth. Chill if necessary up to 3 days.
- When you're ready to serve, fill a tall glass with ice and 1 1/2 – 2 oz of vodka. Fill the rest of the glass with the bloody mary mixture and use a spoon to mix. Garnish with desired toppings and serve cold.
