The Bloody Mary's original recipe is rumoured to date back to the 1920s with ingredients including tomato juice, vodka, and celery but there are endless variations out there today. While some say it acts as a hangover 'cure', we think it’s the perfect reviving drink to enjoy with guests on a sunny day.
An abundance of garnishes are key to making any Bloody Mary into a showstopper, and this version is extra special, with a swizzle stick of crispy bacon to nibble on while you sip.
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Yields:
2
Prep Time:
10 mins
Cook Time:
25 mins
Total Time:
35 mins
Cal/Serv:
170
Ingredients
2
rashers smoked streaky bacon
1/2tsp.
soft brown sugar
Pinch of cayenne
300ml
tomato juice
75ml
vodka
1/2
-1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2tsp.
celery salt
Worcestershire sauce, to taste
Tabasco, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
2
celery sticks
2
gherkin slices
2
lemon wedges, optional
Directions
Step 1Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Line a small baking sheet with baking parchment. Lay on the bacon and sprinkle on sugar and cayenne. Cook for 20-25min until golden. Cool on a wire rack to crisp up.
Step 2Mix tomato juice, vodka, lemon juice (to taste), celery salt, a few dashes each Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco and some freshly ground black pepper – adjust seasoning and spices to your taste.
Step 3Pour into 2 tall glasses over ice. Garnish with candied bacon, a celery stick and gherkin slice. Serve with lemon wedge, if you like.
The secret's in the juice
At least half of this zesty cocktail is made of tomato juice, so you want to use the absolute best for a fresh and bright drink.
Spice it right
Depending on your own (or your guests) preferences you can make this cocktail as spicy or mild as you like. Simply add a couple of extra Tabasco drops for a fiery kick.
What to serve it with
This traditional brunch cocktail is just the thing to pair with your favourite Eggs Benedict recipe (with the perfect buttery Hollandaise sauce) or a stack of waffles served with eggs. And if you are a true fan of the Bloody Mary then we have been inspired to create the perfect Friday night supper, Bloody Mary Pasta, which is ready in just 25 mins.
Per serving (including bacon):
Calories: 170
Protein: 4g
Total fat: 5g
Saturates: 2g
Carbs: 6g
Total sugars: 6g
Fibre: 1g
Our favourite brunch recipes to accompany a lazy morning
An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
