The Perfect Bloody Mary

In our house, the endeavour to perfect the Bloody Mary was a project which took a few years.  After hundreds of trials and tastings, Joshua officially now makes the best bloody in the valley. He has selflessly dedicated hours to tweaking the recipe, and so many of my girlfriends have endured the hardship of being official "tasters". Tough job, right? One of my new favorite gifts is a "Bloody Basket", which includes a bottle of Absolut Peppar, Zing Zang mix, habanero tabasco, and jalapeno stuffed olives. 

Let me tell you a secret.  It's not just about the booze; it's about the snacks. It's an appetizer, and when necessary a meal. The options are endless. There are no rules. If we don't have Peppar, we use Smirnoff or Russian Standard. If we don't have Cabot cheddar cheese, we use the Dubliner or string cheese. If we don't have olives or a pickle, well tough luck. If we don't have vodka in the house, well that just does not ever happen. 

Joshua's Perfect Bloody

3 oz Absolut Peppar
8 oz Zing Zang bloody mary mix
1/4 teaspoon horseradish
Splash of olive brine
3-4 drops Tabasco Sauce (we love the spicy habanero Tabasco)
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 jalapeno stuffed olives

SNACKS: must choose a minimum of two

     - pickled spicy okra

     - kosher dill pickle sandwich slice

     - Cabot extra sharp Vermont white cheddar cheese (2 thick slices)

     - celery stalk

DIRECTIONS

Combine above ingredients in a Boston shaker. Add ice and shake hard for 10 seconds. Pour into glass, and add snacks (pickled okra, cheese) and straw. Enjoy!