9 Tips For A Better Bloody Mary

Dirty martinis may be having a moment, but they're not the only cocktail you should try if you're into bold, savory flavors in your drinks. The bloody mary, also known as the ultimate brunch beverage, is a tomato juice-based cocktail that really embraces a savory, salty flavor profile. It often includes various pickled garnishes, and sometimes, it can feel like it's almost bordering on a meal ... or at least an appetizer. 

But you don't have to venture to your favorite brunch bar to enjoy a great bloody mary. It's actually a reasonably simple cocktail to make at home as long as you have the right ingredients. We talked to several bloody mary experts, including Kevin Turner, manager at Murray's Creole Pub in Louisville, KY; Sebastian Estes, beverage director at Katsubō in Charleston, SC; Carlos Suarez, lead bartender at The Ranch at Laguna Beach; and Erin Bell, owner and distiller at SILO Distillery in Windsor, Vermont. 

Others, like Jason Male, lead bartender at Slightly North of Broad (SNOB) in Charleston, SC, tell us about the benefits of fat-washing a bloody mary; while Victor Torres, director of food and beverage at Hilton Barbados Resort, discusses the importance of balancing flavors in your cocktail. And Alberto Battaglini, owner and head barman at PONY Cocktails + Kitchen in Santa Ynez, CA, describes the power of a touch of umami in your bloody mary.

You may have seen those wild, over-the-top bloody marys that are topped with way too many cocktail garnishes on social media, or perhaps you've tasted a bloody mary that just had too much going on. If so, then you probably realize that it's really possible to overdo it when you're making a bloody mary. According to Kevin Turner of Murray's Creole Pub, it's important to remember not to overwork your cocktail. "I've had so many bloodies with potential that just had too many competing flavors in them," he says. "Layering in acids that complement the tomato and spices that fit the brief will add the complexity you want without muddying the overall profile." 

Lemon and lime are obvious options, but white wine vinegar can also be an interesting acidic addition to your beverage. There are a few other additions that can be a nice touch to a good bloody mary, according to Turner. "Garnished with a couple olives and some fresh black pepper, simple is delicious," he advises. Don't think you have to make a ton of other additions to yield a great cocktail.

When it comes to any cocktail, the ingredients you're working with are arguably the most important factor in ensuring that your cocktail can taste just as good as it can be. But technique is also important, which is why Sebastian Estes of Katsubō says that shaking your cocktail is one way to ensure a better bloody mary. He explains that folks often forget this step, but that it's essential to achieving that perfect, bar-quality bloody mary you're craving.

"Cocktails, particularly a bloody mary, are about their taste (for sure), but a large component is their structure and texture," Estes tells us. "Many people just build the drink in a glass; which is fine for a 'hair of the dog,' but if you want to impress guests [who are] over for brunch, you've got to shake it." He suggests using a technique called a whip shake, which creates cloudlike texture in your drink. "Add two to three cubes and shake until the cubes dissolve," he says. "This maximizes aeration and minimizes dilution, resulting in a frothy, fluffy, and homogenous cocktail."

One of the best ways to achieve a bolder flavor profile in your favorite savory drinks is through a process called fat-washing. It involves chilling mixed fat and spirit, like vodka, then removing the fat so the alcohol is left behind with that rich, fatty flavor without leaving a fatty residue in your cup. Jason Male of Slightly North of Broad says that learning how to properly fat-wash your spirits is essential to making a really excellent bloody mary at home.

He suggests fat-washing vodka with bacon, which yields a meaty, umami flavor that instantly adds complexity to your drink. And separating the fat from the vodka doesn't sound too tricky. "Vodka doesn't freeze, but bacon fat does, so the removal process is easy," Male tells us. "Remove the fat cap and run your vodka through a cheesecloth to remove any particles." While bacon is an especially fun ingredient for fat-washing vodka for a bloody mary, you can also use olive oil or even other types of plant-based fat.

Flavor balance is super important when it comes to making a good cocktail, and there's not an exception when it comes to bloody marys. "The key to a great bloody mary is balance," explains Victor Torres of Hilton Barbados Resort. "I always encourage bartenders to treat the mix the same way a chef builds a dish — layering acidity, spice, salt, and umami." Those elements can come from the variety of different ingredients you use to make this cocktail. Tomato juice provides the acidity, for example, while spice can come in the form of hot sauce. A bold umami flavor can come from ingredients like soy sauce or fish sauce, if you're really craving a savory note.

According to Torres, using fresh ingredients is of the utmost importance, and home bartenders should add seasoning to the cocktail just like they'd add seasoning to a dish. "When you think of it as a culinary cocktail rather than just a drink, the quality improves immediately," he says.

A bloody mary is a cocktail that's literally based on tomato juice, so it only makes sense to use a quality one. After all, it really has to carry the drink, so you want it to taste as good as it can before you add any other ingredients to the mix. But it's about more than just quality. According to Erin Bell of SILO Distillery, opting for a nice, thick tomato juice is the way to go if you want to make the best possible bloody mary. 

"Use really good tomato juice; thick, salty with citrus elements and spice," she suggests, noting that SILO makes its own house-made bloody mary mix. If you want to opt for an easier option, there are several mixer products for this cocktail available on store shelves, too. But there are plenty of plain tomato juices to choose from, as well. Campbell's Tomato Juice is particularly thick, as is Tuscanini's. Give them a try if you want to ensure that your bloody mary has the ideal consistency.

It's definitely easy to go overboard with a bloody mary and add too many extraneous ingredients that really just weigh it down. But just because you want to avoid doing too much doesn't mean you have to nix all the fun toppings altogether. In fact, a few food accompaniments to your bloody mary can take it to a whole new level. This is why Victor Torres suggests adding a few elements you can eat to your beverage.

"The bloody mary is one of the few cocktails where food can truly become part of the experience," he says. "Beyond traditional garnishes, we like to incorporate culinary elements directly into the drink or presentation — things like pickled vegetables, grilled shrimp, crispy bacon, olives, or even small bites like sliders or skewers." We've even seen a whole rotisserie chicken atop a bloody mary, but that's probably more than you want to do at home. Adding a few extra bites to the presentation, though, is definitely a fun touch.

Take a look at a recipe for a classic bloody mary, and you'll see ingredients like Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper. If you're trying to make an elevated bloody mary, though, you don't have to stick with the basics — you can feel free to experiment with "bold, globally inspired flavors," according to Carlos Suarez of The Ranch at Laguna Beach. In fact, he says this is one of the best ways to build a bloody mary that's truly next level.

While recommending some international ingredients to switch up that classic flavor profile, Suarez tells us, "I love adding a dose of gochujang for deep, savory richness, then layering in sriracha and a touch of wasabi to build heat in different dimensions." This builds both flavor complexity and spice at the same time. Want to add an unexpected flavor without a ton of extra heat? "Lemongrass adds an aromatic lift that brightens the entire mix," suggests Suarez.

We've already discussed how fun those culinary toppings can be in a bloody mary, but it's also possible to do too much with said toppings. While you'll probably want to include some in your glass, make sure that they're actually making your bloody mary better. "Garnishes should add, not detract, from the experience," says Erin Bell. "I shouldn't be fighting for my life to get to my drink."

After all, if you're drinking a bloody mary at home, it's probably less about presentation than it is about practicality. You're actually craving the drink, and you don't want to have to move skewers of food aside just to take a sip. If you want to enjoy some savory snacks with your bloody mary, just serve them on the side so they don't load up your glass too much. Sometimes, it's just better to keep things simple so you can really focus on the taste of the cocktail itself.

The salty, acidic notes that bloody marys are known for are delicious, and they're the reason that savory food lovers flock to the brunch drink. But if you want to add even more flavor and depth to your bloodies, then adding some sort of umami element to the mix can really take them to a new level. Alberto Battaglini of PONY Cocktails + Kitchen counts umami ingredients as one of his best tricks for making an excellent cocktail.

In particular, Battaglini suggests Maggi seasoning. "Just a couple drops adds deep umami and makes the tomato taste more 'tomatoey,'" he tells us. "It's one of those secret weapons that instantly makes a bloody mary feel more complex." Maggi is an excellent seasoning addition to keep in your pantry, anyway. You can add even more umami elements to the mix, though, if you want. "For garnish, a dehydrated slice of prosciutto is a fun one," says Battaglini. It almost functions like a chip, with an umami saltiness to it that gives your bloody mary the garnish it needs without doing too much.