From the Bar: Homemade Bloody Mary’s {for two}

When I think of a romantic drink (which, granted, is a strange thing to think of), my mind doesn’t go to champagne or wine or martini’s. I automatically go to Bloody Mary’s – stiff, spicy, and over flowing with pickled goodness. When Evan and I were just dating, one of our first weekend getaways was to Catalina Island. We were so young! We wanted to start the fun right away, so we made our way to the bar of the ferry boat at once, where we found the bartender mixing up a couple of tomatoey cocktails for the people ahead of us. We watched as she added a dash of this and a splash of that, finishing off the delicious drinks with pickled green beans – SOLD! We ordered two. Extra spicy, please. It was the best we had ever tasted. Thus beginning our love affair with Bloody Mary’s (and each other too). Now we make them all the time, and while we usually buy a mix and sort of make it our own, once in a while, we roll up our sleeves and start from scratch. Nothing else compares. So, with love, I share with you my favorite homemade Bloody Mary. I hope you (and your honey) enjoy. XOXO!

Homemade Bloody Mary’s {for two} from Paola Parsons on Vimeo.

(p.s. this is my FIRST RECIPE VIDEO! It took forever to make, but I’m so happy to be sharing it with you. More to come soon!)

{Videography by Evan Parsons. Edited by Paola Parsons. Song is “You and Me” by Penny and the Quarters}

THE BEST BLOODY MARY’S YOU’LL EVER HAVE  

Makes 4-6 servings (which only serves 2 in our house!)

INGREDIENTS

for the tomato juice

6 large ripe tomatoes, cored and sliced

1 1/4 cups chopped celery

1/3 cup diced onions

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

for the cocktail

Ice

1 cup tomato juice

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish

3 dashes Worcestershire Sauce, or to taste

3 dashes Tabasco (or other hot sauce), or to taste

pinch of salt and pepper

1 shot premium vodka

Granishes of choice: pickled green beans, olives, pickled asparagus, lemon and lime wedges, etc.

DIRECTIONS

To make tomato juice, combine all of the juice ingredients in a large pot and simmer for about 25 minutes or until cooked down into a soup. Puree in a blender or with a hand blender directly into the pot and strain using a fine mesh sieve or cheese cloth. Pour into a jar or pitcher and chill for 1-2 hours. This step can be done up to a week advance. Juice should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated.

In a shaker, combine ice, juices, horseradish, Worcestershire, Tabasco, salt, pepper, and vodka, and shake until cold. Pour into a ice-filled glass and garnish as desired.

CHEERS!