Bloody Mary Cocktail with Smoked Salt

The classic Bloody Mary…a cocktail known to have been created in the early 1920s by Fernand Petiot, a bartender based at The New York Bar, later known as Harry’s New York Bar. The iconic drink is made up of vodka, tomato juice with salt, dashes of hot sauces, black pepper and garnished with a celery stick.

Why is it called a ‘Bloody Mary’?

It is believed that the cocktail was named after Queen Mary Tudor of England, due to cruel antics in the persecution of Protestants whom she burned at the stake in the hundreds. The cocktail symbolises this; the vodka representing the Queen’s wicked temper and the red colour of the tomato juice reflecting the sheer bloodshed that the Queen caused.

What does a Bloody Mary taste like?

You are initially greeted with the sweet, tangy taste and aroma of tomato juice when you take a first sip from a classic Bloody Mary, with a slight ‘earthy’ undertone. With the added dashes of Worcestershire sauce to the drink, you can also experience a subtle level of heat and spice.

Our recipe includes a Maldon Smoked Salt rim. This is an important ingredient to the cocktail as the flaky Maldon Salt elevates the overall flavour of the drink; intensifying the sweetness and counteracting the bitterness of the tomato juice. Additionally, the smoked salt element allows a gentle, warming undertone to come through when you take your first sip…utterly delicious!

Here is how to make our Bloody Mary Cocktail with Smoked Salt…

1. Start by preparing the glasses with a smoked salt rim.
2. Take 2 highball glasses and run a lemon wedge around the rim. Then pour some Maldon Smoked Salt onto a small, flat plate.
3. Take each glass and turn it upside down into the salt and turn and press it so the smoked salt sticks to the rim.
4. Set aside while you make the Bloody Mary.
5. Into a jug add the Ketel One vodka, spicy tomato juice and lemon juice and mix well. Then fill the jug with ice and add the Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and cracked black pepper (to taste). Stir the ice round until it has chilled all the ingredients but not too long as to water it down.
6. Fill the Maldon Smoked Salt rimmed glasses with ice. Then pour in the Bloody Mary cocktail.
7. Garnish with a stick of celery, a wedge of lemon and some olives on a cocktail stick.

What to serve with a Bloody Mary Cocktail?

As the cocktail is primarily tomato-based, it makes sense to pair this drink with some ‘deliciously’ good savoury dishes…

We recommend serving a wholesome, homemade pizza, as the tomato and cheese toppings on the baked dough compliment the flavours perfectly with a Bloody Mary, creating a flavour-pairing that is a match-made-in-heaven!

Cheese itself is a ingredient that works great with tomatoes, spices and herbs…which is exactly what a Bloody Mary possesses! As a result, a side dish of scrumptious, arancini balls made with melting mozzarella and parmesan is ideal with the cocktail.

Is a Bloody Mary spicy?

Because a Bloody Mary includes a few dashes of Worcestershire and Tabasco sauce, the cocktail can be a bit on the spicy side depending on how many dashes you put into the mixture. To make it less spicy, simply reduce or take out the sauce elements from the drink and stick with just the Maldon Smoked Salt rim for a gentle, warming flavour.