If there’s one thing I like on a weekend morning (besides bacon) it’s a damn good Bloody Mary. So here I am to prepare you for Saturday and Sunday, you weekend warriors!
Being a bartender for a long time- I’d like to think that I’ve pretty nearly perfected the recipe for one made from scratch. However- sometimes when you’re in a pinch, a really good bloody mix does the trick. I typically use about 8 ingredients in my bloodys- until I found Your Mom’s mix. (This mix can be found at all Big Red Liquor Locations). So- this post isn’t really about how to make a bloody mary mix- it’s about getting creative with your Bloody Mary garnishes!
I made these bloody mary’s and garnishes for an event back in December at Repeal and 12:05 Distillery in Fountain Square. ( I realize I am wayyyyy behind on my posts and I apologize to Alora with Your Mom’s and Teresa with Repeal for not posting this sooner. I am a deplorable excuse for a blogger and I apologize profusely. Please don’t hate me!) Teresa was nice enough to let us host a blogger get together and provided us with yummy appetizers (see below) and 12:05 Gin for the bloody mary’s, and Alora and her husband Mark supplied our mix. My job was to bring some friends in and provide some funky garnishes for the day’s drinks! I decided we wanted to go with an Italian theme and we made Proscuitto wrapped white asparagus and mozzarella- pepperoni stuffed peppadews. YUM!
I usually make my bloodies using this ratio: 1.5 oz (going easy on you here, I’m a two ouncer, personally) to 4 oz mix.
12:05 also distills Vodka and whiskey in addition to gin, in case you were wondering.
If you haven’t been to Repeal, their menu changes often but the pimento cheese fries seem to be so popular they stay on! These are a must-try if you’re in the Fountain Square area (in Indy!)
And here are the fun garnishes I made to accompany the day’s bloodies:
These are soooo easy and one of Aaron and my favorite pre-meal snacks- so we figured why not put them in a bloody Mary? I’m not making a recipe card for today’s garnishes because they are so easy. These are literally two ingredients- the asparagus rinsed and trimmed and wrapped in proscuitto. I cooked these on the George Foreman grill because they fit nicely within the grill grooves and stay put until done cooking. The Proscuitto has just the right amount of salt and fat to season the asparagus and keep it from drying out.
Next up- stuffed Peppadews! If you’ve never had one of these, you’re missing out on life. Usually when I find them at the store or at a restaurant, they’re stuffed with goat’s cheese. So I decided to put a twist on these and I put some fresh buffalo mozzarella, pepperoni and fresh basil in the food processor. Blended for a few minutes – and I couldn’t keep my spoon out the of the container.
I don’t have an exact recipe for this- but this stuffing isn’t an exact science- hey- throw in what you like!
- I used:
- 8 oz package fresh mozzarella
- 4 oz cubed pepperoni
- handful of fresh basil
- 2 cloves garlic
Blend in food processor until smooth. Stuff Peppadews by hand.
Real quick- can we just talk about how uh-mazingly cute these “cheers” straws are? If you guessed the Target dollar bin- you guess right! #targetdoesitagain ! So I mentioned earlier that I made these with gin (instead of vodka) being a bartender- very few people would ask for their bloodies with Gin instead of vodka but it did happen from time to time. Alora talked me into trying this mix with 12:05’s gin as well as tequila and bourbon. I couldn’t believe it- they were all great! Something to try if you haven’t- and if you’re scared just add a splash of my not-so-secret ingredient for bloodies- a splash of OJ on top! Also, I never thought to use a Bloody Mary mix when cooking- did you know you can use this mix for anything from meatloaf to BBQ sauce? Click here to see Your Mom’s recipe page to get even more creative with the mix!
If you’d like to make these exact bloodies- you can get the gin in-store at 12:05 or at Big Red Liquors (Indiana). Follow them both on facebook here: 12:05 Distillery and Your Mom’s Bloody Mix Indiana
What’s your favorite garnish for your morning Bloody Mary? Comment below!
