Build Bloody Mary Bar

One of the most welcome beverages for brunch (or any time of the day or evening) is a Bloody Mary!  And if you’re in luck, there will be a ” build your own  Bloody Mary bar “! 

Everyone’s tastes are so different.  Some like them hot, others like them plain and simple, and then there are those of us who like a loaded Bloody Mary.  So providing a Bloody Mary bar with lots of options for mixing and matching . . . well it just makes everyone happy, no matter how diverse their preferences.

Creating a Bloody Mary bar is very simple really.  It just takes a little bit of creative ingenuity and some time to set things out in an enticing presentation.  Take ingredients OUT of their jars and cans and into nice bowls, trays, and carafes.  But if you don’t have many of these, that’s ok too.  The point is to have lots of delicious options!  

Let’s start with the fun stuff to build a Bloody Mary bar!  

The GARNISHES!!

The BASIC Must-Haves :

  • Celery stalks WITH the leaves ON
  • Carrot sticks
  • Limes
  • Lemons
  • Green olives

Then add the extra goodies on your Build a Bloody Mary Bar:

  • Pickle spears
  • Mini gherkin pickles
  • Pepperoncini
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Black olives
  • Pickled asparagus
  • Fresh green beans
  • Pickled beets
  • Pickled jalapeños
  • Baby corn
  • Artichoke hearts
  • Large caper berries
  • Marinated cocktail pearl onions
  • Okra
  • Cucumber slices
  • Garlic cloves

Offer protein options:

  • Cooked, THICK, smoked bacon
  • Cooked shrimp
  • Hard-boiled eggs
  • Sliced hot salami or soprassetta
  • Chunks of cheese (I use Pepper Jack)
  • Pepperoni sticks
  • Crumbled blue cheese or feta cheese
  • Cubes of cooked steak

Provide liquid flavor options on a Build a Bloody Mary Bar:

  • Tobasco Sauce
  • Frank’s Hot Sauce
  • Worcestershire Sauce
  • Horseradish Sauce
  • 57 Steak Sauce
  • Louisiana Hot Sauce
  • Siracha
  • Cholula
  • Pickle juice
  • Green Olive juice <—- Very difficult to find in stores!
  • Lime juice
  • Lemon juice

Don’t forget an array of dry seasonings:

  • Celery salt
  • Garlic salt
  • Lemon pepper
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Seasoned salt
  • Coarse sea salt
  • Garlic powder
  • Onion powder
  • Paprika
  • Red pepper flakes

Include a variety of juices:

Here are some great products that you’ll love when preparing your Bloody Marys!

Zing Zang is one of the BEST bottled Bloody Mary Mixes of all time — Award Winning!
Charleston “BOLD & SPICY” Bloody Mary Mix
Glass pitcher
Glass Carafes
Fancy 6″ Bamboo Sticks

Bloody Mary “Garnish Tree” (How cool is this?)

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How To Build a BLOODY MARY Bar
Print
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Roz’s ULTIMATE Bloody Mary

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  • Author: Roz | La Bella Vita Cucina
  • Total Time: 0 hours
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 8 oz. spicy Bloody Mary mix (Charleston Bold and Spicy or Zing Zang)
  • 2 medium tomatoes, diced
  • 1 cup crushed ice
  • 1/2 tsp. creamy hot horseradish
  • 1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
  • several dashes Cholula chili lime hot sauce
  • several dashes Cholula chipotle hot sauce
  • several dashes Sriracha hot chili sauce
  • pinch of celery salt
  • pinch of garlic salt
  • pinch of onion salt
  • 1/4 tsp. freshly-cracked black pepper

Spicy Rim Mixture

  • Several pinches of wasabi powder
  • 1 Tbsp. Mrs. Dash extra spicy seasoning blend
  • 1/2 tsp. ground red pepper
  • Skewer Garnish options:
  • Large stuffed green olives
  • Large black olives
  • Pickled okra
  • Chunks of cheese
  • Pickled beets
  • Cooked shrimp
  • Hot pepperoncini
  • Celery stalks with leaves
  • Lime and Lemon wedges
  • Dill pickles
  • Pickle asparagus
  • Garnish: Crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Instructions

    1. Prepare garnishes first so that they are ready when the Bloody Mary is completely blended OR if using a Bloody Mary Bar, then allow guests to assemle their own garnish skewers.
    2. Pour desired amount of vodka in each glass.
    3. Add tomato juice of choice.
    4. Add any garnish, season, spice preferred.
    5. Taste and add more of your preferred ingredients.
    6. Dip the rim of a glass into about a quarter-inch of water or olive oil poured on a small plate.
    7. Then mix the rim mixture on a small plate.
    8. Dip thew wet rim of the glass into the hot and spicy rim mixture and twist.
    9. Pour the Bloody Mary mixutre into a glass and garnish with bacon slices, celery stalks with leaves, carrot sticks, and skewered olives, pickled okra, cherry tomatoes (whatever you like).
    10. Sprinkle gorgonzola crumbles on top.

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