Bloody Maria
A Bloody Mary made with tequila. The agave's pepper and earth suit tomato and spice better than vodka ever did, and the Tajín rim seals it.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Rim half a collins glass with chilli-lime salt and fill it with ice.
Add the tequila, tomato juice, lime juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire, celery salt and pepper to a shaker with ice.
Roll: pour the drink back and forth between the shaker and a second tin a few times to chill and mix without foaming.
Strain into the glass and garnish with a lime wedge and a jalapeño slice.
A thoughtful finish
- Lime instead of lemon. It is the difference between a Bloody Maria and a Bloody Mary with the wrong spirit.
- Roll, don't shake. Shaking tomato juice whips in air and the drink turns frothy and thin.
- A good blanco shows through tomato in a way vodka cannot. Mezcal makes a smoky version that is even better.
Common mistakes
- A heavy pre-made mix. It drowns the tequila that is the reason for the drink.
- Shaking it to foam.
- Skipping the salt rim; the chilli-lime salt is half the pleasure.
A few good questions.
What is the difference between a Bloody Maria and a Bloody Mary?
Tequila instead of vodka, and usually lime instead of lemon with a chilli-salt rim. The tequila adds pepper and earth the vodka version lacks.
Can I use mezcal?
Yes, and it is excellent — smoke and tomato are a natural pair. Use a little less.
What is sangrita?
A Mexican chaser of tomato, orange, lime and chilli, sipped alongside tequila. It is the Bloody Maria's ancestor in spirit.
How spicy should it be?
To taste. Three dashes of hot sauce is a medium start; the jalapeño garnish lets the drinker turn it up.
Variations
- Bloody Mary — With vodka.
- Virgin Mary — Without spirit.
- Michelada — Beer, lime, hot sauce and salt — the Mexican cousin.
- Spicy Margarita — Tequila, lime and jalapeño.
Where it comes from
c. 1950s–1970s · United States and Mexico
Contested. More than one origin is claimed for this drink. We show the competing accounts rather than pick one.
Tequila went into the Bloody Mary as soon as tequila went into American bars, and the Bloody Maria — the obvious Spanish name — appears on menus by the 1970s without any one bar able to claim it. It has a Mexican cousin in the sangrita, the spiced tomato-and-citrus chaser served alongside tequila, which predates it and suggests the pairing was always natural. In the 2000s the craft bars gave it a chilli-salt rim and fresh lime, and it became the brunch drink of choice for people who find the vodka version a little flat.
Sources
- Brian Bartels, The Bloody Mary, 2017 (book)
- Difford's Guide, Bloody Maria, 2015 (reference)
- David Wondrich, Imbibe!, 2015 (book)
Strength. About 1.33 US standard drinks at an estimated 10.7% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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