Bloody Marys

I make a super Bloody Mary that's spicy and kind of brownish in color, as I don't like tomato juice unless it tastes like tomato sauce, so I use probably triple the amount of Worcestershire sauce in mine.

But I saw this recipe for making several at one time which would be good for football games or a brunch and I figured I could easily modify it by adding more Lea & Perrins. I thought the recipe sounded really good, though I might use celery salt instead of the Kosher salt as I just love celery salt in Bloody Marys. If I don't have celery salt or fresh lime, it's just not the same to me.

City Grocery Bloody Marys
By John Currence. Parade Magazine 8/25/13.
Makes 6.

4 cups V8 juice
1¾ cups vodka of your choice (good quality, but not top shelf)
3 Tbsp Worcestershire
5 tsp horseradish
2½ tsp finely grated shallots
1½ tsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp dill pickle juice
2 tsp Tabasco hot sauce
¾ tsp celery seeds
2½ tsp fresh pepper, plus more for serving
1½ tsp kosher salt
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon and 1 lime
Garnishes:
6 pickled okra pods
12 cocktail onions
6 good-quality pitted olives
6 lime wedges

1. Combine V8, vodka, Worcestershire, horseradish, shallots, garlic, pickle juice, Tabasco, celery seeds, pepper, salt, and lemon and lime zest and juice in a large pitcher and stir well to combine. Place pitcher in fridge and let chill.
2. Fill 6 short glasses with ice. Skewer 1 okra pod, 2 onions, and 1 olive on 6 skewers and place one in each glass.
3. Pour chilled mixture over ice. Sprinkle top of each drink with a little more pepper and top with 1 lime wedge.

I, too, am a lover of Bloody Marys....I like to think it's a healthier drink than say, a bottle of beer, because of the tomato juice and vegetables. (amazing how the female mind works, huh?)

I've used Spicy V-8 as a base before and added "stuff" to it until I got it to my personal taste. I thought it was really good, but maybe that was the vodka's opinion, I'm not sure.

Most times now I end up using the Bold & Spicy Mr. & Mrs. T's brand Bloody Mary Mix, a few good shakes of the Lea & Perrin and Absolute Peppar vodka. To me, the pepperd vodka is the only way to go. Then, when I feel I need an appetizer to go with my Bloody Mary I'll drop in a skewer of stuffed olives and a stalk of celery. Supper!!!!