Virgin Mary
Prep time:
The Bloody Mary without vodka, seasoned as it should be. Salty, spicy and with body: the mocktail you sip slowly and drink alongside food.
Ingredients
- 150 ml well-chilled tomato juice
- 15 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
- 3 dashes Tabasco
- Celery salt, salt and black pepper
- Ice cubes
Preparation
- Put all the liquids and seasonings in a glass with ice.
- Roll it between two glasses four or five times: it mixes without whipping it into foam.
- Taste and adjust the salt, lemon and heat.
- Serve with a celery stick and a lemon wedge.
Bartender’s notes
How is it different from a Bloody Caesar?
In the juice. The Caesar is the Canadian version and uses Clamato — tomato juice with clam broth — instead of plain tomato. The result is saltier, with a marine note the Mary does not have, and considerably thinner. Everything else is identical: lemon, Worcestershire, Tabasco and the celery salt rim. If you can find Clamato, this same recipe works by swapping only the juice.
Which tomato juice should you use?
It is the decision that changes the result most, more than the seasoning. Look for one that is thick and has no added sugar: watery juices force you to push the Worcestershire and Tabasco so hard to taste anything that the drink ends up salty and hot rather than balanced. If all you have is a thin one, stir in a little tomato purée before building the drink. And fridge-cold, always: room-temperature tomato juice has an unpleasant texture that ice will no longer fix.
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