An Elevated Bloody Mary

A lazy summer weekend morning tastes a lot like...a bloody mary. Who doesn’t love this classic cocktail, which manages to combine vegetables and day-drinking? It’s the signature cocktail of brunch, so much so we’ve crafted a gift in its honor, Bloody Marys for Brunch.

Inside this popular offering, you’ll find a bottle of bloody mary mix, a spice tin for coating the glass rim just like a real bartender, and a bag of Couch Mix-a savory concoction of roasted crackers, corn, and peanuts. It’s perfect!

It’s hard to improve upon perfection, but let’s try. That yummy cocktail needs the ultimate garnish. Purists will go for a celery stalk, classicists will spear up some colossal olives, creatives will try pickled okra – but we have a better idea. You might even want to print this (extremely) simple recipe in your community newsletter or on your website.

Get a carton of cherry or grape tomatoes, those small, bite-sized delicacies. Depending on how fancy your grocery store’s produce section gets, you may be able to get them in yellow and purple, as well as red. Rinse them well, like you would any produce, but don’t spin or blot them dry. Instead, roll the wet tomatoes around in a flat dish of garlic salt. The water clinging to the cleaned tomatoes will cause the garlic salt to stick, and it will remain as the tomatoes dry. Then, skewer several and put them in or across your bloody mary glass. The ones you don’t need for a garnish go in a dish – a savory, spicy counterpoint to the crunchy Couch Mix.

Even when bloody marys aren’t on the cocktail menu, these incredibly simple little fresh treats make an excellent addition to your hors d’oeuvre selection!

What are your favorite ways to top a Bloody Mary?