If you love Bloody Marys, I need your advice!

[Anonymous]

I offered to create a "Bloody Mary Bar" for my friend's bridal shower - the idea is that guests can make their own bloody marys (bloody maries?). The problem is, I don't care for this drink. If you like bloody marys, what would you want to see at a "Bloody Mary Bar"? Any special ingredients/options?

TIA!

[Anonymous]

tabasco
lemons
horseradish

I'm easy.

[Anonymous]

Vodka
V-8
Horseradish
Old bay
Celery seed
Tabasco

Lemons
For garnishes...

Green olives
Celery
Pickles carrots
Shrimp

[Anonymous]

Lemons and Old Bay.

[Anonymous]

I stay away from Old Bay and Horseradish because it reminds me of cocktail sauce rather than a Bloody. I make them with fresh lemon juice, dash or two of Worcestershire, a dash or two of tabasco, celery salt and of course tomato juice and vodka.
If you substitute Tequila fir the vodka you have a Bloody Maria, Since it is Bloody Mary bar, you will probably want to provide the horseradish since many people like it that way.

[Anonymous]

variety of different hot sauces
Worcestershire
celery seed
old bay
fresh pepper
olives
limes
celery
horseradish
cayenne pepper
any other spices you like

[Anonymous]

got to like a BBQ place and buy a variety of hot sauces to put out. if you're in arlington, Rocklands has an entire wall of them to buy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:variety of different hot sauces
Worcestershire
celery seed
old bay
fresh pepper
olives
limes
celery
horseradish
cayenne pepper
any other spices you like

All these plus pickled veggies like green beans or okra. Sounds strange but I've had them this way in the South and they look and taste great. I've also heard of gazpacho with vodka but that's a whole nother can of soup.

[Anonymous]

For garnish: bacon. So good.

[Anonymous]

clam juice

[Anonymous]

A restaurant near my house serves them with small squares of grilled cheese sandwich on a skewer. Haven't tried it yet, but it intrigues me!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For garnish: bacon. So good.

Yes!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:clam juice

Mmmm, Bloody Caesars! So good!

[Anonymous]

All of the above. In particular, don't omit the limes, horseradish, hot sauce, clam juice, or Worcestershire.
Don't cut the celery too short. It should be long and stick out of the glass, like a big green swizzle stick. (Leaving the leaves on is OK)
Also, have a pepper grinder available. Some people like fresh ground black pepper.

[Anonymous]

OP here - THANK YOU for the great ideas and advice! I feel like I can put together a really good bloody mary bar now. I never would have thought of bacon or clam juice!