Bloody Mary Spritz

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Lately, I’ve been researching savory cocktails. It’s not that I have anything against sweet\fruity drinks. I just don’t find them particularly compelling. And overly sweet beverages? I cannot stress enough how much I dislike them. A drink should have a lot more going on than just sweetness. You’re not popping a straw into a Capri-Sun after all. I do like the taste of alcohol, I don’t need it to be masked. But savory cocktails take things even further. They don’t just balance the sweet with the alcohol burn. They put the sweet in the back seat in favor of notes of feta brine, pickle brine, tomatoes, celery, and/or fish sauce. And if this all sounds gross to you, I promise it is not. Plus, they double as an appetizer, which is just economical. Today’s Bloody Mary Spritz definitely fits the cocktail/appetizer description. 

Now, let’s talk about this bubbly take on the classic Bloody Mary. The Bloody Mary is the OG savory sip. This tomato juice and vodka cocktail burst onto the scene at some point in the 1920s and 30s. As we’ve come to expect from food-related history, the exact origins of this drink are contested. The French bartender Fernand Petit claimed he invented it in 1921 while working at the New York Bar in Paris. The hot spot was eventually renamed Harry’s New York Bar, and it became a famous watering hole for American migrants, most notably Ernest Hemingway. 

New York’s 21 Club has not one but two claims on the Bloody Mary. Henry Zbikiewicz, who was a bartender there claimed to have been mixing the drink as far back as 1930. Another tale gives credit to George Jessel, a comedian who frequented the club. A 1939 gossip column This New York referred to the Bloody Mary as “George Jessel’s newest pick-me-up”. The column also described the drink as “half tomato juice, half vodka.” Now, that is a stiff drink.

Today’s Bloody Mary Spritz is far more lightweight than George Jessel’s “pick-me-up”, which frankly sounds more like a put-me-down. Each glass has only one shot of vodka, but you could make them a double if you’re so inclined. But I am going to level with you, this drink is a little more work than popping open a can of V8. But is it worth it? I think so. The depth of the flavor is not even in the same ballpark as the tinned tomato juice version of a Bloody Mary. So, let’s make peace with a little work and grab some tomatoes. 

Start by preheating your oven to 375°F. What? All the best cocktails start with the oven. Okay, maybe just this one does. Cut a whole whack of Roma tomatoes into wedges and arrange them on a baking sheet. Add a few peeled cloves of garlic, a red pepper, and a yellow onion also cut into wedges. Now for the choose-your-own-adventure-part – how many habaneros are you going to add? There is no wrong answer, it could be none if heat is really not your thing. I went with two and my Bloody Mary had plenty of heat – no additional hot sauce required. But as I always say, when it comes to heat, know your limit and play within it. 

Drizzle the tomatoes, garlic, onions, and peppers generously with olive oil. Give them a sizeable sprinkling of salt and pop the baking sheets into the oven and roast for 20 minutes or until the veggies are soft and lightly charred. Let them cool slightly before transferring them to a food processor and blitzing them until smooth. Give them plenty of time to break down here, we want the veg to be as smooth as possible.

Now, for a little elbow grease. Pour the pureed veggies into a fine mesh strainer and using a muddler, force as much of the juice and flesh through as possible. You should have a couple of cups of the smoothest tomato puree you could imagine. You’re looking for the texture of a thick tomato soup. Place the finished puree in the fridge and leave it to chill down completely. This tomato base can be made well in advance, so there’s no waiting when cocktail hour hits. 

Once the base is chilled, add a heaping tablespoon of prepared horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce. Next, stir in the vodka. This base will serve six, so we’re going to add six ounces of vodka. If you would prefer to make everyone’s a double, add 12 shots. Give everything a good thorough stir and transfer the mixture to a pitcher.

We’re finally ready to start building our drinks. Rim some highball glasses with a little lime juice and flaky salt. Pop the glasses in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill them down. Load the glasses with ice and pour a little of the base into each glass. Fill the glasses about 1/3 of the way. Pour sparkling water into the glasses, right up to the top. Garnish with a skewered cherry tomato and a cluster of wood sorrel. I have a ton of wood sorrel in my garden right now, but if you don’t you could swap it with parsley and/or a stalk of celery. Serve immediately with a paper straw, so your guests can give the drink a good stir. Who doesn’t love an interactive drink?

And that’s everything you need to know about this Bloody Mary Spritz. A bubbly and oddly refreshing take on the OG savory cocktail. 

Enjoy!