It being Christmas and all, the Drink of this Week(end) is the Bloody Mary. It’s festive in colour, and will help get you through that inevitable Christmas Morning hangover. Not being a breeder, I don’t understand the need to wakeup so early to be disappointed by the opening of presents for which you have no use. Maybe if I were a better poker player, this might be a bit different, but I’m not. Therefore, I make the drinks, and I’m not about to give you my secret recipe. However, I shall tell you one of the secret ingredients: Old Bay Seasoning. This American spice mix really compliments the Worcestershire Sauce and Horseradish in this magnificent adult beverage, and rimming the glass with it could be the highlight of an otherwise awful morning.
The key to making a tasty BM is the choice of liquor one uses as the base, and I use Tanqueray Gin. This is best; it just is; Vodka sucks, and this is my column, so that’s just the way it is. Ok, there is a second step, the Tomato Juice, and the key here is not to use “low sodium” or “tomato and veg”. Any variation from this norm is just blasphemy , which is not a nice thing to do on Bloody Christmas! Warning! Due to the sodium content involved in both the drink and all that food, I might suggest you wear slightly larger than normal shoes.
The Bloody Mary: In a tall glass over ice, mix equal parts Tanqueray Gin and Tomato Juice. Stir in the spices (Old Bay, Celery Salt, and Pepper), Tabasco, Horseradish, and Worcestershire Sauce. Vary the amounts for the desired taste, and garnish with Celery. Rimming the glass with a spice mixture is a recommended extra!
