While Bloody Mary's are generally thought to best compliment a cold morning, we used the power of fire and smoke to transform the winter classic into a delicious summer cocktail that pairs well with any backyard BBQ. Oak smoked tomatoes, pulla pepper infused vodka and canned chipotle juice are some of the original elements we used to make our spicy, Smokey Marys.
Smokey Marys
- 12 ripe tomatoes
- 1 cup beef stock
- 4 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 3 tablespoons celery salt
- 2 lemons squeezed
- 3 cups vodka infused with your choice of dried peppers
- 3 tablespoons adobo chili sauce
- olive brine to taste
- ground pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons grated horseradish
- 1 lime squeezed
- hickory wood chips
- celery sticks
Find the ripest tomatoes you can at the supermarket. Be sure that when you squeeze them they are soft and not firm.
After soaking the wood chips for an hour put them over hot coals and place the tomatoes directly over the heat. They will start to sweat before their charred skin becomes loose.
Once the tomatoes look slightly charred take them off the grill and let them cool.
Put the tomatoes in the food processor and pulse until completely smooth. Taste the tomato juice and the smoke flavor the wood chips gave off. Put the tomato juice in a big enough bowl to mix the other ingredients into it.
Add the beef stock to the tomatoes. We recommend homemade stock. It has a deeper flavor and has no added salt. We made ours with our pressure cooker using this great recipe.
Add the Worcestershire sauce into the mixture.
To enhance the smokey flavor and add a substantial spicy kick, use the sauce from this can of chipotle peppers.
Horseradish adds a deep, nasal spice that increases the complexity of the mix. Use a fine grater on fresh horseradish for the best results. Bottled horseradish is generally bathing in vinegar, so decrease your other acids if you use.
Every Bloody Mary needs a sour component. We added 2 squeezed lemons and 1 squeezed lime to our mix. Reserve additional lemon or lime wedges for garnishing the glass.
Add celery salt to taste. Since our beef stock wasn't salty at all this mix needed at least 3 Tbs. of salt.
Once everything is mixed together add in the vodka. It should be an 8 to 3 ratio between mix and vodka. This all really depends on how much fun you had the night before! Our vodka had been infusing for at least three weeks. Infusing vodkas is extremely simple: just add any spice or flavor you want to the bottle and wait. The alcohol naturally draws out the flavor of the added element. You will know that your liquor has infused long enough when you like the taste!
Mix together celery salt and ground pepper for the rims of the glasses.
Pour the Smokey Mary mix in a tall glass with a celery stick and a lemon wedge and lots of ice. If your Smokey Mary is not quite salty enough, add some olive brine and stir. This makes enough Smokey Marys for at least 6.
ENJOY!