Virgin Mary Recipe

Before you start

Take the vodka out of a Bloody Mary and what remains is a cold, seasoned tomato drink that lives or dies on its seasoning. Vodka mostly adds heat and dilution, so the alcohol-free version needs a little extra lemon, a firmer hand with horseradish and pepper, and a good tomato juice that tastes like tomatoes rather than tin.

The main decision is texture. Tomato juice turns foamy and thin if you shake it, so this recipe rolls the drink between two vessels to chill and blend it while keeping it dense. Season in stages, taste with a straw, and remember that cold mutes salt and spice; the drink should taste slightly bold at room temperature before it meets the ice.

Ingredients

• 150 ml (5 oz) tomato juice — chilled; low-sodium lets you control the salt
• 20 ml (¾ oz) fresh lemon juice — strained
• 1 tsp prepared horseradish — drained, not creamy horseradish sauce
• 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 2 dashes hot sauce — a vinegary Louisiana-style sauce
• 1 pinch celery salt
• 4 grinds black pepper
• 15 ml (½ oz) pickle or olive brine — optional, for extra savor
• 1 lemon wedge — for the rim
• 1 tbsp celery salt and flaky salt mix — for the rim, optional
• 1 stalk celery with leaves — plus olives or a pickle spear to garnish

Method

1. Run the lemon wedge around the outer rim of the glass and dip it into the celery salt mix on a plate. Keep salt off the inside so it does not dissolve into the drink. Fill the glass with ice.
2. In one mixing tin, combine the lemon juice, horseradish, Worcestershire, hot sauce, celery salt, pepper and brine if using. Stir with a spoon to break up the horseradish.
3. Pour in the tomato juice and taste with a straw. It should taste forward and a little loud; add another dash of hot sauce or a pinch of salt if it seems flat.
4. Add a handful of ice to the tin. Pour the whole mixture into the second tin, holding the ice back with a strainer, then pour it back. Repeat four or five times until the outside feels cold.
5. Strain into the prepared glass over fresh ice. The drink should look smooth and deep red, with no foam on top.
6. Garnish with the celery stalk and a pick of olives or a pickle spear. Serve right away with a straw.

Tips for success

• Grate fresh horseradish on a microplane if you can find the root. It is brighter and sharper than jarred, so start with half a teaspoon.
• Make a seasoning base of lemon, Worcestershire, horseradish, hot sauce and spices in a jar for a brunch crowd, then add tomato juice glass by glass so each one is fresh.
• Taste the tomato juice on its own first. Brands vary from sweet to very salty, and that changes how much celery salt the drink can take.

Substitutions

Worcestershire sauce

Most Worcestershire contains anchovy. For a vegetarian drink use a vegan Worcestershire or a few drops of soy sauce plus a pinch of sugar; the drink loses a little depth but stays savory.

Lemon juice

Lime juice works and gives a sharper, more tropical edge that suits a hotter sauce. Use the same amount.

Tomato juice

Vegetable juice blends make a thicker, sweeter drink with less acidity. Cut the horseradish slightly and add an extra squeeze of lemon.

Variations

Smoky Mary

Use a chipotle hot sauce and add a pinch of smoked paprika to the rim. A smoked salt rim makes it bolder still.

Green Mary

Swap red tomato juice for blended green tomatoes or tomatillos with cucumber, strained, and use a green jalapeño sauce.

Troubleshooting

The drink is foamy and pale pink

It was shaken or rolled too hard. Pour gently between tins and stop once it is cold; a few gentle passes are enough.

It tastes flat and like plain tomato juice

There is not enough acid or salt. Add 5 ml lemon juice and a pinch of celery salt, then taste again before reaching for more hot sauce.

It is too spicy to drink

Top with a little more tomato juice and lemon to dilute the heat. Next time add horseradish and hot sauce after tasting, not all at once.

Storage

Serve immediately once mixed. The seasoning base without tomato juice keeps in a covered jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Opened tomato juice should be refrigerated and used within about a week.

Safety notes

Worcestershire sauce usually contains anchovies (fish), and some brands of horseradish and hot sauce contain other allergens; check labels if anyone has a food allergy.