This Bacon Bloody Mary is made with a delicious list of ingredients — all to your own taste! It will make for an excellent set-up at your next brunch or cocktail party. 
My husband loves a delicious Bloody Mary, and it pairs quite nicely with Mexican fare, which is his favorite food.
Whenever we’re celebrating him — for his birthday, Father’s Day, or just his awesomeness — I set up a table with all the ingredients he loves in his Bloody Mary, and make a few of our favorite Mexican recipes.
We’ve come to love a Bacon Bloody Mary. Yep, bacon!
How do you make the best Bloody Mary?
- To taste!
- This is exactly the sort of recipe that should be made to taste.
- To your taste, that is. When you make your own, from the best classic Bloody Mary ingredients, it will be the best! Oh, and even better with bacon!
- The bacon is not so classic — however, it’s absolutely delicious with the other ingredients. (And it looks super cool in the glass.)
Applewood smoked bacon is my favorite, so I thought it would be scrumptious to use it. And then I thought I’d take it a step further and serve the drinks with smoked sea salt. It’s a brilliant combination.
How to make bacon strips for a Bloody Mary?
I make bacon for a Bacon Bloody Mary almost the same way I make bacon for breakfast — in the oven. It turns out perfectly every time. The only difference is that for the Bloody Mary, I sprinkle it with freshly ground black pepper.
- Sprinkle the raw bacon with freshly ground black pepper.
- Add the strips, a couple inches apart, to a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Bake in a 400°F oven until crisp, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
How to Set up a Build-Your-Own Bacon Bloody Mary Bar
Find a table space that will be easily accessible for your guests, and hold the below list comfortably. Maybe add a tablecloth, or some cool wooden cutting boards, perhaps a tiny vase of flowers.
Here’s what you’ll need on the table:
- Cocktail napkins.
- Bloody Mary glasses.
- Cocktail mixer.
- Small ice bucket with ice and small ice tongs.
- One glass filled with strips of cooked bacon.
- One glass filled with stalks of celery.
- One bowl filled with green olives, and one smaller dish next to it with toothpicks for them.
- Pitcher of spicy tomato juice.
- Bottle of super cold vodka. (I love Ketel One, but the choice is yours.)
- Small bowl of lemon and/or lime wedges.
- Small bottle of Worcestershire sauce.
- Small bottle of hot pepper sauce.
- Small plate of coarse smoked salt, a bit larger than the size of the diameter of the glass rim.
- A damp rag to moisten the glass rim before dipping it in the salt.
- Pepper mill.
(The celery and/or bacon strips will serve as stirrers.)
Enjoy your Bacon Bloody Mary!
This Bloody Mary with Bacon is made with a delicious list of ingredients -- all to your own taste! It will make for an excellent set-up at your next brunch!
*You can put out as much or as little of the ingredients as you'd like. The below list are approximate amounts for 12.
- about 4 1/2 cups spicy tomato juice
- about 2 1/4 cups vodka
- about 4 lemons, cut into wedges
- about 6 limes, cut into wedges
- about 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- about 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (i.e., Tobasco)
- at least 2 dozen green olives, stuffed with blue cheese if desired
- 12 celery stalks
- 12 strips crisp, cooked Applewood smoked bacon
- 1/3 cup coarse smoked salt
- ice cubes
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Salt the rim of a glass. To do so, pour coarse sea salt onto a small plate, moisten the rim of the glass with a damp towel and press it into the salt.
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Put out everything your guests will need and let them make their cocktail to taste. (Or you can make it for them, per their directions.)
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Fill the glass with ice cubes. In a cocktail mixer (or serving pitcher) full of ice, combine the desired amounts of tomato juice, vodka, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper. Shake or mix vigorously and strain into the glass.
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Garnish with a stalk of celery, a crispy strip of bacon, lemon wedges, olives on a toothpick, or all of the above!
Jennifer says
These look amazing. Your photos are beautiful and while I’m not a big fan of bloody marys, this bacon version could very well change my mind.
alana says
i had to double-take at this. bacon… in a cocktail?! AMAZING!!
Dominik MJ - the opinionated alchemist says
Sounds intriguing. I am a big sucker of lunch bloody maries [preferable with gin – I refuse a spirit which is neutral in flavor].
To really elevate the bloody mary you have to use fresh tomato juice. This will change your perception [and you won’t want to have it anymore as a sauce…]. The tomato really shines with a very fruity character and really elevates the drink…
mark says
Gorgeous photos! Agree with the previous comment of using fresh juice! I didn’t believe it before but I tried it out this summer form another Gojee person I think the blog is Sock Monkey Shoes or slippers or something. She used fresh tomato juice infused with habanero and used bacon as a garnish. Fresh Juice and Mix is life changing!
Alex says
YUM! Am I allowed to make this for lunch? I think I will…
valentina says
Excellent plan, Alex. 😉 Happy you like the sound of it, and thanks for stopping by.