*Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post with Tomato Wellness however all opinions, experiences and enjoyment of tomatoes are completely my own!
Order a Bloody Mary anywhere in the world and you pretty much know what you’ll get. The cocktail known to wake up the groggiest of brains, this liquor soaked mini-meal will help jumpstart your day and get you moving. The Bloody Maeve is a variation to the traditional mix of Mary’s seven ingredients: tomato juice, vodka, lemon, Worcestershire, celery salt, pepper and Tabasco. Maeve (the Irish version of Mary and means “she who intoxicates.”), starts with the classic tomato juice base, and builds on the umami and savory flavors with the addition of ingredients like stout beer and soy sauce. Brines from jarred garlic pickles and pimento stuffed olives add yet another layer of flavor that make this cocktail stand out among the sea of Marys.
The unique mixture in the Bloody Maeve is the brainchild of veteran bartender, Joe Palacios, founder of Oshen Drinks. With ten years in the cocktail-slinging business, Palacios has a history of being assigned the task of making batch bloody mixes for bars all over New York City. “I took some of my favorite ingredients from past recipes and added a little extra.” This bloody mix is certainly like no other. In collaboration for this project, I made a few suggestions and slight modifications, but the base recipe all his.
The use of 100% tomato juice is the staple ingredient in all Bloody mixes. Whether the juice you’re using is out of a can or a bottle, make sure it is all tomato! Tomatoes that have been processed (meaning, anything other than fresh) and canned, go from farm-to-can in a matter of 4-5 hours, locking in all that flavor and nutrition. How do I know this? I’ve witnessed the tomato harvest myself and been a guest to see the entire process. When tomatoes are heated during processing or canning, the antioxidant lycopene becomes more bioavailable to the body, which offers potentially more cancer fighting properties and benefits. So, if you don’t have canned or jarred tomato juice on hand, you can opt for using canned whole or diced tomatoes, blend them into a puree, then strain and add water!
Scroll down to view the recipe video and mix along with me. Cheers!
Bloody Maeve Cocktail
Makes about 2 liters
Serves: 8, 8 oz drinks
Ingredients
26 ounces 100% tomato juice
20 ounces apple cider
1, 11 ounce bottle of stout beer
3 ounces garlic pickle juice/brine
2 ounces olive juice/brine
1 ounce soy sauce
2 ounces hot sauce (I prefer Red Devil)
4 teaspoon kosher salt
Ground pepper, to taste
1 medium bunch of cilantro, plus springs for garnish
Tajin classic seasoning
Vodka
Carrot. lemon wedges and olives for garnish
Directions
In a large pitcher add first nine ingredients (from tomato juice to pepper). Mix to combine.
Tie or band cilantro at the stems, then stuff into the pitcher. Place pitcher in refrigerator to chill.
Pour Tajin onto a small plate.
Rub the juicy side of a lemon wedge along the lip of a collins or highball glass. Roll the outer edge of the glass in the Tajin until the rim is fully coated. Next, fill glass with ice.
Add 1.5-2 ounces of vodka to cocktail glass. Then, pour Bloody Maeve mix into the glass.
*Bartender Tip: To allow the contents of the vodka and the Bloody mixture to combine on their own, start your pitcher pour close to the cocktail glass, then pull up. This will cause the ice to swirl inside the glass, therefore stirring the the vodka and Maeve mix together.
Garnish with lemon wedge, sliced carrot, cilantro sprig and olives.
A savory upgrade to a classic Bloody Mary drink.
Video shot and produced by Christy Wilson.