If ever there was a time for day drinking, this certainly qualifies. This is the safest way to do it right, and you can do it when working from home and on your Zoom conference too. I’m talking about this Virgin Mary – an alcohol-free version of the classic Bloody Mary. I’ve enjoyed the usual Bloody Mary many a time, often switching out the vodka for gin, or tequila in service of a Bloody Maria. It’s a quintessential brunch treat, and its zippy tang and spicy bite stand strongly on their own without any liquor, which is why the virgin version of this drink is more popular than the virgin versions of many other drinks.
I found a new recipe for this one – called the ‘Raw Spicy Mary’ – from the book ‘Dry: Non-alcoholic Cocktails, Cordials and Clever Concoctions’ by Clare Liardet. I will attempt to make my way through most of the recipes (like this Blood Orange Sunrise) as we turn from cocktails to mocktails.
This one calls for fresh plum tomatoes, a bit of red pepper, a celery stalk (and an additional one for garnish) some red chili, a dash of cider vinegar, the juice of half a lemon, horseradish, a splash of olive oil, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. They put the veggies through a juicer – I just jammed everything in a glass and stuck the immersion blender into the thing with a splash of water. Now is not the time to stand on ceremony. Once mixed well, I poured it over some ice and added a celery stalk or two.
It was decent. Much fresher than any other version I’ve ever had, which was nice. A little blander too, since I wasn’t using a flavorful, high-salt/high-sodium mix or the bite of alcohol. Tips for my next attempt: switching out the lemon with lime. More horseradish. A dash of Tabasco, maybe a small spoonful of chipotle in adobo sauce for another layer of heat and earthiness.
This is a promising start to the summer to come, and a lovely drink to toast to the workday.
