There is no better way to greet the iffy dawn of a new year than drinking from some bloody fountain of youth. In this case, the freshness of a Virgin Mary marked the first few moments of 2023, as I accessorized with enough garnishes to make this a light breakfast unto itself.
The Bloody Mary is one of the best cocktails to translate into a mocktail. Typically the vodka disappears into the tomato juice and horseradish, so you don’t miss much in the way of flavor. This one was amended with some fresh lemon juice, a few drops of hot sauce, a smidge of cocktail sauce (which may be redundant), some freshly ground pepper, and the garnishes seen here – celery, cilantro, olives, and a shrimp.
Those Bloody Mary bars you sometimes see are aspirational with the amount of additions now on offer. (I’ve seen lobster tails, lobster claws, bacon, oysters, peppers of all kinds, asparagus, okra, gherkins, and just about every pickled item imaginable.)
For this version, I kept things relatively simple, if a little tall. At the turn of an old year into a new one, you need a bit of loftiness.
I love a drink that makes itself so absolutely extra.
