How to Make a Bloody Mary Bar

Thinking about offering a Bloody Mary Bar at an upcoming brunch? This fabulous idea is increasing in popularity, as it offers something for every preference – spicy, tangy, or mild – and enables guests to create a truly customized Bloody Mary. Even better? You won’t get caught up playing bartender for everyone. It’s a win-win all around.

Follow these helpful tips when creating your Bloody Mary Bar and your guests will be asking when you’ll be having another one.

Prep Your Bar

Are you ready to truly impress your guests? Have big batches of Bloody Marys already made and poured into pitchers in advance and set them out before guests arrive. In addition to the recipe above, feel free to experiment and make batches with different flavored vodkas, such as lemon or jalapeño, and label each pitcher.

Set Out a Variety of Mix-Ins and Toppings

The Bloody Mary’s tomato-juice base goes well with a wide array of herby and spicy flavors. Set out spices in labeled jars or containers with spoons in each one, a caddy of different sauces and condiments, and bowls with various toppings.

We’ve included some possibilities below, though there are many more to choose from. Get creative and have a blast designing your own unique Bloody Mary Bar!

• Spices – Celery salt, ginger, cayenne pepper, horseradish, dried thyme, paprika, Old Bay Seasoning, and garlic salt are all great options.
• Sauces – Tabasco and Worcestershire are classics for this cocktail, but consider leaving these other choices out for your guests to select from as well: Sriracha, steak sauce, hot mustard, olive juice, red chili paste, and barbecue sauce.
• Toppings – Celery stalks are a traditional garnish, but your guests will be in for a nice surprise when you also include some other options: bacon slices, cooked shrimp, olives, capers, cocktail onions, marinated artichoke hearts, fennel, carrots, and lemon wedges. Be sure to have toothpicks or skewers on the bar so guests can easily take their garnishes of choice.

Other Tips

• Bloody Mary’s are best when they’re nice and cold. You’ll want to have plenty of ice on hand and have the pitchers of your Bloody Mary mixes chilled.
• Go the extra mile and set out different flavored salts for guests to rim their glasses with. Try combining kosher salt with different herbs and Chile powders for different rim options. Don’t forget to have another plate with water so guests can wet the rims of their glasses before salting them.

Once you’ve successfully made your first Bloody Mary Bar, it may just become a tradition. They are a lot of fun to set up and you and your guests will really enjoy experimenting with all of the possible flavor combinations.