To make the best Bloody Mary.

To make the best bloody Mary is a difficult thing to get right. Mainly because there are so many different ways of making them. I have seen them at the most basic tomato juice and vodka to elaborate drinks containing fresh chilli and sherry.

For me that is getting carried away and you do not want to do that . It is a great restoring drink and a good hangover cure as the saying goes “What can kill, can cure”.

You need the right amount of ingredients and the right way of mixing them. Then of cores it has to be to your liking and to some what is good and to another might be completely unacceptable. So for me you need the following.

First you need the right glass. A tall glass that will hold at least half a pint or what we used to call a slim Jim or high ball glass. Then you will need a mixing vessel. Add to this a good measure of vodka. Now to me that was about ⅓ of a Gill or about 2½ to 3 fl oz or 94ml. Then add about 250ml or 9fl oz of tomato juice. Now that is your most basic Bloody Mary but I like to add a little more. Take a wedge of lemon and squeeze that in to the mix and then drop the wedge in to the mix in vessel and do the same with a piece of lime. But with the lime just before you drop it in to the vessel rub it round the rim of the glass. This gives a nice tang to your first taste of the drink. Now add a dash of Worchester sauce and a dash of Tabasco a pinch of salt and a good grind of black pepper. This spice is really important to lift the whole thing from just a mild bland drink to a special and enlightening beverage that you will savour. Now mix ever thing together so that it is all combined.

Now in your glass add a small stick of celery then as much ice as you can fit in to the glass. Now pore your mix in to the glass and garnish with a slice of lemon and lime.

Perfect for the morning after.