Rosemary, Ginger, Smoked Paprika Bloody Mary

As certain people in my life know, I'm a little obsessed with the Bloody Mary. 

I always seem to wake on a weekend morning with a crazy desire for the perfect Bloody.  Sure, it's about the flavor.   But it also symbolizes the the celebratory, unburdened sense of freedom I associate with a weekend morning.    

My Bloody partner in crime and I are fascinated with how inconsistent the classic Bloody Mary tastes from bartender to bartender.    Sure, food and drinks are always subjective, but doesn't the classic Bloody always have the same qualities in common?  It's crazy that maybe 4 out of 5 Bloodies we consume don't exhibit all the traits we crave.

What makes the perfect Bloodie for me?  First, there's the balance between vodka and tomato juice.   Many Bloodies I get are overly watery - the tomato flavor just doesn't come through.   After that, it's all about the ingredients in the mix.    I recently caught my Bloody partner in crime looking through the side of the glass, evaluating the ratio of horseradish, cracked pepper and such within the liquid.  Sometimes you can tell if it's going to be a good Bloody just by looking at it.   

Finally, the  balance of flavors comes next.   The squeeze of citrus, the multiple levels of spiciness (pepper, chili, horseradish, etc) and intangibles like freshness (fresh horseradish makes a huge difference, of course) are certainly factors.

So, considering all this, I felt a bit of pressure when making Bloody Mary's one weekend morning.  Could I live up the standard that I felt so adamantly about?  I hadn't really made a Bloody Mary before, so the pressure was on.

To start things off, I couldn't get my hands on fresh horseradish or Worcester sauce as quickly as I needed to whip up the Bloodies.  To compensate,  I thought about how I could replace the peppery heat of horseradish without substituting with more Tabasco or adding cayenne.   Since the horseradish adds a different sort of heat than a chili, I thought I'd opt for freshly grated ginger.   For a bit of that meaty earthiness that the Worcester normally provides, I broke out the smoked paprika - not enough to overpower the drink, but just a pinch to add a depth of smokiness and complexity.

All I did was grate some fresh ginger on a microplane, which after a few batches (!), ended up being an  essential way to avoid taking big bites of ginger.   The rosemary needs to be be chopped as finely as humanly possible, again to avoid the sometimes unpleasant texture of the herb in the mouth.    A very fine dice of celery was a welcomed bit of freshness in the drink, as was the spicy vinegary kick of Tabasco and the fresh squeeze of lime juice.    The garnish, a wedge of candied ginger, added another welcomed addition of aggressive flavor.

P.S. -  My favorite Bloody Mary these days (actually a Bloody Maria) is at the East Village restaurant Mercadito.  I think its outrageous - cucumber muddled with a smoky, chipotle tomato juice and just the right amount of citrus.  Of course, there's Prune...but sometimes the wait doesn't make sense for me.   

Send me a note or comment on a great Bloody Mary I should try in NYC or Williamsburg, and I'll be sure to tell you what I thought.   

Comments

[Jennifer Hess]

Diner in Williamsburg turns out a nice Bloody, though my favorite is my husband's version. He generally uses a San Marzano tomato passata as the base, which helps with the issue of an overly-watery drink. He has been playing with smoked paprika as well as chipotle powder in them lately, both of which are a nice addition. Also, Wheelhouse's horseradish is lovely.

[cb]

have you tried muddling the rosemary? i figure it's so strong that it might solve any problems with getting rosemary bits stuck between your teeth. . .

mmm, mmm, do i love bloody marys.

[Leigh N]

I second the nomination of Diner, those are my favorite bloodies in Williamsburg too. (They also share the same bloody mix with Marlow and Sons next door..)

And the San Marzano idea sounds like a great one! Those tomatoes add a certain unexpected sweetness too, I'm sure...

[kabonfootprint]

I am trying my best to learn cooking (decent meals :-) thanks for sharing your ideas ... Busby SEO challenge

KabonFootPrint

[Andrea White]

You are very adventurous! I tried your ginger bloody mary, very interesting, very NICE !!! My husband absolutely loves it!
I am a blogger too - just started actually - and LOOOOVE to cook. Have a look at it and let me know how you like it.

http://thingsdoneeasy.blogspot.com/

keep up the great creations! Andrea White

[christening gifts]

I love this.

[horse racing tipster]

very NICE !!!

[Menus Nearu]

Very nice to see this article....
I will try this dish...
Thanks for your information about this dish.

[Lap]

Greeting. If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what is the significance of a clean desk? Help me! Looking for sites on: Anti asthma. I found only this - prednisolone pulse. Anti inflammatory or antiallergic agents were topically administered once or twice before pge application. Definition of antiallergic in the medical dictionary. With love :eek:, Lap from Equatorial.

[used computers]

The pan sear adds a depth of flavor that takes them to another level, in my opinion.

[gabriel]

I always try to find out new dishes to prepare. Thanks for sharing new dish for me to try.

[Sexy feet]

The pan sear adds a depth of flavor that takes them to another level, in my opinion.

[Betty]

Wonderful , beautiful , INSPIRING blogsite-I love the pictures!!! Thank you!Betty http://www.geothermalquestions.net

[fer]

Hello
This seems really yummy.I will definitely try this recipe in my weekend.Thank you very much for sharing this with us.Keep up the good work.

[male enhancement]

Male sexual enhancement product and penis enhancement product VigRX Plus helps
improve sexual performance for men who are worried about the size of their penis with
the world's leading male improvement product.

[Buy Generic Viagra]

I admit to being a smoked paprika addict. The quality varies, depending on what brand you buy, though.
excellent information!!
debra

[male enhancement]

Vimax isn't Penis Enhancement but Penis Enlargement Pills That Really Works

[Sikat ang Pinoy]

I was very pleased to find this site.I wanted to thank you for this great read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it and I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post.

[Sikat Ang Pinoy]

Hmmm. It seems delicious. I will try to do make that one.

[Oriental Rugs]

That juice can make you fit and it is good to body. I will try to make that one. :D

[Buy Viagra]

hello buddy great blog about Rosemary, Ginger, Smoked Paprika Bloody Mary thanks for sharing!!!

[viagra online]

excellent post about Rosemary, Ginger, Smoked Paprika Bloody Mary I love this cocktail

[foodie]

The Bloodie might be may all time fave. Pickled green bean garni ala southern style. Fresh basil and roasted garlic sofrito,Glorietta tomato juice,celery salt,tobasco,black pepper and lime. If it looks more like gaspacho add more vodka. Good in a shot glass with a fresh oyster too. Oyeah

[Compra Viagra]

You have a very good blog that the main thing a lot of interesting and useful!

[NBA basketball shoes]

http://www.nike-star-shoes.net/Nike_Zoom_LeBron_Soldier_III.html Nike Zoom LeBron Soldier III
http://www.nike-star-shoes.net/Nike_Zoom_LeBron_James_Soldier.html Nike Zoom LeBron James Soldier