This balsamic bloody mary is a new twist on a classic cocktail–spicy, sweet, and totally addictive. Make them for your next brunch!

Last weekend, my friend Meghan, who was over for brunch said, “I feel like a bloody mary is the only cocktail you can drink while pregnant and still feel like you’re part of the celebration.”

My thoughts exactly! A good bloody mary has so much going on–savory tomato juice, spicy Tabasco and horseradish, and umami-rich Worcestershire sauce, not to mention all the garnishes–that you don’t *really* miss the vodka if you leave it out. I’ve been craving a grown-up drink something fierce lately, but I’m just starting my third trimester. A delicious bloody mary seemed like the perfect solution.

Originally I planned to make a classic version, but at the last minute I couldn’t resist tinkering with it just a bit. (Can I ever?)

For a long time, mimosas were my brunch cocktail of choice. I didn’t like tomato juice, so why would I like a tomato juice cocktail? Or so my thinking went. But then in my mid 20s, my friend LiLi and I got into meeting at this bar in Midtown after work that had complimentary breadsticks, olives, cheeses, and cured meats (hey, we were broke and it was basically free dinner). LiLi frequently ordered a bloody mary and finally got me to give them another try. One sip and I was converted. It was spicy, savory, boozy love. I don’t think I’ve ordered a mimosa since.

My favorite traditional bloody mary recipe is Ina Garten’s. I used it as inspiration here (her trick of pureing the celery is pure genius!), but ended up veering off in a totally different direction. On a whim, I reduced some balsamic vinegar down to a syrup. I stirred half into my bloody mary mix and used the rest to drizzle over the finished cocktails. I also swapped the conventional lemon juice for lime, which imparts a nice pop of unexpected flavor that works surprisingly well with the tomato juice.

If you know me, or read my blog often, you know I am obsessed with make-ahead cooking. This goes double for brunch. I like to have everything done the night before, so all I have to worry about in the morning is making coffee. These balsamic bloody marys are perfect. You can mix them up a few days in advance. In fact, I think they taste even better after the flavors have had a chance to meld. And trust me–your guests will be so impressed when you hand them a homemade bloody mary with all the fixings. I like celery sticks, olives, and lime wedges, but you can go totally crazy with things like bacon, shrimp, or pickles–when it comes to bloody marys, more is more.

Technically this recipe serves six, but four of us had no problem polishing off the entire pitcher. I admit, I had two. But hey, they were virgin 😉

Balsamic Bloody Mary

These balsamic bloody marys are the perfect brunch cocktail. You can make the mix up to a few days in advance.

Servings 6

Author Turnip the Oven

Ingredients

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 can tomato juice 46-ounce, about 6 cups
Juice of one large lime
3 teaspoons horseradish
3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1 1/2 teaspoons hot sauce I like Tabasco
3 large stalks celery chopped
Ice
1 1/2 cups vodka
Lime wedges celery stalks, and olives, to garnish

Instructions

In a small saucepan, simmer the balsamic vinegar over medium-low heat until it has reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes.
In a large pitcher, combine 2 tablespoons of the reduced balsamic vinegar, tomato juice, lime juice, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, and hot sauce.
Place the chopped celery stalks in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Add about 1 cup of the tomato mixture and process until pureed. Pour the celery mixture back into the pitcher with the rest of the tomato juice mixture.
To make each drink, fill a glass with ice. Add 1/4 cup of vodka and top with the bloody mary mix. Drizzle with a little of the remaining balsamic vinegar. Garnish with a lime wedge, celery stalk, and olives.