(True)Bloody Marys

In honor of last night’s season premiere of the HBO drama True Blood, we had some of our friends over for cocktails and a screening. Along with a simple assortment of hummus/veggies/pita, chocolate chip cookies, and strawberries with lemon curd, we served up these delicious Bloody Marys. When I first turned twenty one, far too many years ago, the Bloody Mary was my signature drink. I always ordered it, and so I became somewhat of a connoisseur. I like them to be spicy, and full of great flavor. Here I mixed good quality tomato juice with Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, garlic powder, freshly ground black pepper, celery salt, a dash of pimentón, freshly squeezed lime juice, a healthy pinch of sugar (to round out the acidity), and as much Absolute Pepper Vodka as you dare. I rimmed the glasses by first dipping them in Worcestershire and then into a mixture of celery salt, freshly ground black pepper, chipotle powder, and garlic powder. Garnish it up with some jalapeño stuffed olives and pickled garlic (to ward off the vampires), and you have a deliciously spicy, full bodied cocktail perfect for everything from brunch to happy hour. Enjoy!