A Bloody Mary is half drink, half snack, and the garnish is where it earns its reputation. Celery and a lemon wedge are the classics. A skewer of pickled crimini mushrooms is the one guests ask about: briny like an olive, but savory in a way that suits tomato, Worcestershire and celery salt.
Below: how to set up a Bloody Mary bar so guests can build their own, the best Bloody Mary garnish ideas, a savory recipe, and a few more drinks the same garnishes work in.
How to set up a Bloody Mary bar
For brunch, a game day or a holiday morning, a Bloody Mary bar does most of the hosting for you. Set it up once and let people help themselves.
- The mix. Stir tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire, hot sauce, celery salt, pepper and a little pickled mushroom brine together in a jug, without the vodka. Plan on about 4 oz (120 ml) of mix per drink and two drinks per guest. Make it a few hours ahead and keep it in the fridge.
- The spirits. Vodka on ice, plus gin for a Red Snapper or tequila for a Bloody Maria.
- The glasses. Tall glasses, a plate of celery salt for the rims, a bucket of ice and a few long spoons.
- The garnish tray. Small bowls of pickled crimini, pickled king oyster coins, olives, pickled green beans, celery stalks, lemon and lime wedges, and something hearty like bacon or cheese cubes.
- Ready-made skewers. Thread a dozen ahead of time, with two crimini and a king oyster coin on each. People pick a skewer, then add their own extras.
- Labels. A small card on each bowl. The mushrooms are what people ask about, so name them.
Which pickled mushrooms to put out. Three of our five jars belong on a Bloody Mary bar:
- Crimini for the skewers: whole small caps, about the size of an olive, that spear cleanly. The brine is white wine vinegar with thyme, the mildest of the five.
- King oyster for show: thick coins that sit flat on a skewer, with truffle oil in the jar.
- Shiitake for the mix: its brine is made with tamari, so a teaspoon does the job of extra Worcestershire.
Leave the white shimeji for the cheese board; the clusters are too delicate to spear. For a bar of eight to ten people, start with a jar of each; for a big crowd, open two of each. A Build Your Variety Pack puts all three in one order.
Bloody Mary garnish ideas
Pick three or four from this list for each glass. Past that it becomes a skewer of snacks, which at brunch is no bad thing.
Pickled mushrooms
Two crimini and a king oyster coin on a skewer bring brine, bite and a savory depth that a celery stick can't.
Celery
The classic. Crunchy, fresh, and a stirrer you can eat.
Pickles and pickled vegetables
Dill pickle spears, pickled green beans, asparagus or okra, for crunch and an extra hit of sour.
Olives
Green olives, plain or stuffed with blue cheese or garlic.
Bacon
A crisp strip standing up in the glass. Salty, smoky and very brunch.
Shrimp
A cooked, chilled shrimp hooked over the rim.
Cheese
Cubes of sharp cheddar or pepper jack on the skewer.
Lemon or lime
A wedge on the rim, so everyone can adjust the acid to taste.
Pepperoncini or jalapeño
For anyone who wants more heat.
How to build a Bloody Mary skewer
Use a long bamboo skewer, heavier things at the bottom: a cheese cube, then a king oyster coin, an olive, two crimini, and a pickled green bean at the top. Lay it across the rim or stand it in the glass beside the celery.
The pickled mushroom Bloody Mary
Your usual recipe works. The mushrooms go in twice: the brine in the glass and the mushrooms on the skewer. Makes one drink in about 5 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 oz (60 ml) vodka
- 4 oz (120 ml) tomato juice
- ½ oz (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
- 2 dashes hot sauce
- 1 tsp pickled crimini or shiitake brine
- A pinch of celery salt and black pepper
- To garnish: a celery stalk, and a skewer of two pickled crimini and a pickled king oyster coin
Method
- Fill a tall glass with ice.
- Put everything except the garnish into a shaker with ice. Pour it back and forth between the shaker and a second glass four or five times instead of shaking it hard, which makes tomato juice foamy.
- Strain into the glass and taste. It should taste savory, not sour. Add more brine a few drops at a time if it needs it.
- Add the celery and the mushroom skewer.
More drinks for the same garnishes
The dirty mushroom martini. Make a dirty martini with crimini brine instead of olive brine: 2 oz (60 ml) gin or vodka, 2 tsp (10 ml) dry vermouth and ½ oz (15 ml) crimini brine, stirred with ice for about 30 seconds and finished with two crimini on a pick. For a cleaner version, see our pickled mushroom martini.
The Wisconsin Old Fashioned. In Wisconsin, the Old Fashioned is made with brandy and ordered sweet, sour or press. Order it sour or press, and the garnish is often pickled mushrooms or olives instead of a cherry. Here is how to make a Wisconsin Old Fashioned.
The Caesar. Canada's answer to the Bloody Mary: vodka, clam and tomato juice, Worcestershire and hot sauce, in a glass rimmed with celery salt. A king oyster coin on the skewer fits right in.
The vodka chaser. In Poland, Russia and Ukraine, a shot of ice-cold vodka is followed straight away by a pickled mushroom, often with rye bread, sour cream or onion alongside.
Bloody Mary questions
What do you put on a Bloody Mary bar?
A jug of mix without the vodka, the spirits on ice, tall glasses, celery salt for the rims, and a tray of garnishes: celery, lemon and lime, olives, pickles, pickled mushrooms, bacon and cheese cubes, plus a few ready-made skewers.
Why is celery in a Bloody Mary?
It works as a stirrer you can eat, and its cold crunch balances a rich, savory drink. It is still the classic garnish, even on bars that offer a dozen others.
What food goes best with a Bloody Mary?
Salty, savory brunch food: eggs, bacon, hash browns, and a board of cheese, cured meat and pickles. The garnish tray doubles as a snack.
Can you use pickled mushroom brine in a Bloody Mary?
Yes. A teaspoon of crimini or shiitake brine adds salt and savory depth. Shiitake is the stronger of the two, so start small.
How much Bloody Mary mix do I need for a party?
About 4 oz (120 ml) per drink, and plan on two drinks per guest: roughly a quart of mix for every four people.
The short version
Set out the mix without the vodka, a tray of garnishes and a dozen ready-made skewers. Crimini on the skewers, king oyster for show and shiitake brine in the mix. Then keep the jars, because the rest belongs on a board, in a salad or on toast. Here are fourteen easy ways to use pickled mushrooms.
Stocking the bar? Build a variety pack with crimini, king oyster and shiitake, or start with a 2-Pack of crimini.