Erin Elizabeth
The Bloody Mary is the most iconic brunch cocktail in the world, with various contending origin stories.
One theory dates its origin to the New York Bar in Paris, a famed haunt for the 1920’s literary crowd, which included Ernest Hemingway.
Another dates its origin to the 1930s in a New York City club called 21 Club, where comedian George Jessel created a simple cocktail of tomato juice and vodka.
Whichever story you subscribe to, the Bloody Mary has evolved to become the quintessential hair of the dog. It’s a meal in a cup with countless regional and national variations.
While tomato juice is the foundation of a Bloody Mary, you’ll see below that there are numerous spice mixes available to make the ultimate cocktail.
Best Bloody Mary Mix
Read on to discover my list of the best Bloody Mary mix brands on the market.
McClure’s Bloody Mary Mixer
McClure’s is a family-owned artisanal pickle company that started in 2006 when Joe and Bob McClure began bottling and selling their grandmother’s world-famous pickles out of a warehouse in New York.
They use the same pickle brine recipe as a key ingredient in the Bloody Mary Mixer, which also contains a simple blend of garlic, dill, black pepper, cucumber, and tomato juice.
The brine gives McClure’s Bloody Mary Mixer a unique tang.
I recommend buying a bottle of their spicy pickles to use as a garnish to complement the bloody mary mixer. You can find their products at Krogers and various specialty grocers around the U.S.
Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix
Winner of various SIP Award gold medals, Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix is a popular and elaborate Bloody Mary mixer from the Zing Zang cocktail mix and canned cocktail dynasty.
Zing Zang uses all-natural ingredients to create one of the most complex Bloody Mary Mixes you’ll taste.
It contains seven vegetable juices including tomato, carrot, celery, and beets. It also has a proprietary spice blend and hot sauce, making for a very spicy cocktail mix.
You can add vodka, tequila, or even a Mexican lager to create a Michelada.
I like the complexity of the Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix, and it’s also very easy to find. Large grocery chains and liquor chains like Walmart and Total Wine carry it.
Collins Classic Bloody Mary Mix
True to its name, Collins Classic Bloody Mary Mix is an ode to the traditional Bloody Mary, made with tomato juice, distilled vinegar, salt, Worcestershire sauce, celery seed, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika.
It doesn’t use organic fresh ingredients and it contains preservatives that give it a much longer shelf life. It’s one of the most budget-friendly options on my list, but that doesn’t detract from its delicious and classic flavor.
It’s widely available around the U.S. at any major grocery store or liquor store. I think the addition of sugar brings out the tanginess of Worcestershire.
I like to use a jalapeno-stuffed olive or banana pepper as a garnish for Bloody Marys made with Collins mix to ramp up the heat.
Demitri’s Bloody Mary Seasoning
Dimitri’s founder Dimitri Pallis has spent decades perfecting his recipes for the perfect bloody mary mix as a bartender in Seattle.
With input from customers and fellow bartenders alike, Demitri’s Bloody Mary Seasoning may be the perfect product.
It’s my personal favorite because there are multiple different Bloody Mary mixes to choose from, not to mention a line of rim salts and garnishes.
Demitri’s has a classic 14-ingredient recipe, chilies and peppers mix, chipotle habanero mix, and horseradish mix.
Plus, you can buy the mixes as a seasoning pouch to combine with tomato juice or bottled with tomato juice, so all you need to do is add vodka.
Mr. & Mrs. T’s Bold & Spicy Bloody Mary Mix
Like Dimitri’s Mr. & Mrs. T’s mixes also offer a variety of Bloody Mary mixes, the best of which is the Bold & Spicy Bloody Mary Mix.
It contains tomato concentrate, water, sugar, vinegar, salt, citric acid, Worcestershire, jalapeno pepper puree, onion powder, spice blend, cayenne pepper, chipotle pepper puree, and garlic powder.
Not for the faint of heart, Mr. & Mrs. T’s Bold & Spicy Bloody Mary Mix has a pepper trifecta, with cayenne, jalapeno, and chipotle packing both heat and spice.
The sugar content helps neutralize some of the heat, but it still managed to take my breath away.
Finest Call Bloody Mary Mix
Finest Call Bloody Mary Mix has a line of six different Bloody Mary mixes, including Zesty Bloody Mary, Premium Bloody Mary, Loaded Bloody Mary, Michelada, Bloody Caesar, and Extra Spicy Bloody Mary.
Each mix starts with their proprietary blend of fresh California-sourced tomato juice, lemon juice, and spice granule mixture.
I like their Loaded Bloody Mary Mix, which adds chunks of pepper, cracked black pepper, and creamy horseradish.
It has a thick and decadent texture. The use of fresh tomato and lemon juice puts Finest Call Bloody Mary Mix a cut above the rest. If you like clam juice, try their Bloody Caesar Mix.
Suckerpunch Gourmet Bloody Mary Mix
Suckerpunch is a small-batch, gourmet pickle and Bloody Mary Mix company dedicated to fresh, non-GMO, preservative-free, and vegan ingredients.
They have an original and a spicy Bloody Mary Mix that uses their spicy garlic pickles as a key ingredient.
The pickles are pureed and blended with a rich tomato juice and a simple spice mixture.
Suckerpunch Gourmet Bloody Mary Mix is a delicious tomato juice mixture that I’d drink by itself. The garlic and pickles blended with tomato juice give it a unique flavor.
The small-batch and eco-friendly philosophy gives it a clean taste and makes me feel good about the company I’m supporting with my purchase.
Best Bloody Mary Mix
- McClure’s Bloody Mary Mixer
- Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix
- Collins Classic Bloody Mary Mix
- Demitri’s Bloody Mary Seasoning
- Mr. & Mrs. T’s Bold & Spicy Bloody Mary Mix
- Finest Call Bloody Mary Mix
- Suckerpunch Gourmet Bloody Mary Mix
Final Thoughts
Bloody Marys are as iconic as they are diverse, and brunch restaurants around the world have used creative license to invent over-the-top concoctions. Some of them come with foot-long skewers of savory and pickled garnishes like bacon and shrimp.
No matter how extravagant the garnish, the most important foundation for a good Bloody Mary is the mix of tomato juice and spices. I’ve listed the best Bloody Mary Mixes you can find online or in stores that will make an expert mixologist out of anyone.
Don’t forget to choose the right vodka for your Bloody Mary to go with these mixes!
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