Bloody Mary with Gin and Tajín
If a little heat is your jam, you’re sure to love this Bloody Mary with Gin and Tajín! The combination of homemade Bloody Mary mix and aromatic gin is perfection, and the tajín rim and garnishes bring a Mexican vibe that is hard to resist. This one is not just for brunch!
👩🏻🍳 Tamara Talks – A Bloody Mary with Gin!
I’ve been a gin girl since I was an under-age dance instructor hanging out at discotheques in the late seventies! I still occasionally love a dirty (gin) martini, or a gin and Lillet Rosé cocktail, but I LOVE a Bloody Mary – with a caveat. Vodka doesn’t taste like anything. I love the fact that gin can be infused with so many different flavors, from blackberry to citrus to herbal. The gin that I chose for this bloody mary variant is a Scottish rosemary-forward gin. Of course you can use your preferred gin!
While I do love a traditional cocktail (manhattan, old fashioned, dirty martini), I do love to play with my food (and drinks)! Mixology is really no different than coming up with new food recipes. You might say this is a fusion cocktail, combining chile peppers and ground cumin with traditional worcestershire and horseradish. I do hope you’ll give it a try!
📋 Ingredients Notes
Here is a quick look at the ingredients in the recipe – it’s handy to use at the grocery store or as a summary of what you need. Skip to the recipe for quantities.
Bloody Mary Mix
When I make a carafe of this bloody mary mix, we drink more of it without alcohol than with. It is just that good!
- tomato juice – Your bloody mary will be only as good as the quality of your ingredients. There are good tomato juice brands. Choose one without a lot additives, preservatives, and sugar. If you decide to make your tomato juice, I like this tomato juice recipe. I reduce the sugar by half. I sauté the onion and celery, and purée everything, and press through a fine mesh sieve.
- worcestershire sauce
- hot sauce – I keep many different hot sauces in my refrigerator, but I really love El Yucateco Chipotle hot sauce. You can use your favorite!
- pickled jalapeño juice – Substitute pickle juice if you don’t want to buy pickled jalapeños.
- ground cumin
- horseradish – DO NOT USE HORSERADISH CREAM! You want just horseradish. The cream version will introduce other ingredients.
- lime juice – Please use fresh lime juice. There really is no comparison.
Bloody Mary with Gin and Tajín
- Bloody Mary mix – This post includes my recipe for Bloody Mary mix. I’m partial to it, and make it when I have time. It keeps for a few days in the refrigerator, and I love it sans alcohol for breakfast too. Elevate the mix with fresh tomato juice if you’re so inclined.🙃 If purchasing mix, look for an all natural brand like this Agalima Bloody Mary Mix. It has chipotle peppers like mine does. Brewt’s Bloody Mary Mix is less expensive, and all natural.
- gin – Any London Dry gin (clean, crisp, and pine-forward) will be fine in this cocktail, but we really love this Gin Factory rosemary gin. The hint of rosemary is really nice. Stick with herbal, citrus, or aromatic notes, and avoid gin with floral or fruity notes. See Types of Gin for more information.
- bitters – Bitters are totally OPTIONAL, but can be an amazing addition. I like these savory Scarborough Bitters and these Beach Bonfire Bitters. Celery bitters are another good option.
- tajín – Tajín is in the title, and I highly recommend rimming the glass with it. You can make tajín or buy commercially prepared tajín. If you really want to make a statement, try dusting shrimp with it, and adding it with a cocktail pick.
- garnishes – We really like pickled jalapeños, shrimp, lime wheels, etc. I can also get jalapeño-stuffed olives that are perfect for cocktails. Of course you can go with traditional bloody mary garnishes as well.
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❓FAQ
In the refrigerator: Up to 5 days should be fine, when stored in an airtight container.
With alcohol mixed in: I would recommend using it within 1-2 days, but I’m pretty conservative.
If it contains fresh citrus or perishable ingredients (like horseradish, celery, or fresh herbs): Stick to the lower end of that range—around 3 to 4 days. My recipe contains fresh ingredients.
Check the label for the ingredients. If it’s got citric acid or sodium benzoate in it, you’re probably good up to 4 weeks. Without, you should use it in about 2-3 weeks.
💡 Tips
Stir rather than shake! Shaking can make it too frothy and mess with the texture, especially with tomato juice—it gets weirdly foamy. Stirring keeps it smooth and well-blended without over-aerating.
That said… some bartenders do shake it gently if they want to really mix the spices and sauces. Just don’t go full martini-mode. If you do shake, strain it over fresh ice to avoid diluting it too much.
I don’t want the gin to get lost in the intense flavors. I choose a 10 ounces Mexican rocks glass rather than a pint glass or high ball.
Popular opinion holds that a Bloody Mary is the ultimate hangover cure… I wouldn’t know as I avoid hangovers at all cost! However, I have been known to enjoy them any time of day. They’re not just for brunch!
Bloody Mary with Gin and Tajín Recipe
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Equipment
- glass carafes
Ingredients
Bloody Mary Mix
- 1 quart tomato juice
- ⅓ cup jalapeño pickle juice
- ⅓ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon horseradish - no additives!
- chipotle hot sauce or similar - to taste
Bloody Mary with Gin and Tajín
- 4 ounces bloody mary mix
- 2 ounces gin
- tajín - or homemade tajín
Garnishes
- fresh lime - wedges or coins
- large shrimp - dusted with tajín and grilled
- pickled jalapeños - whole or sliced
Instructions
- If applicable, add all Bloody Mary Mix ingredients to a carafe, and shake well to mix.
- Rim a glass with tajín. Add a few large ice cubes.
- Add gin and Bloody Mary Mix to a cocktail mixing glass with ice. Stir vigorously, and strain over ice.
- Garnish with preferred garnishes.
Nutrition
NOTE: Macronutrients are an approximation only using unbranded ingredients and MyFitnessPal.com. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
I agree, vodka is pretty pointless. This is a great cocktail; the homemade Bloody Mary mix really makes it special. I generally don’t like over-complicated cocktails, but that’s kind of the point with Bloody Marys, right?
Yes, I think so! It’s all about the Bloody Mary mix!