Bourbon Bloody Mary, plus Bacon

Want a Bloody Mary with even more flavor? Then try this Bourbon Bloody Mary with Bacon! Made with all the classics, plus barbeque sauce (yep you read that correctly), and perfectly crisp bacon for a savory spin on your Sunday brunch classic.

We have Italian running through our blood, so we know our way around a tomato, which basically makes us a Bloody Mary expert. Seriously though, vodka is a great standby for this classic hangover cocktail but bourbon livens it up. We mean there's no street in New Orleans named Vodka Street am we right?

This bourbon Bloody Mary goes by a few other names (Bloody Derby, Shotgun Bloody, and Bloody Marianne), but we like to call it what it is. A good explosion of flavor, that can't compete with vodka. Bourbon has a wide range of notes including oak and caramel, making it a superior spirit to use in this brunch staple.

We added barbeque sauce to give this bourbon Bloody Mary more of a punch, and boy does it work. It also compliments that perfectly cooked bacon strip that you'll use as garnish. Lastly, the glass is topped off with a smoky, salty rim which adds an elegant touch.

Ingredient notes

Read below to see how we make the Bourbon Bloody Mary mix. It's completely customizable, so feel free to add a little more (or less) of an ingredient to suit your taste.

• Bacon Use thick-cut bacon for best results.
• Tomato juice Since tomato juice is the star of the show here, opt for good quality if you can. If not, the old standards work fine. We like Sacramento, Pomi, or Knudsen brands. We've also found several craft tomato juices in our local market that work well.
• Pickle juice From a jar of dill pickles.
• Worcestershire sauce
• Prepared horseradish NOT horseradish sauce or cream.
• Celery salt
• Hot sauce Such as Tabasco.
• Barbeque sauce we used plain barbeque sauce from Stubb's, but you can get creative here. Try a bourbon-flavored sauce, or since peaches go well with bourbon, look for a peach BBQ sauce.
• Bourbon Do not use your best bourbon here. Save that for sipping!
• Celery for garnish Classic garnish adds a pop of color against the red.
• Smoked paprika we make a rim salt with this and some celery salt.

See the recipe card for quantities.

To make a batch of bourbon Bloody Marys, you'll need a pitcher, some tall glasses, or Mason jars for serving.

Step-by-step instructions

Anyone can whip up a batch of Bloody Mary mix. When ready to serve, add the bourbon, and sip your worries away.

Preheat the oven to 400℉. Line a baking sheet with foil. Lay the bacon in a single layer, and bake for 18-22 minutes until cooked. Set aside to cool.

In a medium pitcher, add the tomato juice.

Next add the pickle juice, celery salt, horseradish, hot sauce, Worcestershire, and BBQ sauce.

Give the mix a good stir with a cocktail stirrer or wooden spoon. Chill the mixture in the fridge until ready to use.

Pro tip

Chill your glasses in the fridge with the prepared salt rim ahead of time. Take them out right before you are ready to serve.

Substitutions and variations

• Bloody Mary mix Yes, cheat and buy your Bloody Mary mix. No judgment here. We would still add the barbeque sauce to it though to give it more flavor.
• Mix up the ingredients Customize your homemade mix with more or less of any of the ingredients to taste. In addition, you can add lime or lemon juice.
• Garnishes galore Top your cocktail with anything from cooked shrimp to pickles, olives, or jalapeno. Savory toppings shine in Bloody Marys.

Storage and make-ahead

Store the Bloody Mary mix in the fridge for up to 10 days. Making the mix ahead is ideal for hosting, and it allows the flavors to come together. The mix can easily be multiplied as needed.

Food pairings

There are so many options here on the blog for pairing the solid meal with your bourbon Bloody Mary (it's a brunch blog after all!). Think savory dishes, especially eggsfrittatasquiches or hearty sandwiches like this Kielbasa Reuben.

Since peaches pair so well with bourbon, try pairing this cocktail with our peach caprese salad or peach and prosciutto panini. The salty, sweet combo is good!

Kitchen questions

What garnishes go well with a bourbon Bloody Mary?

If you're not feeling the bacon, stick to a simple olive garnish, or a few cherry tomatoes on a cocktail pick. For an indulgent twist try beef jerky, salty prosciutto, or cooked shrimp.

Bacon and bourbon- a match made in heaven.

Ingredients

Makes 4

Bacon Garnish

• 4-6 slices thick-cut bacon

For the Bloody Mary

• 3 cups (24 ounces) tomato juice
• celery salt, plus...for th rim
• 3 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp barbeque sauce
• ¼ cup (2 ounces) dill pickle juice (from a jar of pickles)
• 3 tsp prepared horseradish
• 1 tbsp hot sauce such as Tabasco
• bourbon
• celery for garnish
• lime wedge for garnish
• 1 tsp smoked paprika mixed with ½ tsp celery salt for glasses (for the rim)

Equipment

• baking sheet lined with aluminum foil
• pitcher
• tall glasses or Mason jars for serving

Method

Make the Bacon

1. Preheat the oven to 400℉. Line a baking sheet with foil. Lay the bacon in a single layer, and bake for 18-22 minutes until cooked. Set aside to cool.

For the Bloody Mary

1. In a large pitcher, combine the tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, barbeque sauce, pickle juice, horseradish, hot sauce, and celery salt. Whisk to combine. Place in the fridge until ready to serve.

2. When ready to serve, take your glass and gently squeeze the lime along the rim to moisten it. Roll the glass in the spice mix, making sure to coat the entire rim. Fill the rimmed glass with ice. Add 3 parts Bloody Mary mix, to 1 part bourbon (for example: 6 ounces mix and 2 ounces bourbon). This is a suggested serving, however you can adjust it to your preference.

3. Garnish with a slice of bacon and a celery rib.

Kitchen notes

• Store the Bloody Mary mix in the fridge for up to 10 days (minus the bourbon). Making the mix ahead is ideal for hosting, and it allows the flavors to come together. The mix can easily be multiplied as needed.