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★ Why You’ll Love this Recipe ★

Are you a fan of Old Bay seasoning, seafood, and spicy things? Then you're going to love this Maryland-inspired Bloody Mary recipe!

I've always wanted to be a Bloody Mary fan but it wasn't until I went to a Bloody Mary bar, fully stocked with everything you can imagine possibly putting in a Bloody Mary, that I finally figured out what was missing for me. Old Bay! I think you'll love the addition of this spicy seasoning as much as I do!

Being a Marylander, born and raised, I love Old Bay. It's kind of like the ketchup of the south, the ranch of the midwest or the low-sodium soy sauce of the west coast—you put Old Bay on everything when you live in Maryland from crabs to corn. So, why not put it in a Bloody Mary? It just makes sense! While we're at it, let's add some shrimp and horseradish to the mix, and top off with a squeeze of lemon. This is a seafood lovers heaven!

★ Ingredients You'll Need ★

Tomato juice. I like to use V8 or Clamato juice. Both have a hearty dose of healthy vegetables!
Vodka. Any plain (non-flavored) vodka works! Typically the cheaper the vodka, the lesser the quality. So I usually spring for a middle-of-the-road vodka to avoid headaches later.
Lemon juice. You'll want to squeeze actual lemons vs. using the bottle lemon juice. It's much more flavorful this way. You can squeeze then add the lemon juice or offer a lemon wedge as a garnish and let people squeeze their own juice.
Tabasco sauce. This adds some heat and flavor.
Old Bay seasoning. Old Bay is a seafood seasoning blend made up primarily of celery salt, paprika, red and black pepper, and mustard powder.
Horseradish. You want to use plain horseradish, not a creamy horseradish sauce. This pack some spice that will make your nose tingle! This is optional. A small amount goes a long
Celery. Celery stalks with leafs still attached makes a pretty garnish. Leave the stalk in your drink so it soaks up some juice, then enjoy the crunch once you're done with your drink. It also helps you stir to keep things mixed which you drink.
Shrimp. Cooked cocktail shrimp make a pretty and tasty garnish. You can coat them in Old Bay first or not. Totally up to you. Add them to the top of your glass using a cocktail skewer.

A lot of these ingredients you might already have on hand. Other than a few oddball ingredients, the only thing you might need to run to the store and get, is some cocktail skewers and straws.

★ How to Serve Bloody Marys ★

You can serve Bloody Marys two ways:

1. Serve from a Pitcher

Multiply the recipe and and serve from a pitcher. You'll want to mix everything together except for the celery and shrimp. Set those aside as garnish to add to each cup once you pour from the pitcher. You can also put out the jar of Old Bay and bottle or Worcestershire sauce in case anyone wants to add an extra dash or two of either one.

This works well if you're hosting a brunch and don't want peopel to have to spend a lot of time assembling their own drink. Just keep the pitchers chilled and offer ice on the side when you're ready to serve. If you want to get fancy, rub the rims of your glasses with lemon and dip into Old Bay or offer up a lemon wedge and a plate of Old Bay for people to dip their own glasses.

2. Create a Bloody Mary Bar

This way is fun but requires people to build their own drink. This is a nice option if you have more time for people to make their own drink. Offer all the ingredients separately along with cups and allow each person to build their own drink to their liking. Be sure to also include swizzle sticks or sturdy straws so that people can stir in each ingredient. You can use a small chalkboard to give instructions and suggestions for how much vodka to add so no one accidentally over does it!

★ More Recipes You'll Love ★

If you love Old Bay, check out my family's favorite hot Maryland crab dip recipe.

Hosting a brunch?

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