Must Have: Extra Long co*cktail Picks
Looking for a good way to go crazy with your garnishes? Check out these brand new Stainless co*cktail Picks that we just released on Amazon. They are a full 8″ long, super sharp and perfect for garnishes in any Collins or Highball glass. I had a lot of fun playing with these (can you tell from the photos?) and I think you’ll like them too
I’m not sure this counts as a “garnish” but today I’m going to say it does. The salt rim is not only a very common (and delicious) addition to your standard Bloody Mary co*cktail, it also opens up the doors to unlimited creative flavors and ideas.
- Au Natural: A classic kosher salt rim is a great choice. Consider salting half the rim if you want the customer to have their choice of salted or not.
- Salt and Pepper: Like a little “pep” in your life? Add a bit of black pepper or paprika to the salt. Be careful – a little goes a long way!
- Celery Salt: Spoiler alert: you’re probably gonna want to put Celery in your Bloody Mary. Why not pair it with a celery salt rim? It also has the benefit of a beautiful savory aroma that’s perfectly matched for this tomato drink.
- Meat Salt: This salt is basically dried and ground up proscuitto mixed with kosher salt. It is as savory as it gets and a perfect rim for a Bloody Mary.
This is the standard lineup! It’d be hard to find a Bloody Mary without one or two of these poking out of the glass.
- Celery: A must-have. The celery is the international symbol of “Bloody Mary”. Typically it’ll be untrimmed – meaning the celery still has the leaves on top.
- Green or Black Olives: Another very common garnish, olives are a great choice. Consider pimento-stuffed or (as we’ll mention later) green olives stuffed with blue cheese!
- Pickles: You’ll almost always find something pickled. I’ve seen dill pickle spears or cornichons pierced on co*cktail picks.
- Peppers: A perfect match for this spicy co*cktail, it just makes sense to garnish with peppers. There’s a huge variety of peppers to choose from, with varying levels of spiciness and flavor. I like:
- Roasted bell peppers: lots of roasty bell pepper flavor, not spicy at all.
- Pepperocini: Slightly spicier with more of a “pepper” flavor
- Banana peppers: Medium spicy peppers
- Pickled Jalapenos: Spicier with a combination picked / spiciness flavor
- Lemon / Lime: Add a wheel or wedge of citrus to the glass. It adds great color and gives you (or the customer) the ability to add more acid to the co*cktail if they prefer.
Feeling zesty?
If you’ve mastered the basics and want to start taking your Bloody Mary to the next level, there are a lot of great options out there that don’t require a degree in architecture (or a full package of Maalox!) Here are a few ideas:
- co*cktail Shrimp: Who doesn’t like shrimp with tomato sauce? Shrimp and Bloody Marys are just the next logical step
- Picked Green Beans, Asparagus or co*cktail Onions: Pickled stuff works really well in Bloody Marys – and I’ve seen all three of these done deliciously well.
- A Strip of Bacon: It’s meaty, salty, savory, and shaped perfectly to stick in the glass. So what’s stopping you?
- Cheese: I’ve seen cheese done several ways:
- Cubes of Cheddar, Swiss or Monterey Jack speared on co*cktail picks along with everything else
- Bits of blue cheese stuffed in green olives
- Balls of fresh mozzarella pierced on picks (sometimes with Cherry tomatoes and Basil for a “caprese” style drink!)
- Marinated Artichoke Hearts: Not quite pickled, but still flavorful. Anothe great choice.
Just happen to have a degree in architecture, a bunch of co*cktail picks, a creative spirit and a mop if things go wrong? Well then – go crazy! The only limits are your imagination, and, well, gravity.
I haven’t personally tried any of the following but I’ve definitely heard about bars that offer Bloody Mary Monstrosities that are a whole meal in and of themselves.
- Sliders
- Slice of pizza
- Chicken wings
- Devilled or scotch egg
- Fried Chicken
- DimSum
