Turn Your Pickles Into Bloody Mary Shot Glasses And Thank Us Later
Do you like bloody marys? Check. Do you like pickles? Check. Do you like the idea of drinking bloody marys out of shot glasses made from pickles? That, again, should be a big fat 'check.' This playful take on the classic cocktail has been popping up across the internet, and for good reason. Not only is it a fun way to enjoy a drink that's typically sipped (ideally over a long brunch), but the salty, crunchy, and slightly sour nature of pickles makes them a perfect match for the bloody mary's signature spice and savoriness.
A classic bloody mary (thought to be named after the famously brutal English queen, Mary Tudor) generally contains vodka, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, lemon juice, hot sauce (like Tabasco), and, of course, the tomato juice that gives it its trademark 'bloody' color. The drink is then typically garnished with a stalk of celery, a cocktail pick or swizzle stick threaded with olives, or in some cases, a pickle spear. Therefore, it makes perfect sense to follow up your bloody mary pickle shot with a bite of the pickle itself, which will leave you with a refreshed palate and ultimately tie the whole delicious experience together.
Tips for making bloody mary pickle shots
Bloody mary pickle shots aren't hard to make, particularly if you're already familiar with the bloody mary cocktail. Start by taking some large pickles of any variety (horseradish pickles, for example, would work well with the spicy ingredients in the drink) and cutting off the ends to create flat bottoms. Slice the pickles in half and carefully hollow out the center of each with a small spoon (a ¼ teaspoon is ideal, and less risky than using a paring knife) to make room for your boozy concoction. For some extra richness (to cut through the acidity), you could even try securing some bacon around each pickle and baking the shot glasses in the oven.
Now for the fun part — coating the rims in seasoning (Old Bay seasoning, chili lime seasoning, and Montreal steak seasoning all work well, though you could also experiment with celery salt, which is sometimes used in the base of a bloody mary). Simply fill a small bowl with your seasoning of choice, flip the pickles upside down, and give them a good twirl in the mixture.
The final step in the process, of course, is to add the bloody mary mixture. Use your favorite bloody mary recipe (even if all you have to do is chuck the ingredients in a blender), then line up your makeshift shot glasses and pour the mixture right in. Top with a celery leaf and ta-da, you're ready to start calling drinking the shots.