There are as many opinions on how to make the perfect Bloody Mary as there are variations of the iconic cocktail. Still—whether you’re looking to nurse a hangover or just get your weekend off to an extra fun start—you deserve the absolute best version of the classic drink. That’s why Time Out Market Boston set out to find Fenway’s top Bloody Mary at its recent Bloody Mary Contest. The winner? (Drumroll, please!) Big Heart Hospitality.
Eight local booze experts competed at the tasty event earlier this month for a fun day full of sipping, sampling and socializing. Guests were each given a token that they were able to use to vote for their favorite Bloody after sampling all of the available options. At the end of the day, Big Heart’s delicious and innovative take came out on top.
“I think the number one thing that makes a great Bloody Mary is the consistency of the drink,” says Big Heart Hospitality’s Justin McGrail. “If it’s too thin, it tastes watery, and if it’s too thick, it’s tough to drink.”
Dying to try your hand at making the winning drink yourself? McGrail was kind enough to pass along the list of ingredients he used to make the crowd-pleaser:
• Tomato Juice
• Horseradish
• Worcestershire Sauce
• Sriracha
• Celery Salt
• Black Pepper
• Sweet Cheeks North Carolina Vinegar Sauce
• Old Bay Seasoning
• Sweet Cheeks Spice Rub
• Sweet Cheeks Gochujang BBQ sauce
• Fresh Lemon Juice
“All the unique ingredients I used in my Bloody were things that we already had in house at Sweet Cheeks,” explains McGrail. “I’d put banana peppers on everything if I could so using the brine from those was a no brainer. I wanted a distinct flavor that wasn’t overly spicy so I used Old Bay. Lastly, I wanted to put a BBQ spin on this bloody, so using the sweet cheeks spice rub and the gochujang BBQ were two ingredients that I thought were close enough to a classic bloody recipe and unique enough to not scare people away.”
It seems safe to say that it did nothing of the sort! Looking for something to pair with your award-winning Bloody Mary? McGrail recommends another perennial crowd-pleaser: a greasy breakfast sandwich.