Cucumber-Basil Bloody Marys
Rough morning? I have just the thing!
Chances are fairly good that you, like myself, were probably up a bit too late last night, and probably had a bit too much champagne. Gotta bring in the new year with style, right?
But it’s okay, because this Bloody Mary is going to make everything right in the world. “Hair of the dog” and all that stuff…
Oh, and this isn’t your typical Bloody Mary either. (I like getting a little crazy with my Bloody Marys, like this Mediterranean one that I made last year!) This one’s full of fresh basil, cucumber, and Serrano chiles—making it both incredibly refreshing, and spicy-savory, at the same time.
And how about those green ice cubes? Not only are those jewel-toned cubes pretty to look at, but your drink won’t get watered down as they melt! In fact, your drink will get spicier as they melt, thanks to the Serrano chile! It’s the little things that make all the difference, ya know? I made itty-bitty cubes, and a few giant cubes. I totally can’t decide which I like better.
Yes, the combo of the tomato juice and green ice cubes makes kinda a weird color for the end product, but just go with it! It’s FLAVOR!
I actually used a cucumber soda in this drink, just to up the cucumber flavor and add some bubbles, but if you can’t find any, you can get away with subbing tonic or club soda.
These would be stupid easy to serve at a brunch party. Make the ice cubes the night before, and the only work to do in the morning is fill glasses with equal parts vodka and tomato juice, then top ‘em off with cucumber soda.
If you wanna get fancy, you can rub the rims of your glasses with a lime wedge, then dip them in a mixture of kosher salt, sweet paprika, and celery salt. Just eyeball the measurements.
I used Hangar 1 Straight Vodka in these Bloody Marys. It’s crazy smooth, and I super appreciate their dedication to seasonal ingredients and small batch production. Plus, how cool are those bottles?!
I kinda feel like this is the best Bloody Mary, ever. The basil and cucumber add such a unique flavor that you just don’t find in a typical Bloody Mary. This one is also much thinner in texture. It’s not as much of a “meal in a cup” as some of I’ve seen (um, like the one my mom got in Wisconsin), but it will be an excellent accompaniment to any sweet or savory brunch-y foods you’re eating today as you recover from last night’s festivities!
PrintCucumber-Basil Bloody Marys
Yield: 1 cocktail and a bunch of fun ice cubes
Ingredients:
For the ice cubes:
- 2 mini cucumbers (Kirby cucumbers or pickling cucumbers)
- 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
- 1 Serrano chile (de-seeded, if you’re sensitive to spice)
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp agave syrup
- 2 cups water
For the Bloody Marys:
- 2 oz. Hangar 1 Straight Vodka
- 2 oz. tomato juice
- Cucumber soda (or club soda)
- Lime wedges
- Mini cucumbers, quartered lengthwise
- Fresh basil
- Kosher salt + sweet paprika + celery salt to rim glasses (optional)
Directions:
For the ice cubes:
- Puree all of the ingredients in a blender, strain through a fine mesh sieve, and pour into your desired ice cube tray. Freeze until solid.
For the Bloody Marys:
- If you want to rim your glasses, put the salt/paprika/celery salt mixture on a plate. Rub the rim of the glass with a lime wedge and roll in the salt mixture.
- Fill the glass with your green ice cubes. Pour in 2 ounces Hangar 1 Straight Vodka, 2 ounces of tomato juice, and fill the remainder of the glass with the cucumber soda.
- Squeeze a lime wedge into the glass, and garnish with cucumber wedges and fresh basil.
*Hangar 1 provided me with the vodka, but I was not compensated in any other way. As always, all views expressed are completely my own!