Best Green Bloody Mary or Bloody Maria
If you're looking for the best Green Bloody Mary or Bloody Maria, you've come to the right place.
Last week I was chatting with a neighbor who said he'd be visiting some old friends for the Superbowl next weekend. He said he usually brings Bloody Marys. But since our favorite team is in the big big game this year, he wanted to bring a green version and call them Bloody Eagles (because we Eagles fans bleed green, you see).
Since we're having a mini shindig of our own, I thought this sounded like a great idea. I tried out the recipe my neighbor sent over from somewhere on the internet. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite hitting like I wanted it to. But just like my favorite team, I'm no quitter...
Instead, I turned Charlotte House into a test kitchen. I decided to see if I could come up with something that felt more like a Green Bloody Mary, and less like a green health smoothie with vodka in it.
What Makes the Best Green Bloody Mary or Bloody Maria?
After a few trial runs, I figured out that the best Green Bloody Mary or Bloody Maria comes down to the main ingredient: tomatillos.
Most green Bloody Mary or Bloody Maria recipes call for fresh tomatillos and herbs. But when we tried it, they tasted too much like a green health smoothie for our liking. Those have a time and a place, and Superbowl Sunday is neither.
Instead, I nixed the herbs and decided to try a version with canned tomatillos. This got us way closer to replicating the taste of a traditional Bloody Mary. Canned tomatillos can also be much easier to get ahold of depending on where you live.
I also tweaked some of the other spices & add-ins. But don't worry, I took plenty of notes to give you the option for a less spicy green Bloody Mary or Bloody Maria.
What's the Difference Between a Bloody Mary and a Bloody Maria?
In a word, the liquor. Bloody Marys are made with vodka, while a Bloody Maria is made with tequila. Often, the latter is made a little spicier as well, or even with a spicy-salty rim.
Once I put this recipe together, it became pretty clear that the tomatillo flavor was calling out for some tequila. We went with a Blanco Tequila, which is clear tequila that some say has a "fresher" taste than a more common gold tequila.
If you're a vodka girl or fella, this recipe would also work well with the vodka of your choice (we tried both!). So you do you, Boo.
Either way, Green Bloody Mary or Bloody Maria drinks are perfect for the big game, or even a Green Themed St. Patrick's Day drink. Because we don't need to drink green beer all day, do we?
We used canned tomatillos to more closely resemble traditional vodka Bloody Mary flavors, but this green adult beverage also has the perfect flavors for a tequila Bloody Maria
- 1 large can Canned tomatillos, drained (26-28 oz depending on the brand)
- 3 cups-ish (24 oz) yellow, orange, or green tomatoes (cherry-size tomatoes work great! Just fill your empty tomatillo container & use that amount)
- 1 large seedless cucumber, peeled (or remove seeds from standard cucumber)
- 1-2 serrano pepper (adjust to your spicy preference)
- 1-2 tbs horseradish (adjust to your spicy preference)
- 1 tbs celery salt
- 1 tbs Worcestershire
- 1-2 tsp ground white pepper (or 1 tsp ground black pepper)
- 1-2 dash green hot sauce (not salsa verde! start small, adjust as needed)
- squeeze lime (optional!)
- 6 oz Green Bloody Mary Maria Mix
- 2 oz blanco tequila (or swap with your favorite tequila or vodka)
- celery stalk, bacon, mini cucumbers, pickles, etc (optional garnishes)
- Peel & prep veggies as needed
Smaller pieces can be easier to blend smooth (cucumber, serrano pepper, etc), and you'll want to peel the cucumbers to make the mix smoother
- Add all ingredients to blender, blend on medium/high until very smooth
Don't skimp on getting the mix nice & smooth. This took about 60-90 seconds for our blender, but will vary based on what you're using
- In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine 4oz Bloody mix and 1.5 oz chosen liquor
These flavors work great with blanco (white) tequila for a Bloody Maria, but you can also use whatever tequila you have on hand, or vodka for a more traditional Bloody Mary (but green!)
- Shake gently or stir, then strain into highball glass with ice
Bloody Marys like to be cold, but don't worry if you don't have a shaker/strainer – just stir everything together well
- Garnish & Serve!
Traditional garnish: celery stalks
Fun add-ons: cocktail shrimp, bacon slice, gherkins, mini cucumbers, cheese cubes, pepperoni, baby corn
Best served with a straw!