the perfect {spicy} bloody mary.

Today, we’re bringing sexy back.

C’mon…you know a bloody mary is totally hot. Hot as in spicy. Sexy = hot = spicy. Are we on the same page? Good.

Today, I’m bringing sexy back in the form of the perfect bloody mary. This is not a new recipe to these parts, but because I make these *so* often, I felt compelled to take a shiny new picture and share it with you and remind you how awesome they are.

So you can make them. Like, this weekend. Or today. I surely wouldn’t judge you for imbibing on this fine Wednesday morning.

I love a good bloody mary for so many reasons. Most importantly, it’s usually the sign of a great weekend. This goes for both the “hell yeah, the weekend is here!” bloody mary and the “I had too much fun this weekend” hair of the dog bloody mary. I equally love that it’s considered totally normal to enjoy one (who are we kidding – several) before noon. In fact, having a bloody mary at any other time of day just seems downright wrong.

That, and the fact that one of my favorite food adages absolutely applies here: the spicier, the better. I like to use a heavy hand with all things spicy, so if you prefer a more mild cocktail, feel free to cut down on your horseradish, hot sauce, pepper, and cayenne. Another shocker: I like to use a lot of vodka. For one, my philosophy for cocktails using any mixer other than club soda is to always use more alcohol so that you get more bang for your buck (calorically speaking, that is). That, and the bloody mary is inherently filling because of its heavy tomato juice base, so you may not have room for more than one or two.

{Did I even need an excuse to add extra vodka?}

The Perfectly Spicy Bloody Mary

Adapted from Emeril Lagasse

• 4 1/2 cups tomato juice
• 3 1/2 cups vodka
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon Emeril’s Essence seasoning
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• Olives, for garnish {preferably blue-cheese stuffed}
• Celery hearts, for garnish

Combine ingredients in a pitcher and stir to combine. Refrigerate until chilled. Serve over ice with celery and olives for garnish.

Makes 1 pitches – serving 4 to 6.