The Quest for the Perfect Bloody Mary

Horseradish vodka is one of the many reasons I am thankful for friends. Not only is it fun to make and delicious, this treat bridges all gaps, tears down all borders…

While I was studying abroad in Ecuador my Junior year of college I met the two most amazing people ever (3 if you count Boyfriend, but he is not so much a part of this story)! Among many of the fantastic adventures we had while we were there one of them was the quest for the perfect Bloody Mary. In Ecuador there is a fruit called Tomate de Arbol. Let me tell you, tomatoes of the tree are nothing like a tomato of the ground (as we came to call regular tomatoes). Tomate de Arbol is best blended with vanilla and water or milk to make juice. Tomate de arbol is not good in a Bloody Mary. We searched high and low for Bloody Mary’s that had 1)regular tomatoes 2)anything spicy 3)vodka (not sugarcane alcohol). We even went as far as to try to make our own with a blender, tomatoes, and a couple of things we were hoping were horseradish and Worcestershire sauce. Needless to say, all attempts failed.

Until about 3 weeks ago I had completely forgotten about our quest, and had still never even tasted a proper Bloody Mary. Then horseradish vodka came into my life.

At my new job I met a fabulous couple. I work closely with the wife on a food project, and I also work with the husband on grant related stuff. They are also our neighbors, and we go over for dinner all the time because they are amazing people, amazing cooks, and have an amazing apartment.

One night when we were sitting around he (our neighbor) started passing out shots of this liquid of gods. It turns out that, along with being a doctor and a chemist, he is an expert on all beverages. Horseradish infused vodka is the ultimate Bloody Mary vodka, or accompaniment to a steak dinner. Upon our request he taught us how to infuse it for our Christmas baskets to take to my Bloody Mary Hunting friends in Portland. Finally the quest will end!

How to make Horseradish Vodka:

Buy really fresh horse radish, peel it, rinse it off, and grate it up. Be careful as onions have nothing on horseradish for making the preparer cry, and I don’t recommend grating it with your eyes closed.

In a clean mason jar put about a 1:3::horseradish:vodka (you remember the SATs don’t you) and let it sit for at least a week or two. The official story is you are supposed to let it sit in a dark place for 40 days and 40 nights, but we got a little excited and drank it after about 14 days.

Stole vodka is recommended, but we have also used Sky and Monopolowi which were also delicious.

After you have let it sit, strain out the horseradish. Let it sit and decant (pour off the top into a clean jar and leave the sediment part in the old jar. Put your product in the freezer for the most impressive presentation. You can sip it straight, or mix it with your favorite Bloody Mary fixins. I recommend lemon, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, salt, and tomato (of the ground) juice – no need for hot sauce as the vodka has quite a kick.