Tequila and tomato are old friends in Mexican cooking, so this swap feels natural. Blanco tequila adds a green, peppery note that vodka simply does not have, and a Mexican hot sauce brings a rounder chilli heat than Tabasco alone. Build it tall, pile on the garnish and serve with brunch.
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Add tequila, tomato juice, lemon juice, horseradish, Worcestershire, hot sauce, celery salt and pepper.
Pour the drink into a shaker tin and back into the glass two or three times to mix.
Garnish with a lime wedge, a cucumber spear and a celery stick.
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Bloody Maria
Taste
Savoury and spicy with earthy agave, bright citrus and a lingering chilli warmth. Medium-bodied and refreshing.
History and origin
The Bloody Maria is the tequila member of the Bloody Mary family, which took shape in the 1920s and 1930s and later produced many regional twists, from the gin-based Red Snapper to the Canadian Caesar with clam-tomato juice.
No inventor or date is documented for the tequila version; it spread as tequila grew in popularity in the United States from the 1970s onwards. In Mexico a related tradition exists in sangrita, a spicy tomato, orange and chilli chaser served next to a glass of neat tequila.
Bartender tips
Use a 100 % agave blanco: its pepper and citrus notes carry through the tomato.
Mexican hot sauces such as Valentina or Cholula add flavour as well as heat.
A Tajín or chilli-salt rim turns it into a brunch showpiece.
