Spicy Bloody Mary made with Jalapeno Infused Vodka. This veggie-packed spicy cocktail is perfect for brunch or the next morning after a night out with friends. Directions for a simple Bloody Mary bar and mocktail.

Last year, I went to New Orleans with a friend for a long weekend. It was my 3rd time in the city, and I’ve always had a fantastic time. I’d go back right now if I could {I’d go anywhere right now, to be honest!}. Everyone is there to have fun, the food is AMAZING, and there is so much history. I’m not a big drinker, but I find that it’s just one big party that starts with drinks at breakfast and continues late into the night. The hair of the dog is always a good idea/needed after a night in New Orleans.

I was never a fan of Bloody Mary’s until my trip last year. Tomato juice and vodka 😐 That quickly changed at breakfast after our first night in the city. I saw the bartender pour olive juice into a glass, and I love olives. I ordered one, fell in love, and order one every morning while we were there. If you’re ever in NOLA, The Carousel Bar and Lounge had the best Spicy Bloody Mary I tried. Sitting at a moving bar, drinking, while hungover is very interesting, too.

I also felt like I was healthy with my morning drink choice because of all the veggies. Each one came with vegetables like green beans, okra, and celery. It was probably the only veggies I had the whole trip. We had an afternoon and evening beignet from Café Beignet every day too! Luckily we walked a lot that trip!

Bloody Mary Cocktail Base Mix

two glasses of bloody mary cocktails with vegetable garnish

The base mix for a Spicy Bloody Mary is tomato juice and vodka. From there, you can add just about anything {like a whole chicken apparently?!}. Some standard ingredients include:

Celery
Jalapenos
Horseradish
Olives
Hot Sauce
Worcestershire Sauce
Pickles
Pearl Onions
Lime
Salt and Pepper

For the tomato juice, you can purchase a premade mix {not recommended} or make your own {that’s why you’re here after all}. I usually start with a tomato juice like V8 or R.W. Knudsen – something with just tomato juice and no additional seasoning. I want to flavor it myself.

I really love olives and veggies in my cocktail with lots of horseradish and hot sauce. You can adjust the flavors to your taste. If you do not like foods overly spicy, start small and add more to reach the desired hit. It’s easier to add more, but hard to take it away.

To prepare the base mix, combine, horseradish, lemon or lime juice, olive juice, pickle juice, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce with the tomato juice. Mix all the ingredients in a large jug and place in the refrigerator. The juice will last in the fridge for 1-2 days.

How to Make Jalapeno Infused Vodka

Jalapeno-infused vodka is super easy and adds a great spicy flavor to any drink, especially this Spicy Bloody Mary.

mason jar full of vodka and sliced jalapenos

To make the Infused Vodka, add 1 cup of vodka to a jar with a lid – like a mason jar. Clean a jalapeno very thoroughly, slice into rings, and add to the vodka. Soak for 8 hours to 1 week in the refrigerator. The longer the pepper sits in the liquid, the stronger the flavor will be. Strain the vodka through a strainer and store in the fridge until ready to serve.

You can half, double, or even tripled this recipe based on how much flavored vodka you want/need. If you are worried about having too much spice, start with a few jalapeno slices and taste it after a few hours. Add additional jalapenos until you get the desired spice and remove the pieces.

How to Make a Spicy Bloody Mary Bar

As you may remember from a prior post for the sweet potato hash browns, I love making breakfast/brunch when we have visitors. A Bloody Mary bar is another item I like to include in my brunch spread.

To set up the Bloody Mary Bar, I like to serve the tomato juice and vodka separately. This way, everyone can add as much or little vodka as they want.

bottle of tito's vodka and Huck's rub spice blend

I’ll put out extra lemon or lime slices, olives, pickles, celery, and green beans for garnish in small bowls or on a plate. A jar of hot sauce is always great, so everyone can add more if they want. I’ll place a few glasses on the counter with the vodka, tomato juice, garnishes, and a plate or bowl with rim salt. This way, everyone can make their own and customize it; however, they like.

Rim Salt

The last step to the ultimate Bloody Mary bar is rim salt! I like mine spicy (obviously!), but plain salt works great, too. The salted rim gives the cocktail a little bump in flavor! A few options to try:

Celery Salt - 2 tablespoons ground celery seeds with 2 tablespoons kosher salt.

Cajun Salt – 2 tablespoons Cajun spice with 2 tablespoons kosher salt.

Lime/Lemon and Salt – Zest from two limes or lemons combine with 2 tablespoons kosher salt.

To rim the glass with salt, take a wedge of citrus or olive and go around the rim of the glass, ensuring the entire rim is coated in the juice. The juice helps the salt stick to the rim.

On a flat plate or bowl, add the flavored or plain rim salt in an even layer. Dip the rim of the glass in the salt and move the glass around to evenly coat the edges on the inside and outside of the glass. Add the other ingredients to the glass and enjoy!

Paleo or Virgin Bloody Mary Variations

Alcohol is not really Paleo no matter what it’s made with - potatoes, grain, rye, etc. The distilling process removes all the proteins from the grain, so all liquors are technically gluten and grain-free, but alcohol itself is not part of the Paleo diet. Everything in moderation, though!

If you want a true “Paleo” Bloody Mary, look for vodka made from potatoes; check the ingredients in the Worcestershire sauce, or eliminate it altogether.

If you want to eliminate the alcohol altogether, you can serve the tomato juice without the vodka. I did this when I made a cocktail bar for a neighborhood brunch. At the time, I was avoiding alcohol and grain but still wanted to enjoy a cocktail with friends. It still tasted great!

Other Recipes to Try

If you like this recipe, try our Strawberry Beer Margarita, Basil Strawberry Infused Water, and Pineapple Cucumber Infused Water.

Like this recipe? Don't forget to Pin it! Also, check out our Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube Channel for cooking demos and more. Plus you can also see what I am pinning on Pinterest for more Whole30 and Paleo recipe ideas!

glass of jalapeno vodka and bloody mary mix