A New Take On The Bloody Mary To Cure Your New Year’s Hangover

Maybe you imbibed too much on New Year’s Eve. Maybe you need a sturdy pick-me-up to make it through New Year’s Day’s packed schedule of college bowl games. Or maybe you just want to add a bit more lycopene to your diet but aren’t much for salads.

In each case, the Bloody Mary is here for you. It’s the savory, invigorating cure to what ails you, even if all that ails you is the desire for a mid-morning drink.

At its core, the Bloody Mary is more about preferences than following one traditional recipe. The only necessary ingredients are vodka and tomato juice. Beyond that, you can add optional accoutrements including citrus, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, celery salt, pepper and a range of garnishes, from celery to pickled vegetables.

The Clear Mary recipe below channels the classic, but puts a modern twist on things by omitting tomato juice in favor of tomato water, and by adding a dose of celery simple syrup in place of the usual stalk.

The effect is a cleaner, lighter tasting Bloody Mary. The tomato water gives you a concentrated tomato taste, but isn’t loaded down with sodium like many of the popular mixes. The lime juice adds a zesty note and a dash of vitamins, while the club soda lends some refreshing effervescence. Here’s how to make it.

Clear Mary

2 oz Ketel One Vodka

1 oz Sweet 100 tomato water*

0.75 oz celery simple syrup**

0.5 oz fresh lime juice

Club soda

Add all ingredients except club soda to a cocktail shaker with ice and gently shake. Strain into a Collins glass with ice. Top with club soda. Garnish with celery ribbon and two tomatoes on a cocktail pick.

*Sweet 100 Tomato Water

2 lbs Sweet 100 heirloom tomatoes

Puree tomatoes. Pour puree into a cheesecloth, set over a glass bowl and strain. Discard the pulp, and you are left with the tomato water. 

**Celery Simple Syrup

3/4 cup celery juice

1/4 cup water

1 cup sugar

Blend until dissolved.

If you need a little hair of the dog to recuperate after last night’s activities, this can do that. If you’re hosting New Year’s brunch (or any brunch) and want to impress your guests, you’re covered. Or, if you just want something to drink while watching football and leisurely toasting to 2020, the Clear Mary is here for you.

Also worth noting: January 1 is National Bloody Mary Day. It’s not that you ever need a holiday to mix up a good drink. But if you were on the fence before, well, now you’ve got something extra to celebrate.