Tequila/Mezcal · Highball · Spicy
Bloody Maria Recipe
The Bloody Mary's tequila-forward cousin — spicy, savoury, and built for brunch. Savoury and full-bodied, with reposado tequila's warm agave notes standing in for vodka's neutral backbone — a spicier, more brunch-ready take on the Bloody Mary, built for a slow morning or a hair-of-the-dog afternoon.
- Prep Time
- 3 min
- Method
- Shaken
- Glass
- Collins glass
- Strength
- Balanced
Every recipe on Sipped Right is tested for taste and balance before it's published.
Last updated October 20, 2026
About the Bloody Maria
The Bloody Maria is a direct riff on the Bloody Mary, swapping vodka for tequila to give the classic savoury tomato cocktail a smokier, more agave-forward backbone. It emerged sometime in the mid-20th century as tequila cocktails grew popular in Mexico and the American Southwest, following the original Bloody Mary's creation at Harry's New York Bar in Paris in the 1920s. It sits alongside other Bloody Mary spin-offs like the Red Snapper (gin) and Bloody Caesar (clamato), all built on the same tomato-and-seasoning formula with a different base spirit.
The recipe keeps the Bloody Mary's roughly 1:2 spirit-to-tomato-juice ratio — 2 oz tequila to 4 oz tomato juice — so the savoury tomato and seasoning still lead, with the tequila adding warmth rather than taking over. The defining swap is entirely the spirit: use vodka instead and it reverts to a Bloody Mary; use gin and it becomes a Red Snapper — the tomato-and-seasoning base stays constant across the whole family.
Ingredients
- Reposado tequila2 oz
- Tomato juice4 oz
- Lemon juice, freshly squeezed½ oz
- Hot sauce8 drops
- Worcestershire sauce4 dashes
- Horseradish sauce1/2 barspoon
- Celery salt2 pinches
- Black pepperto taste
- Celery stalk, for garnish1 stalk
- Lime wedge, for garnish1 wedge
Method
- Moisten the rim of a Collins glass with lime juice and dip in a mix of salt and cracked black pepper.
- Measure and pour the reposado tequila, tomato juice, lemon juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish sauce, celery salt and black pepper into the shaker.
- Add a scoop of ice to the shaker.
- Roll gently to combine — rotate the shaker back and forth rather than shaking hard.
- Strain the cocktail into the prepared Collins glass filled with ice.
- Cut a celery stalk and a lime wedge.
- Garnish with the celery stalk and lime wedge.
Glass & Garnish
Collins glass, rimmed with salt and cracked black pepper, filled with ice. Garnish with a celery stalk and a lime wedge — the celery works as an edible stirrer and palate cleanser between savoury sips.
Notes
Rolled gently rather than shaken hard, then strained over ice, which keeps the tomato juice from turning frothy.
Tools Used
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FAQ
- What's the best tequila for a Bloody Maria?
- A reposado tequila is the classic choice — its light barrel aging adds warmth and rounds out the savoury tomato base better than an unaged blanco or a heavier añejo.
- Can I make a Bloody Maria without Worcestershire sauce?
- Yes — it will taste less savoury and complex, but the drink still works. Add an extra dash of hot sauce and a pinch more celery salt to make up some of the missing depth.
- Does a Bloody Maria need a celery stalk?
- Not strictly, but it's the standard garnish — the celery's crisp, mild bitterness works as an edible stirrer and a palate cleanser between savoury sips, alongside the traditional lime wedge.
- What's the gin version of a Bloody Maria called?
- That's a Red Snapper — the same tomato-and-seasoning base with gin instead of tequila. Swap in vodka and it becomes the original Bloody Mary.
- Why is it called a Bloody Maria?
- It's a direct riff on the Bloody Mary, with the name feminized to signal the spirit swap — tequila instead of vodka. It emerged as tequila cocktails gained popularity in Mexico and the American Southwest in the mid-20th century.
- How do I scale a Bloody Maria up for a party?
- Use the servings control above to scale the tequila and tomato juice together, then season the full batch to taste rather than multiplying exactly — hot sauce and horseradish intensity don't always scale linearly.
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