Sriracha Bleeding Mary

Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary. Those were key words to all my middle school sleepovers. We'd go into the bathroom, shut the door, and chant Bloody Mary while staring at the mirror, knowing that after we chanted it thirteen times, Bloody Mary would appear in the mirror (and presumably scratch our faces off). However, before we made it to chant number thirteen, we'd inevitably run from the bathroom screaming in terror. We could get a full night's entertainment out of this until the parents of whoever's house we were staying at had to come down and tell us to go to sleep.

If only we had access to the internet in 6th grade and not just a ghost story book, we could have learned the full history behind Bloody Mary and realized our chants would have been more effective if we were saying "Mary Worth." On second thought, maybe it's a good thing we didn't have the Internet… we got in enough trouble with a phone on which we could make prank calls. After our Bloody Mary and prank call fun, it was inevitable that each and every middle school sleepover turned into some kind of massive fight with the room splitting in half and people bringing their sleeping bag to one side or the other, refusing to speak to the other. Please tell me this wasn't just my group of 12-year-old friends.

While Bloody Mary defined childhood sleepovers, a good Bloody Mary cocktail defines my adulthood brunches. And one thing I recently learned? Bloody Marys are good, but "Bleeding Marys" are better. Not only do they involve sriracha, but the method in which they're made makes for pure perfection. Chris got me this gem of a book for Christmas:

The Sriracha Cookbook. And I'm planning on making basically every recipe from it. Starting with the Bleeding Mary. The method is simple and smart. Make Bloody Mary ice cubes, pour your vodka over the top, and leisurely enjoy your brunch cocktail. Or your evening Cocktail Friday cocktail. Because let's face it, Bloody Marys are for more than just brunch.

Sriracha Bleeding Mary (serves 2):
Adapted from The Sriracha Cookbook
Print this recipe!

• 6 oz. Bloody Mary mix (I used Stonewall Kitchen's)
• 1 ½ t sriracha (add a little less or a little more depending on how spicy you like it!)
• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 1 T celery salt
• 1 wedge lemon
• 6 oz. vodka
• 2 celery sticks
• Freshly ground black pepper

Mix together Bloody Mary mix, sriracha, and Worcestershire sauce in a medium bowl.

Pour into an ice cube tray -- you'll likely get 6-7 ice cubes with the mix.

Pop in freezer for about 2 hours, until thoroughly frozen.

Put celery salt on a small plate. Rim glass with lemon wedge and place glass upside down on plate to cover rim in celery salt.

Perfection!

Now, place 2-3 ice cubes in your glasses.

And pour vodka over the top, 6 ounces in each glass.

Sprinkle freshly ground black pepper over the top and garnish with a celery stick.

Brunch is ready. Oh, you wanted food? Well, do tomatoes and celery count?

I vote yes. Why not get your veggie fix in first thing in the morning?

Really, though, this drink is not for the faint of heart. You'll want to let your ice cubes melt a bit as you slowly sip. You'll actually want the ice to "water" your drink down a little bit with this cocktail. How fun is that?

If you're already a fan of Bloody Marys and a lover of sriracha, you'll be in l-o-v-e love with this one. Plus, it will most definitely wake you up (have more than one and it may also put you back to sleep!)

I'd totally stare in the mirror and chant "Bloody Mary" or "Bleeding Mary" over and over again if it meant this would jump out at me. My 12-year-old self would be so disturbed that Mary and I have such a great relationship these days. But it just works.

Happy Cocktail Friday and happy March 1! I hope your month gets off to a fabulous start 🙂

Did you ever try the "Bloody Mary" game as a kid? And do you love Bloody Marys as an adult?

[Sues]