Game Day Smoky Mary

Game Day Smoky Mary

All right, folks, it is almost time to get out every serving dish you have and fill it with chips, dips, nuts and whatever finger food you can think of. Super Bowl is just around the corner, and I am ready to drink some beer and eat some 7-layer dip and hot wings. This may be the one party that most men enjoy planning and attending. Bloody mary bars are always crowd pleasers because they give your guests something to do and lets them make their drink as spicy as they want and add any garnish they feel like.

For those of you who will be setting up the bar, I have a treat for you — Smoky Bloody Marys. This recipe is a blend between a Creole-style and Boston-style bloody Mary with my own little twists. What really makes this cocktail different is the use of Hangar One Chipotle Vodka; it adds a real rugged smokiness to the drink. The Hangar One distillery is known for the use of interesting flavors and subtle smoothness, which comes from actually infusing the flavors into their vodkas, as opposed to chemically adding flavor.

The Smoky Bloody Mary makes a great game-day sipper, or for those of you who are breaking out the raw oysters, it is also perfect for oyster shooters. The horseradish and spice pair well with the briny oysters. Just make sure you save as much of the oyster liquor as you can for those shots!

Smoky Bloody Mary

5 ounces V8 juice
1 ounce beef broth
1 teaspoon horseradish
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
1 teaspoon Fish House Hot Sauce
3 shakes Worcestershire
3 shakes Tabasco
1/8 teaspoon celery seed
Squeeze of 1 each lemon and lime wedge
Salt and pepper to taste
2 ounces Hangar One Chipotle Vodka

Mix all ingredients well and pour into a pint glass filled with ice. I like it when my bloody marys come with a whole garden of garnish, so I add a celery stalk, pickled green beans, green olives and a wedge of lemon.