A Pitcher of Bloodies

Author Notes

One of the traditions my husband and I started early on in our relationship is to kick off holiday mornings with a simple brunch of “bagels and bloodies.” We set up a spread of bagels, cream cheese, and smoked or cured fish with all the fixins, and pour ourselves a round of Bloody Marys to prime our livers for the revelry ahead. The fun thing about this tradition is that it’s easy to scale up the spread for company, and it’s a casual but festive way to entertain. My Bloody Mary was inspired in part by the ones served at The Noho Star in Manhattan – I always loved their addition of balsamic vinegar to the drink, and the way it rounds out the acidity of the other ingredients. I can’t stand when I order a Bloody Mary at a restaurant and get a thin, watery drink, so I use a bottled tomato passata instead of juice. Finally, as far as hot sauce goes, my favorite is a brand called Evil Hot, made by our good friend Ed Mathews. It’s thick and spoonable, with a clean, pure heat and without a strong vinegary taste. - lastnightsdinner —lastnightsdinner

Test Kitchen Notes

The perfect companion to a bagel spread -- or any brunch, really -- lastnightsdinner's well-written Bloody Mary formula adds a few thoughtful tweaks that make it stand out. Pulpy tomato passata makes each glass substantive without laying it on too thick, muddled celery leaves and garlic waft through, and balsamic sweetens and deepens the flavor (don't use any pricey, 50-year-old stuff -- but something high quality is a good idea). - kristen miglore —Kristen Miglore