Classic cocktail · Guided recipe
Bloody Maria
Start makingA Bloody Mary made with tequila instead of vodka — earthier and warmer, with the same savoury, spiced tomato backbone.
In the glassTequila (blanco) · Tomato juice · Fresh lemon juice
See exact amounts
What goes in
Ingredients
Set up before you pour
Use a highball glass.
The tall, straight shape leaves room for plenty of ice and mixer while keeping a long drink lively.
- Standard size
- 350 ml11¾ oz
- Ice & serve
- Fill it with fresh ice cubes.
- If you don’t own one
- Use a Collins glass or any tall, straight-sided tumbler.
- jigger or measuring spoon
- Tequila (blanco)45 ml
- Tomato juice90 ml
- Fresh lemon juice15 ml
From bottle to glass
Method
- 01
Ice the glass Fill the glass with ice
- 02
Measure and pour Pour 45 ml tequila
Tequila (blanco)
- 03
Measure and pour Add 90 ml tomato juice
Tomato juice
- 04
Measure and pour Add 15 ml fresh lemon juice
Fresh lemon juice
- 05
Stir around the ice Stir gently to combine
- 06
Finish the drink Finish it — add a lime wedge
Know your drink
About the Bloody Maria
Seasoning does the work
Tomato juice, tequila and lemon on their own are flat. What makes this drink is everything not written on the ingredient list, and the seasoning is where all the variation between two bartenders' versions lives. Agave has a green, peppery edge that takes heat better than vodka does, so a Maria will carry more hot sauce than a Mary before it tips over.
Rolling rather than shaking is the one technical point. Thrashing tomato juice against ice whips air into it, lightens the color and breaks the pulp down, and within a couple of minutes the whole thing separates in the glass. Four or five gentle passes between tins gets it cold and mixed, and still thick enough to coat the sides of the glass.
Common questions
Bloody Maria FAQ
What do I season it with?
Salt and plenty of black pepper first, then hot sauce to taste, Worcestershire if you aren't keeping it vegetarian, and celery salt if you have it. Season, stir, taste, season again. Tomato juice swallows salt, so it always wants more than you expect.
Why does mine go pale and frothy?
You shook it. Tomato juice aerates and breaks down when it's thrashed against ice. Roll it instead, pouring back and forth between two tins four or five times. It chills and mixes just as well, and the drink keeps its body and its color.
Does mezcal work in place of tequila?
Very well, though it takes over. Start with half mezcal and half blanco tequila, since smoke and tomato and hot sauce all pull in the same direction and get heavy fast. Go all mezcal and you should ease off the hot sauce to compensate.
Does the tomato juice matter?
More than the tequila does, honestly, because it's two-thirds of the glass. Thick salted juice needs no help but takes added seasoning badly. Thin unsalted juice gives you room to build. Chill whichever you buy, or the ice melts before the drink is cold.
What ingredients are in a Bloody Maria?
A classic Bloody Maria calls for 45 ml (1.5 oz) Tequila, 90 ml (3 oz) Tomato juice, 15 ml (0.5 oz) Fresh lemon juice. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.
How strong is a Bloody Maria?
A standard Bloody Maria is roughly 12% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it about as strong as a glass of wine.
Is a Bloody Maria shaken or stirred?
A Bloody Maria is stirred, not shaken. It contains no citrus juice, so stirring keeps it crystal clear and silky instead of cloudy and aerated.
Sharpen the technique
Skills used in this recipe
How to stir a cocktail for a silky finish
Control chilling and dilution without adding the bubbles and texture of a shake.
Read the guide
Cocktail ice: cubes, crushed ice and dilution
Understand why ice is an ingredient—and choose the right shape for every drink.
Read the guide
Fresh citrus for cocktails: juice, wedges and balance
Get brighter lime, lemon and grapefruit flavor with better prep and storage.
Read the guideWhere to go next
If you like the Bloody Maria, try these.
Bloody Mary
Vodka, tomato juice and lemon, built over ice and seasoned to taste — brunch’s savory heavyweight. Add pepper, salt and hot sauce to your liking.
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Vampiro
Somewhere between a Bloody Mary and a glass of sangrita, with orange juice and a little grenadine pulling it toward fruit. It's savory but not thick, and the tomato reads more as body than as flavor. Best over plenty of ice, with a chili-salt rim if you like one.
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Tequila Fix
Crushed ice, a full 60 ml of tequila, lemon rather than the expected lime, and a maraschino dose you could measure in drops. Older than the Margarita by the better part of a century, and colder than almost anything else on the list.
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