Pepper Me Crazy, Baby Bloody Mary

This post is originally dated January 7, 2015

I love spicy things and I especially love my Bloodies spicy. The first time I truly "liked it hot" was when I tried authentic Mexican food and the various peppers featured in those dishes. As I continue to take risks more deeply into spice levels, I make an effort to sample all different types of peppers and hot sauces that I can. I live in Colorado, so I may not have the best selection of peppers like those of you lucky souls in hotter regions, but my local grocery store does have a bit of variety. Therefore, I bring you the Pepper Me Crazy, Baby.  This Bloody Mary is for the people who like a little (or a lot!!) of a kick to their drink. The Pepper Me Crazy, Baby features 6 different types of peppers and two different types of hot sauce. As this is my first recipe post, I hope to tease your taste buds and deliver a quality recipe and procedure for the creation of your own Pepper Me Crazy, Baby. Feel free to switch up the peppers if you like a hotter or milder taste.

Ingredients

• 3 cups (24 oz) tomato juice- I used Campbells

• 1.5 oz freshly squeezed lime juice (1 large lime)

• 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce

• 2 tbs pepperoncini juice (from jar of pepperoncini peppers)

• 1 tsp habanero hot sauce (I used some from Mexico)

• 2 tsp medium or spicy hot sauce

• ½ habanero pepper (sliced vertically into small circles- try to keep seeds intact)*

• ½ jalapeno pepper (sliced vertically into small circles-try to keep seeds intact)*

• ½ serrano chile pepper (sliced vertically into small circles- try to keep seeds intact)*

• ½ guajillo pepper (sliced vertically into small circles- try to keep seeds intact)*

• 1 tsp ground black pepper

• ½ tsp all-seasons salt (can also use kosher salt, celery salt, garlic salt, etc.)

*All peppers can be switched out at your discretion. You may want to use peppers bought locally or peppers of a different heat index.

Garnish Ideas

• Bacon

• Poblano pepper slice

• Monterey Jack cheese

• Jalapeno pepper slice 

• Pepperoncini pepper

• Kosher dill pickle

• Lime wedge

Directions

Day One: Prepping the Mix

1. Pour the tomato juice into a sealable container. I used a whiskey decanter. Bormioli Rocco makes this awesome 33 3/4 oz. decanter if you are looking for a multi use container.
2. Pour the lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, pepperoncini juice, and both hot sauces into the decanter.
3. Add all of the sliced peppers to the decanter.
4. Add the all-seasons salt and pepper to the decanter.
5. Seal the decanter and let sit in the fridge overnight.

Day Two: Constructing the Bloodies

1. Fill a glass a little less than halfway with ice.
2. Pour 1.5-2 oz of vodka into the glass. I used New Amsterdam and added a bit more because I like my vodka 
3. Take the decanter out of fridge.
4. Place a strainer over the glass. Pour the Bloody Mary mix from the decanter through the strainer and into the glass (this will ensure the peppers from the mix are not poured into the actual Bloody Mary) until 1-1.5 cm from the rim of the glass.
5. Grab another glass (or a metal shaker) and transfer the materials from glass to glass a few times, to avoid dilution. This is known as “rolling.”
6. Once the Bloody Mary has been rolled, add a dash of pepper and a dash of habanero hot sauce to the final drink.
7. Place the kosher dill pickle and cocktail pick with the garnishes into the glass.
8. Place the lime wedge on the rim of the glass.
9. Wa-La~ enjoy your Pepper Me Crazy, Baby!!!