A Wyoming Bloody Mary
By: Sarah Reish | Photography by: S² Creative Marketing
So, when considering the renowned and under celebrated holiday of National Bloody Mary Day, we knew we had to head to our favorite Wyoming Market - Wyoming Buffalo Company. Once we explained the holiday, Lisa hooked us up with her most popular canned vegetables, meats and smoked cheeses for garnish and her absolutely amazing bloody Mary seasoning. Because what is a Bloody Mary without an over the top garnish to accompany it. She joined us and helped us create our very own Wyoming Bloody Mary. Lisa is a sponsor of Live WYld, and her products are outstanding and embrace all that we love about Wyoming.
The History Of The Bloody Mary
Let’s take a look at the history behind the drink. They say depending on who you ask the details can vary, however most historians agree it was created in the early 1920’s by a New York bartender named, Fernand “Pete” Petiot of the King Cole Bar at the St. Regis Hotel in Manhattan. He created the basics for this classic drink. Petiot dolled up the tomato-juice concoction with various seasonings—horseradish, Tabasco Sauce, lemon juice and celery salt.
While there are other theories, it seems from we researched, this is the most likely history of the morning cocktail. Little did he know, Pete changed morning cocktails and brunching forever.
Bloody Mary’s Are For Any Time
It’s time to end the stigma about this cocktail being for brunch and hangovers. Several bartenders have recreated their own version of the classic cocktail. From gin with a chili brine to Bénédictine with salted lemon juice and tomato purée. Mixologists are creating high end bloodies so we can enjoy them any time, not just the weekend.
How can the Wyoming Buffalo Company jump on this trend of creating an anytime Bloody Mary? With their amazing and unique Wyoming ingredients. Using their products we were able to make a fun garnish for a cocktail hour and use the fermenting or pickling juices to add a zing of flavor.
The Liquor
Lisa chose to keep this bloody Mary purely Wyoming and, together, we chose to use a local vodka. One of our favorites is Jackson Hole Still Works vodka. We find their vodka is smooth and they are passionate about the product they produce
The Bloody Mary and Garnish Ingredients
We picked up the vodka and tomato juice from our local liquor store and we used a metal kebab skewer to give the garnish its height, but a wooden skewer could work just as well. The rest of our ingredients were provided by the lovely Lisa at the Wyoming Buffalo Company.
Zap’s Bloody Mary Seasoning
Okay, so we have never used a bloody Mary seasoning before. We typically buy the pre-mixed juice or add our own seasoning and ingredients to tomato juice. This seasoning is where it’s at. It has salt, pepper, onion, garlic, and more. It perfectly flavors your drink without overpowering it. It is our new favorite ingredient for bloody Mary’s. We applaud Zap’s for creating this amazing seasoning blend.
We added a splash of Worcestershire and lemon - this balanced out the acidity.
Pickled Quail Egg’s
We have never had these before, but tons of bars sell hard boiled eggs and even pickled eggs. This was a hit for our bloody Mary - we recommend chilling before use. They add protein and a snacky balanced breakfast feel to our Wyoming themed garnish. The pickle brine is spicy and not dill flavored, so it perfectly compliments the Zap’s seasoning we used to flavor the drink.
Jalapeño Stuffed Olives
We love olives, and this spicy stuffed olive is perfect for garnishing a bloody Mary. The green olive flavor and the spicy jalapeño create a great balance for this drink. We give it two thumbs up. There are other options of stuffed olives available including, feta, garlic, and blue cheese!
Pickled Asparagus
Yayness! These tasty spears of asparagus come with garlic cloves and peppers in the brine. The pickling balances the flavor of the vegetables and we think this garnish adds to the flavor profile that is being built for bloody Mary. Lisa chose well when she decided to include this in the garnish!
Pickled Mushrooms
What?! We didn’t even know these existed before Lisa introduced us to them. They quickly became my personal favorite. It is a unique garnish that makes a statement because the pickling brine features tons of garlic. Five stars, hands down!
Dilly Beans
Pickled green beans are delicious and these Dilly Beans add to this amazing garnish we are creating. With a distinct dill flavor this brine is fresh and and the beans are still crisp. These are a must-have if you are going to order garnish items for your bloody Mary making.
Smoked Cheese
Now we are stepping it up a notch! We love Wyoming Buffalo Company’s locally smoked cheeses and there are so many flavors to choose from. You can explore and order online from here. Lisa stuck with stronger flavors that pair well with the drink we created. We had the smoked chipotle cheese and the smoked horseradish cheese. The smoked chipotle cheese is Lisa’s favorite, and mine! The spice level is well balanced with the cheese and full of flavor, it complements the Zap’s bloody Mary seasoning so well. The smoked horseradish cheese is strong! So, for those of you looking for a spicier take on their bloody Mary, this is the cheese garnish for you.
Snack Sticks
The best part of our custom and over-the-top garnish is the wild game snack sticks. We have to be honest, we have tried them all and cannot even come close to choosing a favorite. From elk to antelope and Buffalo to venison… for the sake of recommending one to you, we chose the Elk with Jalapeño and Cheese snack sticks. The savory meat with the jalapeño and cheddar flavor absolutely makes this garnish a Wyoming bloody Mary garnish must-have.
Wyoming Bloody Mary
Recipe:
1 1/2 oz - Vodka
4 oz - tomato juice
1 tsp Zap’s Bloody Mary Seasoning
1 Splash of Worcestershire
1 squeeze 1/4 lemon
Garnish with your favorite Wyoming Buffalo Company ingredients.
The Wyoming Bloody Mary
So there it is, this is our take on a Wyoming bloody Mary! Get creative and customize your garnish with the variety of products from the Wyoming Buffalo Company. Thank you Lisa for helping us create this tasty drink!
Comment and let us know what you think and share your favorite bloody Mary recipes and garnishes. How do you make yours special?