Bloody Majestic

Yellow tomatoes give a golden color to this Bloody Mary, which is fortified by bitters and notes of pineapple and white flower blossoms from a specialty sake.

The Bloody Majestic
Photo:

Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Total Time:
10 mins
Servings:
1 serving

This eye-catching riff on a classic Bloody Mary swaps regular tomatoes for yellow tomatoes, giving this drink an unexpected but eye-catching bright golden-orange hue. It’s a lighter take on a traditional Bloody Mary, with a fragrant citrusy aroma and flavor from the bitters, an acidic edge from pineapple, and a pleasant bite from the sake while remaining tomato-forward.

A high-end sake like Kokuryu Ryu Daiginjo Gold Dragon is worth the spend to keep this brunch cocktail strong yet balanced. If you haven't been adding sake to your cocktails, it's never been a better time to try. "Possibly, as people search for unadulterated things to drink, it's a growing awareness that artisanal sake is as unadulterated as you can get," writes executive wine editor Ray Isle about the uptick in sake on American bar and restaurant menus. If you haven't enjoyed it before, Daiginjo is an ultra-premium style of sake because the rice is polished all the way down to 50% of the remaining grain.

FloraLuna Citrus Basil Bitters can be found here, while Kokuryu Ryu Daiginjo Gold Dragon can be found at truesake.com.

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Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) sake (such as Kokuryu Ryu Daiginjo Gold Dragon)

  • 2 1/4 tablespoons yellow tomato juice (from 1 [28.22-ounce] can) (such as Così Com’è)

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons (3/4 ounce) rye vodka (such as Polugar Classic) 

  • 1/8 teaspoon celery salt

  • 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce

  • 2 drops FloraLuna Citrus Basil Bitters

  • 1/2 cup ice cubes

  • Thai basil sprig

Directions

  1. Combine sake, tomato juice, vodka, celery salt, Worcestershire sauce, and bitters in a cocktail shaker; add ice cubes. Do not shake.

  2. Slowly and gently pour mixture into a separate cocktail shaker or pint glass, blocking ice cubes with strainer. Repeat 8 times, pouring mixture back and forth from empty shaker to ice-filled shaker. This gentle process ensures optimal fresh, smooth taste and intense aromatic flavors.

  3. Strain cocktail into a long-stemmed square-cut wine glass, and garnish with a Thai basil sprig.

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