An Old Bay Bloody Mary has Old Bay seasoning for extra spice. Make this vodka cocktail recipe for a brunch or to serve with steamed crabs. 

As a native Marylander, I LOVE Old Bay seasoning. I didn’t realize it was a regional ingredient when I was younger, but if you’ve never spent time in the DMV or near the Chesapeake Bay, you might not be familiar with it.

Old Bay Seasoning is a must for steamed blue crabs. No exceptions! I also love using it in other crab recipes, like my hot crab dip and crab cake bites. 

It’s a spice blend that includes (but is not limited to) paprika, celery salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. More on that below. 

Old Bay also pairs amazingly well with a Bloody Mary cocktail. We go to the eastern shore several times per year, and I immediately order an Old Bay Bloody Mary (spicy version!) when I see it on the menu. The spices add so much depth.

 

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

• V8 juice – I tested this recipe using both 100% tomato juice (the traditional option) and V8 vegetable juice. I think the V8 does a better job of balancing and enhancing the spices in the Old Bay. It makes the drink taste like it has a lot more going on.
• Worcestershire sauce
• Prepared horseradish (store-bought or homemade)
• Tabasco sauce or your favorite hot sauce
• Old Bay Seasoning
• Sweet paprika
• Celery seed
• Lemon juice
• Vodka
• Optional garnishes: Celery ribs with leaves, lemon wedge, green olives, grape tomatoes

 

How to Make An Old Bay Bloody Mary

Cocktails are usually relatively easy to make, and this vodka cocktail recipe is no exception!

1. Rim the glasses. On a small plate, combine equal amounts of Old Bay, paprika, and celery seed. Run a lemon wedge around the top edge of two glasses, then dip the glasses into the spice mixture.

 

2. Add ingredients to a cocktail shaker. Next, fill a cocktail shaker or large liquid measuring cup halfway with ice. Add the remaining ingredients, then gently shake or whisk the ingredients to combine.

 

3. Pour into serving glasses. Add some ice to the glasses and divide the drink evenly between them. Add any optional garnishes, then serve immediately.

What is Old Bay seasoning?

Old Bay is a seasoning blend that’s considered a staple in many DMV-area home. It’s amazing on a variety of seafood dishes, especially steamed crabs and crab cakes.

GARNISHES

Bloody Mary garnishes are always optional, but they make a beautiful drink look even more inviting. Smaller garnishes like olives can be attached to a cocktail toothpick (or a regular one).

Here are some suggestions, including the garnishes I use, plus a few other ideas: 

• Celery ribs with leaves
• Lemon or lime wedge (I prefer lemon)
• Pitted green olives (stuffed or plain)
• Grape tomatoes
• Cooked shrimp – steamed, boiled, and even grilled shrimp are delicious with this vodka cocktail.
• Cornichons or dill pickle spears
• Pickled jalapeños
• Pepperoncinis or other small spicy peppers
• Old Bay or a blend of paprika and celery seed for the rim of the glass (see tips section below)

Recipe Tips

1. Reducing the sodium. Old Bay contains salt. To avoid a salty drink, I recommend diluting the amount of Old Bay used to rim the glass with equal parts paprika and celery seed. 
2. Shake gently! If you use a cocktail shaker (I did), shake the ingredients gently. Otherwise, the V8 (or tomato) juice might foam up. Or, you can use a large liquid measuring cup or any type of mixing bowl.
3. Mix before adding ice. I recommend mixing the Bloody Mary ingredients with ice before adding them to an ice-filled glass. This will prevent the ice in the glass from melting quickly, which dilutes the flavors. 
4. Extra spicy cocktail option: I like making this drink with 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of Tabasco sauce for a spicy Bloody Mary! I don’t find it overpowering, but if you don’t like a lot of heat, use 1 teaspoon or add to taste. 

Can you make this cocktail recipe without alcohol?

Yes, simply omit the vodka for a spicy tomato-based drink known as a “Virgin Mary.”

COCKTAIL HISTORY

Mary Tudor was the first queen of England. She was the queen from 1553 to 1558 (when she died). She is known for her religious persecutions of Protestants and executing over 300 subjects, hence the nickname Bloody Mary. {Source: Biography.com}.

OTHER COCKTAIL RECIPES

If you love this recipe, be sure to check out my other alcoholic drink recipes!

Another vodka cocktail is the Moscow Mule, made with vodka, ginger beer, and lime!

Apple Cider Sangria and Cranberry Margarita are both perfectly refreshing fall cocktails.

You can also see my full archive of drink recipes here!

Print

Pin Recipe

Old Bay Bloody Mary

5

from

5

votes

An Old Bay Bloody Mary has Old Bay seasoning for extra spice. Make this vodka cocktail recipe for a brunch or to serve with steamed crabs.

Prep Time

5

minutes

Total Time

5

minutes

Servings

2

Bloody Marys

Calories

164

Author

Jennifer Farley

Ingredients

• ▢

  1 3/4

  teaspoons

  Old Bay Seasoning,

  divided

• ▢

  1 1/2

  teaspoons

  sweet paprika,

  divided

• ▢

  1 1/2

  teaspoons

  celery seed,

  divided

• ▢

  1 3/4

  cups

  vegetable juice

  (I use V8; tomato juice can be substituted. See notes)

• ▢

  1

  tablespoon

  Worcestershire sauce

  (shake the bottle first)

• ▢

  1

  tablespoon

  fresh-squeezed lemon juice,

  plus 1 wedge for rimming the glass

• ▢

  1-2

  teaspoons

  Tabasco

  (2 gives a real kick)

• ▢

  1/2

  teaspoon

  prepared horseradish

• ▢

  3

  ounces

  vodka

  (I like Tito’s)

Optional Garnishes

• ▢

  Celery ribs with leaves

• ▢

  1

  lemon wedge

• ▢

  Green olives

• ▢

  Grape tomatoes

Instructions

• ▢

  On a small plate, use a fork to combine 1 teaspoon each of Old Bay, paprika, and celery seed. Run a lemon wedge around the top edge of two glasses, then dip the glasses into the spice mixture.

• ▢

  Fill a cocktail shaker or large liquid measuring cup halfway with ice.

• ▢

  Add the vegetable juice, Worcestershire, lemon juice, Tabasco, horseradish, 3/4 teaspoon Old Bay, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon celery seed and vodka. Gently shake the cocktail shaker (to avoid foam) or whisk the ingredients in the measuring cup to combine.

• ▢

  Add some ice to the glasses and divide the Bloody Mary evenly between the two. Add any optional garnishes, then serve immediately.

Notes

I tried this recipe with both 100% tomato juice (the traditional option) and V8. I think the V8 does a better job of balancing and enhancing the spices in the Old Bay. It makes the drink taste like it has a lot more going on.

Old Bay has salt in it, which is why I recommend diluting it with other spices to rim the glass. If it’s not available at your local grocery store, you can buy it on Amazon

Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!

Nutrition

Sodium:

510

mg

|

Calcium:

60

mg

|

Vitamin C:

73

mg

|

Vitamin A:

2528

IU

|

Sugar:

9

g

|

Fiber:

3

g

|

Potassium:

511

mg

|

Calories:

164

kcal

|

Saturated Fat:

1

g

|

Fat:

1

g

|

Protein:

2

g

|

Carbohydrates:

14

g

|

Iron:

2

mg

Recipe Troubleshooting

For immediate help troubleshooting a recipe, please email me using the form on my contact page. I’ll try to respond to urgent questions as quickly as possible! For all general questions, please leave a comment here 🙂