Bloody Mary: A pampered and ambivalent lady

Tonight I had a Bloody Mary. I decided to wing it with my preparation, meaning I did not look up a recipe. I got a tall glass, filled it with ice, added some Vodka and filled the rest of the glass with Mrs. T's Bloody Mary mix. Then I tossed in some creamed horseradish, a little celery salt, a dash of Tabasco, a few loving shakes of Worcestershire sauce, and a non aggressive squeeze of half a lemon. It took about 2 minutes to make, including walking to the bar and back to the kitchen.

As I sipped my delicious concoction I wondered, "Did I do it right?" It certainly tasted good. I looked up a few recipes. Let me tell you, recipes for this little lady are all over the map! There is the two minute version (like mine) or there is this crazy version where you blend all sorts of spices and juices in a blender and then let them blend on their own in the fridge for 24 hours. Who could wait that long? Some are to be shaken vigorously while others are stirred lazily. Some include orange juice and orange zest. Some only call for a tablespoon of tomato paste, no juice. Almost all of them include Tobasco, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish (fresh, never creamed-- oops, I guess I committed a BM crime), celery salt, and pepper (black or cayenne). For the most part, I got the recipe right, except that mine included spices in addition to the one's provided in the Bloody Mary mix. My acid sensitive stomach is going to love my choices.

If you want to get really crazy with Bloody Mary variation, consider the toppings! Some of these things look like a hat designed for Beach Blanket Babylon, so overloaded are they with vegetables and twists and sticks and such. Others just have simple celery stalk. Some include a small army of meat, fish, and pickled treats, making it somewhat unclear as to how one's lips are ever able to reach the well-guarded beverage. (I'm reminded of that great scene in Auntie Maime where Maime prepares a flaming cocktail and nobody knows how to drink it.) Anyway, once your lips make contact with the glass you have another choice of preparation: seasoned rim or not? You can put some great spices around the rim, barely escaping lip blisters, and then cooling your mouth off with a beer chaser--a shot of beer that is supposed to soothe whatever pain comes from the heat. I vote for the beer chaser regardless of the rim fire.

So, my question to the Crabfest crew is: How would you like it? Got any favorite recipes? Preferred garnishes? A flare for the artistic? Is this a case of less is more?

Hm... now I'm craving a simple grapefruit based cocktail. I also have a great recipe for a little number called "The Bridesmaid", which has gin, gingerale, simple syrup, and some kind of fruit. Alas, we start boiling the crabs early and somehow a Bloody Mary seems appropriate for a brunchy crab boil. Perhaps I'll leave all the fuss and decision making to the bartender.