OLD BAY Bloody Mary
Take your Bloody Mary to a whole new level with this OLD BAY Bloody Mary!
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Curling is back! Well, almost. The season officially kicks off with an open house in about 2 weeks. But the ice is almost ready, and the club is about to open its doors for another season of fun competition. You guys probably remember me talking about curling last winter, but it seriously is one of my favorite winter activities. I head up to the club 2-3 nights a week for games, and then I’ll travel to a couple of bonspiels (curling term for tournaments) with the guys over the course of the season as well.
One of the most unique aspects about curling is how teammates and opponents always gather after a game to have a drink together. It’s this camaraderie that made upstate New York finally starting feeling like a home for us. Most of the time, the nightcap with friends is a great way to wrap up a long day. But in bonspiels, the games start early. It’s not uncommon for the first game to start at 8:30am or 9am on a bonspiel weekend…and that’s after the last games sometimes go past midnight. (With any luck, you don’t usually have to play that early if you curled the late game.) But as I mentioned, curlers always gather after a game to share a drink together. So what do you do when that game ends up 10:30am? You order an OLD BAY Bloody Mary (alcohol optional)!
Laura grew up in central Pennsylvania, and she and her sisters would always spend a week each summer with their aunt and uncle in Maryland. I’ve heard so many stories about these weeks! And those Maryland weekends would always end with crabs on the back deck. As adults, we’ve continued that tradition, and we head down to Maryland for a long weekend every summer. And those long weekends always start with eating blue crabs on the back deck. (Some things never change…and that’s a good thing!)
Maryland is known for blue crabs, and Maryland is also known for OLD BAY. When Laura and I first moved in together, we had to combine everything. Furniture. Dishes. Even spices in our spice cabinet. And somehow in the move, Laura’s can of OLD BAY disappeared. I still remember her standing in the kitchen looking for her that can. We never found it, and we promptly made a run to the local grocery store for a new one. I wasn’t familiar with OLD BAY until then, but I’m definitely familiar with it now!
OLD BAY is a classic seafood spice mix, and it’s been a favorite in the mid-Atlantic region for over 75 years. We now use OLD BAY on everything from shrimp to scrambled eggs to even French fries…and of course on blue crabs. (Although, to be fair, we can only find blue crabs when we go down to Maryland. Upstate New York is known for a lot of things, but blue crabs are not one of them!) I love well-seasoned food, and OLD BAY is one of my go-to’s when I’m looking for an excellent spice blend. (It’s a mix of 18 herbs and spices.) Sometimes when we’re making dinner on the weekend, Laura will ask me to try a bite (or vice versa), and the response is often “I’d OLD BAY that!”
I recently whipped up this OLD BAY Bloody Mary for us to sip on. In my opinion, a good Bloody Mary should also come with a selection of appetizers…in the glass! For this OLD BAY Bloody Mary, I included spicy olives, bacon and a couple steamed shrimp…and I garnished the rim with a mix of spices including OLD BAY. One of my favorite things about a spicy Bloody Mary is that you have to sip it slowly. Laura’s mother came to visit last weekend, and we all sat on the back porch sipping on an OLD BAY Bloody Mary while catching up on Robbie stories. (Robbie was entertaining us with his “jumps” and dancing at the time.)
As we head into Autumn (and the return of curling season!), I highly recommend bookmarking this OLD BAY Bloody Mary. Come back and whip up a batch for this weekend. (Or make it early…it only gets better after sitting in the fridge overnight.) It’s the perfect sipping drink, and it comes with it’s own appetizer plate, too! Cheers!
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OLD BAY Bloody Mary
Ingredients
For Bloody Mary
- 3 cups tomato juice
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice ~1 lemon
- 3 Tbsp lime juice ~2 limes
- 1½ Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp prepared horseradish
- ½ Tbsp mild green hot sauce or to taste
- 1 tsp OLD BAY seasoning
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- Ice for serving
- {optional} ½ cup vodka
For Garnishes
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 2 Tbsp OLD BAY seasoning
- 8 large shrimp peeled and deveined but with tails left on
- 8 short wooden skewers
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon cooked
- 4 celery stalks
- 12 green olives
For Rimming Glasses
- 1 Tbsp OLD BAY seasoning
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp celery salt
- fresh lemon wedges
Instructions
For the Bloody Mary
- Place all ingredients in a non-metal bowl. Stir until well combined; cover and refrigerate overnight.
For Rimming Glasses
- Combine OLD BAY, kosher salt, ground coriander, pepper and celery salt; spread mixture onto a small plate. Rub the rims of glasses with fresh lemon wedges and then dip glasses into OLD BAY to coat rims. Set glasses aside.
For the Garnishes
- Using a medium saucepan, combine vinegar and OLD BAY with ½ cup of water. Place over medium-high heat until boiling.
- Add shrimp, cover and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes, or until shrimp turn pink. Drain and skewer 2 cooked shrimp onto a wooden skewers.
- Fill rimmed glasses with ice and pour Bloody Mary mix into glasses.
- Garnish each glass with bacon, celery, skewered olives and skewered shrimp before serving.
I have never tried Old Bay, but I have seen it in the grocery stores where I live. Bloody Marys have always been one of my favorite drinks.Your recipe sounds amazing. I am going to have whip up a batch, that is after I go buy some Old Bay.
Definitely grab some Old Bay, Dawn! I was only vaguely familiar with this spice blend before I met Laura, but she requires that we always keep a can in the cabinet. It’s spicy, but delicious! Try shaking some on fries or in your scrambled eggs, too…those are some of my favorite ways to use it!
Well, how many times have I started my comment with “David, I’ve never tried…”, David? There’s another thing to confess – I’ve never played curling! Haha, you know this already. Indeed, I’ve never tried a Bloody Mary! Actually, I’ve always thought vodka is an essential part of this coctail (And I can’t stand vodka) so now I can reconsider this. Besides, I often like my tomato juicy lighly spiced up with pepper or some other seasonings so why not, right? Do you think lavender would be the right addition?:)
So I know you aren’t a curler, Ben, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start! Heck, Laura and I only started 3 (or is it 4 now?) years ago when we went to an open house at our local curling club. And now it’s one of our favorite winter pastimes! Same thing with Bloody Mary’s. I used to not really like them as I was turned off by the thought of tomato juice. But then when I realized it’s a great sipping drink (and you can add all sorts of fun appetizers on skewers to the glass), then I became a fan. Promise me you’ll try? Without the lavender! Haha! 🙂
I would use it on shrimp and fish, my favorite dishes.
Definitely good options, Jessica! If you like Bloody Mary’s, then you should totally give these a try, too. Yum! 🙂
I still fully intend to explore curling at some point. I’m always in need of ways to get rid of baked goods :). Old Bay is one of my favorite spice blends–I love it on popcorn, so I know I’d love it in a Bloody Mary! LOVE this recipe!
You better! I was actually wondering about you and curling the other day, Kelsie. It really is fun! Hey, if you move to upstate New York, I’ll bring you to an open house at the Schenectady Curling Club! 🙂 Ooo…Old Bay on popcorn? Now that sounds amazing! I love it in these Bloody Mary’s, but I’ve never thought about putting it on popcorn. That’s it. I’m doing that this weekend!
Hi David! This is my kind of cocktail and i have everything on hand to make and garnish them! I usually use clamato instead of regular tomato juice and I’ve never used mustard powder…interesting. I mainly use Old Bay on shrimp and other seafood and I make a dipping sauce for shrimp using mayo, lemon juice, Old Bay and horseradish.
So my curling teammates swear by clamato for their Bloody Mary’s. They always pack Bloody Caesars in thermoses whenever we have early weekend games. I’m just not a fan of the clam juice, but it would totally still work for this recipe. (There’s something about drinking clam juice on the ice at 9am that just doesn’t sound all that appetizing to me!) That dipping sauce you describe sounds delicious…and easy! We enjoy Old Bay on all sorts of things like fries or in scrambled eggs. And then Kelsie just recommended putting it on popcorn, too. How good does that sound?? Either way, give it a shot in a Bloody Mary sometime…it’s quite tasty! 🙂 Thanks, Dorothy!
You are speaking my language David. I love a good drink especially a good Bloody Mary, then add some Old Bay into the mix and you make me one happy girl. Yay Curling season is back! I love hearing of your curling adventures. I might even look for a curling club near me sometime soon. The addition of bacon and shrimp is + + + 🙂 I visit Maryland a couple of times a year so I know all about Old Bay and Blue Crabs. I want some blue crabs right now.
I’m not one bit surprised that you’re already an Old Bay fan, Mary! I seem to recall that you grew up in the DC area? That’s close enough to Maryland to be Old Bay country! But I’m guessing you can still find Old Bay even out there in LA? It’s a great addition to this Bloody Mary for sure!
So you should totally look for a curling club in your area. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_curling_clubs_in_the_United_States) Just go to the local club’s website and see if they have any open houses soon. The season is just starting up soon, so they probably do! And with this being a Winter Olympics year, curling will be more popular than normal. Try it out!
It has been ages that I had a Bloody Mary – what a lovely way to end the day with friends after a game. I am not familiar with the Old Bay spice mix but it sounds like a fantastic addition to the drink. Would love to give it a try. Have a great weekend, David!
Old Bay is a really fun spice blend that’s famous along the mid-Atlantic region here in the States, Miriam. I can’t say for sure, but I’d bet that somewhere in London sells it. If you see it, grab it! It’s a classic way to season shellfish like shrimp and crabs, but it’s also fun to use it in other ways like Bloody Mary’s, scrambled eggs or fries. And then Kelsie suggested above to use it on popcorn. That sounds delicious, too! 🙂 Thanks so much for the comment, my friend, and I hope you guys have an excellent weekend, too!
Bonspiels. I haven’t heard that word in ages David. I used to take part in them in my curling days. I enjoyed the couple of years I did curling for, but the evening sessions wren’t always at convenient times and ate into what time I had for myself in the evenings. but it was fun while it lasted.
I’m not sure if we can get Old Bay over here in the UK (although I’ve never looked) and will be on the look out for it tomorrow night on my Friday Supermarket dash! I’d happily have one of these delicious looking Bloody Mary’s! Although it’s Beer for me this weekend. 😉 Have a great weekend yourself!
Yeah, I totally, 100% hear ya about the evening curling sessions, Neil. On days that I have a game, I am both excited and sad. I love getting over to the club, but I hate knowing that I’ll be up super late that night. But usually once I get out on the ice, I lose track of time and have a blast!
Do see if they sell Old Bay over there in Scotland. It’s a fun spice blend that’s a fixture along the mid-Atlantic region here in the States. It’s commonly used on seafood and crabs, but we love tossing some on fries or in scrambled eggs for a boost of flavor. Kelsie just suggested putting it on popcorn, and that sounds awesome, too. If you see a can, grab it for sure and experiment a bit! And while I do love a good Bloody Mary, I’m feeling like it might be a beer weekend here, too…beer and whisky. 🙂
WOA – Curling season snuck up quick! Or, maybe it’s cos it’s in the swelteringly steamy upper 80s here in HOTnSTEAMYLanta that Fall seems so far away for me – either way – duuuuuuude – THIS!!! What?!?!?! Bacon – AND a shrimp garnish!!! Yes – I’ll take two!!! I gotta admit, Im not much of a bloody mary enthusiast – but THIS! I guess you can read the enthusiasm on feasting my eyes on THIS OLD BAY Bloody Mary with spicy olives, bacon and shrimp! Freaking GENIUS! And LOVE that garnished rim!
Happy Thursday my friend! Sorry I’ve been a stranger – one more week left in this home so things have been helter skelter – apparently the real estate market is just steamy here as the weather is! 🙂
Curling season did indeed sneak up quickly this year! Although we just found out that our chiller (some huge piece of equipment that does something important) is out, so it looks like the season might be delayed a week or two while we get it fixed. Bummer, but soon enough! Hey, it’s been kinda steamy up here lately, too! We’ve been running in the low-mid 80’s for a couple of weeks now, but I think it’s supposed to break sometime late next week. I’m ready for it!
Thank you so much for the kind words, my friend! I didn’t used to be a Bloody Mary fan, but they’ve grown on me over the years. Now they’re a favorite whenever I’m in the mood for a good sippin’ drink.
Wait…1 week left in your home?! Say what!? That was insanely fast. Hang in there, my friend…life will slow down soon again. I promise!!
Oh and I almost forgot – recently I had was fake “crab cakes” with Old Bay –
that were made with tofu – I so wanna try out a tofu + Old Bay recipe and see if I can figure out them cakes #IDOldBayThat #sweepstakes
So I’ve never had tofu crab cakes, but they sound interesting! I bet it’s hard to tell a difference once you add the seasonings and spices in there! Give them a shot. That sounds like a fun recipe to experiment with! 🙂
You know how popular curling is around here, though I don’t know a whole lot about it, lol. I have a can of Old Bay in my pantry and this cocktail would be perfect for it!! Kinda reminds me somewhat of a Caesar and I love those, especially with a snack! I often have a virgin Caesar (extra spicy) just for the heat and the little lunch 😀 I’ll have to try this one next time! Cheers to an awesome weekend, David!
Old Bay is a pantry must have in my book! And there is no better way to use it than in a Bloody Mary – especially one that’s loaded up with tons of seafood swag like this one! 😉 Have a wonderful weekend, David!
I totally agree with you, Marissa! I wasn’t familiar with Old Bay until I met Laura, but now we always keep a can in the pantry! And a Bloody Mary isn’t a Bloody Mary unless it has a whole appetizer plate in it, too. Haha! Thanks so much, my friend! 🙂
Who would guess that one of the few foods that doesn’t appeal to me would be alcoholic? I can’t say why, but bloody Marys don’t appeal to me. And they always seem so cool! I just saw one that comes with a mini grilled cheese garnish! Yours looks delicious.
Mini grilled cheese? In a Bloody Mary? Oh man, now I have to make these again and add a sandwich! That sounds delicious. And I’m thinking that sandwich will need some gouda in there. 🙂
Bloody Mary is my Mum’s favourite drink – I am definitely going to have to make this for her soon 🙂
Yes! A good Bloody Mary is hard to beat, and I happen to love the additional kick from the Old Bay. It’s a tasty twist on a classic for sure! 🙂 Thanks, Alex!