Bloody Belle: A Bourbon Based Bloody Mary

I’ve never been a fan of the Bloody Mary cocktail but I know that there’s a lot of people who swear by them. Especially on a Sunday morning after a long night of drinking or with friends at a Sunday brunch. So when the folks at Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery sent me this recipe for the Bloody Belle I thought many of you would like to try it out. If you give it a try, please come back and let us know how it was in the comments.

Here’s a way to take a Bloody Mary to the next level. Vodka is for the most part flavorless so it only brings the alcohol, which magnifies flavors of other ingredients, to the recipe of the Bloody Mary. By adding a high Rye content Bourbon like Belle Meade you bring another layer of flavor and depth to the experience. While you may think Bourbon and a tomato based mixer doesn’t sound good, the Nelson’s ask you to consider the flavors of roasted tomato. The Bourbon brings similar flavors to the caramelized sugars that you experience when you roast a tomato. Try one of these and you’ll see what they mean. It’s a great twist on the classic.

Bloody Belle
By Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery

Ingredients

• 2 ounces                      Belle Meade Bourbon
• Desired                        Zing Zang Mix (or Bloody Mary mix of your choice)
• 1 tablespoon               Olive Brine (salty)
• 1 dash                          Worcestershire (savory)
• 2-3 dashes                   Tabasco (spicy)
• 3/4 ounces                   Lemon juice (tart)
• 1 teaspoon                  Horseradish (zesty)
• 2-3 turns                     Fresh ground black pepper

Procedure

Build over ice in pint glass over ice then roll back and forth 3-4 times from one glass to another to mix. Garnish with olives, celery, and a lemon wedge.