Homemade Bloody Marys

The perfect straws for enjoying these homemade Bloody Marys? Lovage stems, of course!

Ingredients:
4 cups tomato juice
1 cup vodka
1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
⅓ cup distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced
¼ teaspoon salt (optional)
Lemon or lime wedges
Garnishes (choose any): Lovage stems (for straws), plus celery stalks, cherry tomatoes, dill pickle spears, pickled okra, and/or green cocktail olives

Method:
1. In a blender, combine the tomato juice, vodka, cucumber, vinegar, celery seed, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Securely fasten the lid and blend on high speed until completely smooth.

2. Taste, and add more hot sauce for more heat (it will taste quite intense now, since the mix hasn’t cooled over ice yet). Add the black pepper and garlic. Securely fasten the lid and blend for just a few seconds (or longer, for a completely smooth texture). Taste, and stir in ¼ teaspoon salt for more overall flavor if you’d like. Set aside.

3. Fill the glasses with ice, and pour the Bloody Mary mix on top. Stir with a spoon, and garnish each with a lemon or lime wedge, a lovage stem for a straw and any additional garnishes of your choice. Serve immediately.