Bloody Mary Ingredients: The Complete List for Perfect Bloody Marys

A Bloody Mary has more ingredients than almost any other cocktail. A margarita needs three things. A gin and tonic needs two. A Bloody Mary needs a base spirit, tomato juice, Worcestershire, horseradish, hot sauce, lemon juice, celery salt, black pepper, and depending on who you ask, another half dozen seasonings on top of that.

That complexity is what makes the Bloody Mary endlessly customizable. It's also what makes it intimidating if you've never built one from scratch. Below is the complete list of Bloody Mary ingredients, broken into categories, with the role each one plays and the ratios that actually work.

If you'd rather skip the 15-ingredient shopping list and get straight to drinking, a cocktail concentrate like Stu's Bloody Mary Concentrate pre-blends all the seasoning into one bottle. You add tomato juice and your spirit. Done.

The Foundation: Base Ingredients

Every Bloody Mary starts with the same three components. The ratios between them determine whether your drink is balanced or a mess.

Tomato juice is the body of the drink. It provides the savory, slightly sweet canvas that everything else builds on. Use 100% tomato juice, not tomato cocktail (which is diluted and sweetened). Some people use V8 for a more complex vegetable flavor, and that works too.

Vodka is the traditional spirit. A neutral, unflavored vodka lets the tomato and spice come through cleanly. You want 1.5 to 2 ounces per drink. Quality matters less here than in a martini because the other flavors dominate. For recommendations, see our guide to the best vodka for Bloody Mary.

Lemon juice brightens the whole drink and cuts through the richness of the tomato. Fresh squeezed is noticeably better than bottled. About half an ounce per drink. Don't skip it. Without acid, a Bloody Mary tastes flat.

You can swap the spirit for tequila (making a Bloody Maria), whiskey (a Bloody Molly), mezcal (a mezcal Bloody Mary), or beer (a michelada). The seasoning base stays the same.

Spices in a Bloody Mary

The spice blend is what separates a good Bloody Mary from a glass of spiked tomato juice. These are the spices you'll find in most recipes, though proportions vary by taste.

Celery salt is the signature Bloody Mary spice. It adds a vegetal, slightly bitter note that ties the drink together. Most store-bought mixes rely heavily on celery salt because it does a lot of work in a small amount. Use about 1/4 teaspoon per drink, or rim the glass with it.

Black pepper brings a slow, warm heat that hits the back of the throat. Always freshly cracked. Pre-ground black pepper tastes dusty and flat by comparison. Two or three good cracks per drink.

Cayenne pepper adds a sharper, more immediate heat than black pepper. A pinch is enough. Too much and it bulldozes the other flavors. If you want a serious kick, see our spicy Bloody Mary recipe for layered heat techniques.

Smoked paprika is optional but adds a subtle smokiness that rounds out the drink. Especially good if you're using Stu's Smoked Jalapeño concentrate, which already has smoky chipotle notes built in.

Garlic powder adds depth. A small pinch. Fresh garlic is too aggressive for a cold cocktail and leaves a lingering raw bite. Powder dissolves cleanly.

Onion powder works similarly to garlic powder. Adds savory depth without the sharpness of raw onion. Optional, but it fills out the flavor.

Old Bay is a regional favorite, especially in Maryland and along the East Coast. The blend of celery salt, mustard, and paprika works naturally with tomato and seafood garnishes.

The reality is that measuring and balancing six or seven spices for every batch gets tedious. That's the practical appeal of a concentrate. Stu's Bloody Mary Concentrate has all of these spices already balanced, so you're not standing in the kitchen with a tablespoon and seven jars.

Flavor Builders

Beyond spices, a Bloody Mary needs a few liquid ingredients that add savory depth, heat, and funk.

Worcestershire sauce adds umami, that hard-to-define savory quality that makes food taste more like food. Worcestershire is fermented anchovies, tamarind, vinegar, and spices. A few dashes per drink. This ingredient is non-negotiable if you're building from scratch.

Horseradish provides the sinus-clearing burn that defines the Bloody Mary experience. Use prepared horseradish (the jarred stuff with vinegar), not horseradish cream sauce. Start with half a teaspoon and adjust up. Fresh grated horseradish is more intense, so use less.

Hot sauce brings chili pepper heat. Tabasco is the classic, but Cholula, Crystal, and Valentina all work. Each brings a different flavor profile beyond just heat. Cholula is earthier, Crystal is more buttery, Valentina is thicker with a touch of sweetness. Pick the one you like on eggs, because it'll taste the same in your Bloody Mary.

Pickle brine is the secret ingredient that a lot of recipes leave out. A splash of pickle juice adds salt, acid, and a tangy funk that balances the sweetness of the tomato juice. Stu's concentrate already has brine from hand-packed Midwestern pickles built into the recipe, which is one reason it tastes different from mixes that rely on vinegar and citric acid.

Bloody Mary Ratio

The standard Bloody Mary ratio is roughly 3 parts tomato juice to 1 part vodka, with 1-2 ounces of seasoning per drink. For a 12-ounce glass:

2 oz vodka
5-6 oz tomato juice
1-2 oz seasoning blend or concentrate
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
Ice to fill

If you're using a concentrate like Stu's, the ratio simplifies further because the concentrate replaces the Worcestershire, horseradish, hot sauce, and spice blend. You're mixing three things instead of twelve.

A common mistake is using too much vodka relative to tomato juice. The drink gets thin and boozy. If you want a stronger drink, add more seasoning to compensate, not more vodka. More concentrate means more flavor, which balances the alcohol better.

For a non-alcoholic version, drop the vodka and keep everything else the same. The seasoning and tomato juice stand on their own.

Bloody Mary Rim Spice

The rim is the first thing you taste, so it sets the tone for the whole drink.

Celery salt is the classic rim choice. Simple, clean, and instantly recognizable as a Bloody Mary.

Cayenne-celery blend mixes celery salt with cayenne pepper for a spicy rim. This is the standard for spicy Bloody Marys.

Old Bay rim is popular along the East Coast, especially with seafood garnishes.

Stu's rim salts go further than basic celery salt. Stu's Sweet Corn Rim Salt uses freeze-dried Nebraska sweetcorn for an unexpected savory-sweet note. The Key Lime Celery Salt adds citrus brightness. Both are handcrafted and designed specifically for Bloody Marys.

To rim a glass: run a lemon or lime wedge around the edge, then press the wet rim into a shallow plate of your rim salt. Twist to coat evenly. Only rim the outside of the glass so the salt doesn't fall into the drink.

Garnishes

Garnishes are technically optional, but a Bloody Mary without a garnish feels naked. The garnish serves double duty as decoration and appetizer.

Classic: Celery stalk, lemon wedge, green olives.

Elevated: Pickled vegetables (asparagus, green beans, okra), bacon strip, cherry tomatoes, pickle spear.

Over the top: Shrimp cocktail, cheese cubes, beef jerky, slider, fried chicken wing. For the full loaded Bloody Mary experience, the garnish basically becomes the appetizer course.

For a complete guide to garnish ideas, see our Bloody Mary garnish post.

What Makes Stu's Ingredients Different

Most store-bought Bloody Mary mixes contain a long list of ingredients you'd rather not think about. Here's what you'll find on a typical big-brand label: high fructose corn syrup, MSG (monosodium glutamate), caramel color, citric acid, xanthan gum, sodium benzoate, and "natural flavors" that could mean almost anything.

Stu's ingredient list looks different. Pickle brine from hand-packed Midwestern pickles, real horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, celery salt, black pepper, cayenne. No artificial colors, no MSG, no high fructose corn syrup.

The other difference is format. Most mixes are pre-diluted with tomato juice, which means you're paying for water and tomato that you could buy for a fraction of the price at the store. Stu's is a concentrate. You add your own tomato juice, which gives you control over the consistency and lets you choose your preferred brand. One bottle makes 12+ drinks.

For the full breakdown of how concentrates differ from ready-to-use mixes, see what is a cocktail concentrate.

Using Bloody Mary Ingredients in Cooking

The same spice profile that makes a great Bloody Mary makes incredible food. If you have a bottle of Stu's in the fridge, you have a shortcut to flavor in the kitchen.

Some of our favorites: Bloody Mary BBQ sauce for wings and ribs, Bloody Mary chili as a main course, Bloody Mary marinade for grilled meats, Bloody Mary deviled eggs as a brunch appetizer, and spicy bone broth as a warming side.

For the full list, see our guide to cooking with Bloody Mary mix.

FAQ

What spices are in a Bloody Mary?

The traditional Bloody Mary spice blend includes celery salt, black pepper, cayenne or hot sauce, horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce. Some recipes add smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, or Old Bay. Stu's Bloody Mary Concentrate pre-blends all these spices so you don't need to measure each one separately.

What is the correct Bloody Mary ratio?

The standard ratio is about 3 parts tomato juice to 1 part vodka, with 1-2 oz of seasoning blend per drink. For a 12 oz glass: 2 oz vodka, 5-6 oz tomato juice, 1-2 oz concentrate, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Adjust to taste. More concentrate means more spice and flavor.

What is the best rim spice for a Bloody Mary?

Celery salt is the classic choice. For something more interesting, try Stu's rim salts, which include Sweet Corn Rim Salt and Key Lime Celery Salt. You can also make your own by combining celery salt with smoked paprika, black pepper, and a pinch of cayenne.

What makes Stu's ingredients different from store-bought mixes?

Most store-bought Bloody Mary mixes contain high fructose corn syrup, MSG, artificial colors, and preservatives. Stu's uses pickle brine from hand-packed Midwestern pickles, real horseradish, natural spices, and no artificial ingredients. The concentrate format means you're getting pure flavor, not paying for tomato juice in a bottle.

Can I use Bloody Mary ingredients for cooking?

Yes. The same spice profile that makes a great Bloody Mary works in chili, marinades, BBQ sauce, deviled eggs, and more. See our full guide to cooking with Bloody Mary mix.

What's the difference between Bloody Mary mix and Bloody Mary concentrate?

A mix is ready to use. You add vodka and you're done. But you're also locked into whatever ratio and flavor the manufacturer chose. A concentrate is just the seasoning. You add your own tomato juice and spirit, which means you control the spice level, the consistency, and the overall flavor. One bottle of concentrate makes 12+ drinks because you're not paying for pre-diluted tomato juice.