Bloody Mary With Bacon Swizzle Sticks

I love bacon (duh) and I love Bloody Marys, so I could think of nothing better to round out my Sunday brunch than a bacon-infused Bloody Mary.  If you're feeling feisty, you can mix up your own Bloody Mary mix as follows, but if you're still feeling your Saturday night, a store bought mix works just as well.  It's the bacon swizzle sticks that really sell this cocktail and make it a memorable addition to any brunch. (Isn't brunch just the best??)

This recipe inspired by seriouseats.com.

Ingredients:

Swizzle sticks:

• BACON - one strip per serving
• skewers (if using wooden skewers, soak in water for 20 minutes before baking)

Bloody Mary Mix (makes 1): 

• 1 tablespoon celery salt, mixed spices or table salt
• 1/4 lemon, cut into two wedges
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or less to taste)
• Dash cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (I prefer Chipotle Tabasco! )
• 1 teaspoon horseradish (or wasabi)
• 2 ounces vodka (or tequila)
• 4 ounces high-quality tomato juice (not from concentrate - this is the most important part!)
• 1 splash bacon syrup*
• Garnish: 1 stick celery, 1 lemon wedge, 2 olives, pickled asparagus, go nuts.  And don't forget the bacon!

*Torani makes a bacon-flavored syrup, or you can use some of the strained and cooled bacon fat.  But it's still good without the bacon syrup!


Directions:

Swizzle sticks:

• Preheat oven to 400F
• Piece one end of bacon with a skewer.  Wind the bacon around the skewer, and pierce the other end.
• Bake on foil-lined tray for 10 minutes.  I placed them on a rack to help them drain as they cooked.
• Carefully flip the skewers and bake another 10 minutes.
• Remove to paper towels to drain.
• Let cool before removing skewers.

Bloody Mary Mix:

• Add Worcestershire, soy, black pepper, cayenne pepper, hot sauce, and horseradish to bottom of cocktail shaker.
• Fill shaker with ice and add vodka, tomato juice, bacon syrup and juice of one lemon wedge.
• Shake well.
• Taste for seasoning and heat, and adjust as necessary.

Assembly:

• Shake celery salt onto a shallow dish.
• Rub edge of glass with lemon wedge.
• Coat wet edge with celery salt.
• Fill glass with ice.
• Pour in Bloody Mary Mix.
• Garnish with bacon skewers and other accoutrements of choice.

Go brunch!