THE BLOODY MARY BAR

There’s nothing quite like an icy, spicy Bloody Mary, and it can be a fun addition to  a party – make a classic drink as per the recipe below, then let your guests customize their cocktail by adding something – or everything – from the Bloody Mary Bar!

MAKES 1

60ml (2¼fl oz) vodka

½ teaspoon grated horseradish

Tabasco sauce, to taste

Worcestershire sauce, to taste a wedge of lemon

chilled tomato juice, to top up

celery salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour in the vodka. Season with a good pinch of celery salt and several grinds of black pepper. Add the horseradish and several dashes of Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce (the more the merrier in my book). Squeeze in the lemon wedge and top up with tomato juice. Stir and serve, letting your guest choose  what to add from the bar options.

Bloody Mary Bar options

• Pickled chillies on sticks
• Dill pickles, quartered
• Oysters on the half-shell
• Sticks of salsify
• Sticks of celery and whole, long carrots
• Cooked prawns on skewers
• Stuffed olives on sticks
• Strips of crispy bacon
• A selection of hot sauces

This recipe is from The Art of the Party.