Looking to make restaurant-style Bloody Marys at home during these lazy days of summer? Have you given Demitri's Bloody Mary Seasonings a try?

I usually like to keep my Bloody Marys simple. A dash or two of Tabasco and Worcestershire, a squeeze of lemon, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper are all the seasonings I need. I shy away from prefab mixes - why buy a jug of specially seasoned tomato juice when it's so easy to stir up something yourself?

But when an assortment of samples of Demitri's Bloody Mary Seasonings and rimming salts appeared in my mailbox, I was intrigued. Made of all-natural ingredients and custom-mixable with tomato juice in a strength according to personal taste, they give the home bartender a little more control. I use a variety of pre-made hot sauces, mustards, and other condiments regularly in my home food prep. Why not try something designed specially for Bloody Marys as well?

These are the formulations and flavors I tested out:

2011_06_24-Packets1.jpgThe Seasonings
Price: $2.00-2.50 for a 2-ounce pouch (pictured above); $7.50-8.50 for an 8-ounce bottle. Larger restaurant sizes available also.
How to Use: Add 1-2 teaspoons to plain tomato juice (and vodka or other spirit) to make a single cocktail. To serve a crowd, add 1 shot glass' worth to 1 quart tomato juice. Demitri's website also lists recipes for pulled pork sandwiches, deviled eggs, and marinated shrimp seasoned with the mixes.

  • Classic Recipe - a blend of Worcestershire, black pepper, red pepper, lemon juice, horseradish, and garlic. Nicely balanced to achieve that classic restaurant-style taste.
  • Chilies and Peppers - a spicy-sweet blend with mild jalaño heat. This was one of my favorites.
  • Extra Horseradish - mild horseradish taste without the chunky texture. (I actually found myself missing those grainy horseradish bits.)
  • Chipotle-Habañero - Smoky heat.

2011_06_24-Packets2.jpgThe Rimming Salts
Price: $7.95 for a 4-ounce tin
RimShot Rim Salt - made with red and black Hawaiian sea salts, alder-smoked sea salt, celery salt, and black pepper. I especially enjoyed this one. When used to garnish a Bloody Mary made with the Classic Recipe Seasoning, it makes a really nice drink.
Bacon RimShot - made with BaconSalt, a proprietary salt with a hickory-smoked, bacon-like flavor (vegetarian-friendly). I found this one a little strong for my liking - almost distracting me from the actual cocktail. But I'm intrigued about trying it out with food. Maybe sprinkled on a baked potato, or a pinch here or there to lend a bacon-y taste to a soup or stew.

The Verdict
Pros:

  • Nicely balanced flavors
  • Easy to use - measure out a teaspoon or two for a single drink or a full ounce for a quart of mix to serve a crowd
  • Seasoning strength is customizable - you can add more or less seasoning according to personal taste
  • Can mix with different types of vegetable juices: V8, Clamato, organic brands, homemade, etc.
  • Doesn't spoil quickly - once opened, the seasonings have a much longer fridge life than a jug of Bloody Mary mix would
  • Not just a Bloody Mary "unitasker." The Demitri's website lists plenty of culinary applications for both the seasonings and the salts.

Cons:

  • High-fructose corn syrup (Although, to be fair, this comes from the Worcester sauce used as a base ingredient in the seasoning - mix up your own version from "scratch" using commercial Worcestershire sauce, and you'll end up with the same thing.)
  • The 2-ounce pouches are awkward to store once opened. Unless you're just trying the product out, as I was, 8-ounce bottles seem like the practical way to go.

Have you tried Demitri's? What do you think of Bloody Mary seasonings/pre-fab mixes?

Apartment Therapy Media makes every effort to test and review products fairly and transparently. The views expressed in this review are the personal views of the reviewer and this particular product review was not sponsored or paid for in any way by the manufacturer or an agent working on their behalf. However, the manufacturer did give us product for testing and review purposes.

Nora Maynard is a longtime home mixologist and an occasional instructor at NYC’s Astor Center. She is a contributor to The Business of Food: Encyclopedia of the Food and Drink Industries and is the recipient of the American Egg Board Fellowship in culinary writing at the Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow. She previously covered food and drink in film at The Kitchn in her weekly column, The Celluloid Pantry.

• Find it: Demitri's Bloody Mary Seasonings and Rim Salt, $2 and up at Demitri's Website (and also from Amazon)

Related: All About Bloody Marys

(Images: Nora Maynard)

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