The Only Vodka You Should Use to Make the Best-Tasting Bloody Mary, According to 3 Bartenders (No, Not Smirnoff)

A Bloody Mary is my weekly serving of vegetables and my license to sip vodka before noon. It’s the perfect cure for last night’s regrets and the key to kick-starting your Sunday brunch plans. Luckily, you don’t need to wait in line at a trendy spot to enjoy one that wows. With the right vodka, you can craft a showstopping Bloody Mary from the comfort of your kitchen — the only dressing up required is for your cocktail.

To find the one vodka that best complements the bold, smoky, and spicy elements of a Bloody Mary, I reached out to three bartenders. While the reasons varied, the experts unanimously agreed: Tito’s Handmade Vodka is the secret sauce. Here’s why.

As it turns out, it’s all about the production process. “[Tito’s] uses old-fashioned pot stills and taste-test every batch, similar to what you’d see with fine single-malt Scotches or high-end French Cognacs,” explains Jennifer Jackson, the beverage enterprise manager at Thompson Restaurants, which owns over 70 (count ’em!) restaurants. “In short, it’s really delicious.” 

Louis Garcia, a bartender at Margaritaville Resort in New York, also vouches for Tito’s versatility. “Its clean flavor profile and ease of mixability work perfectly with the savory and spicy profile of a Bloody Mary,” he says. “The vodka’s smoothness allows the cocktail’s other flavors — like tomato, spices, and citrus — to shine.”

For another bartender, Tito’s is a no-brainer. “Its inherent sweetness, from being corn-based, balances out the savory and salty notes in a Bloody Mary,” explains Tom Hoerup, a former bar manager at Huckleberry in upstate New York and current senior studio producer at Apartment Therapy Media (The Kitchn’s parent company). Plus, it’s relatively “affordable and pairs really well with most cocktails.” 

Beyond its flavor, Tito’s commitment to community also stands out. The company also has “an incredible culture of giving, supporting programs like the National Park Foundation and Meals on Wheels,” notes Jackson.

• Find your “perfect” ratio. Garcia’s rule of thumb is three parts tomato juice to one part vodka, while Jackson suggests two ounces of Tito’s to four (or five!) ounces of tomato juice. Could yours be somewhere in between? Have fun finding it.
• Get creative with garnishes. Peperoncino, lime, bacon, olives … “anything that pairs with savory flavors, go for it,” says Hoerup, who encourages us all to experiment. His one rule: “The garnish should be as visually appealing as it is delicious.”

Buy: Tito’s Handmade Vodka, $27.95 for 750 mL at Instacart

What vodka do you swear by for a Bloody Mary? Tell us about it in the comments below.