How to Build a DIY Bloody Mary or Caesar Cocktail Bar

For some, it’s just not brunch without a bloody mary or bloody caesar. The next time you get together for a mid-day meal, consider providing a DIY bloody mary bar. It not only lets your guests make their cocktails exactly to their liking, but it also provides a fun activity to enjoy.

Bloody Mary Bar Ingredients

Before we really dive in, let’s start with the basics. The main ingredients in a bloody mary are:

• Vodka
• Tomato juice
• Lemon juice
• Worcestershire sauce
• Hot sauce

If you’re looking to create a bloody caesar, you’ll want to switch the tomato juice for Clamato mix. And as you’ll see, additional ingredients in a bloody mary bar can be elaborate, inventive and plentiful. We’ll go over a few of our favourites.

How to make homemade bloody mary mix

Bloody mary mix is basically all of the ingredients in a bloody mary, excluding the vodka and garnishes. So tomato juice, lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt and pepper. You can follow our Bloody Mary recipe and just skip the vodka to make homemade bloody mary mix.  And if you follow our steps below to build a bloody mary bar, guests will be able to make their own mix.

Different Types of Bloody Marys

Beyond the base ingredients listed above, you can make several different variations according to your taste preferences. That includes adding extra flavour that makes it a:

• Spicy bloody mary
• Pickle bloody mary
• Tabasco® bloody mary
• Buffalo sauce bloody mary

If you have a favourite savoury flavour, the bloody mary is a perfect drink to experiment with.

1. Start with a good base.

First things first: To build your own bloody mary bar, you have to have the basic ingredients. And quality matters. Make sure you provide premium items for your base so you can start from a solid foundation:

• GREY GOOSE® Vodka

• Organic tomato juice (for a bloody mary)

• Clamato mix (for a bloody caesar)

• Purified cubed ice

2. Add the classics.

While every bloody mary recipe contains vodka and tomato juice, the cocktail ingredients beyond that are a little less standardized. But most recipes do include:

• Fresh lemon juice

• Worcestershire sauce

• Horseradish  

• Hot sauce

• Salt

• Pepper

3. Consider mixing things up a little.

You and your guests can also add some unexpected tastes to your concoction. This might include juices beyond tomato, as in the Water Mary, or substituting unflavoured vodka for a lemon-flavoured one, as in the Le Citron Bloody Mary.

• Watermelon juice

• Carrot juice

• Clam juice

• Olive brine

• Citrus-flavoured vodka

4. Top it all off with garnishes. Lots of them.

If there’s any drink known for its garnishes (beyond the martini cocktail, perhaps) it’s the bloody mary. Now is not the time for subtlety. Encourage your guests to pile on the garnishes as high as their highball glasses can take them.

Traditional garnishes:

• Celery

• Olives

• Aromatic herbs

• Black pepper

Extra credit:

• Bacon

• Shrimp

• Cheese cubes

• Pickles

• Lime wedges

• Watermelon jerky

• Hamburger sliders

5. Put it all together.

Set out all the ingredients, plus a bucket of ice, several highball or Boston glasses and some napkins on a table or bar right in a row. Et voilà — your bloody mary and bloody caesar bar is beautiful, interactive and tasty.

P.S. If you want to make some bloody marys for your guests instead … you can always make a jug of the favourite brunch drink.

What is the best vodka for a bloody mary?

The better the vodka, the better the bloody mary cocktail. You wouldn’t want to ruin your creation with a subpar spirit. That’s why we’re partial to using Grey Goose Vodka. Our premium vodka, made with only two French ingredients, elevates any cocktail, brunch drinks included.

More Brunch Cocktail Recipe Ideas

While bloody marys are synonymous with brunch, they’re not the only daytime cocktails that go great with breakfast or lunch food. After you try building your own bloody mary bar, you can make your own mimosa bar too. And then there’s always the classic Screwdriver or the Blood Orange Sangria. For more brunch ideas, check out Grey Goose brunch cocktail and food pairings.