Easy Bloody Mary Bar

Over the weekend my friends and I threw a bridal shower for our best girl Lauren. She and I are both Event Planners and have coordinated our fair share of weddings, showers, next-day brunches, and so on. We know just how dramatic and over-done the whole process can become which is exactly why she wanted a laid-back and non-traditional shower. We followed her instructions carefully and promptly. We forgot about the toilet paper wedding dresses and antiquated gifts while focusing on a day filled with her favorite things. Luckily for all of us that included a Bloody Mary bar complete with Babybel cheese garnishes. 

A Bloody Mary bar was a perfect setup for a late morning bridal shower and will also be a GREAT idea for the upcoming football season. Making drinks to order for friends and family seems like a sure-fire way to miss the whole game, doesn't it? Here on the West Coast those early morning kick-offs require a Bloody Mary or two before other forms of alcohol become acceptable! 

A Bloody Mary with bacon, lime, Babybel cheese, and olives

A traditional Bloody Mary comes garnished with a sliver of lemon and/or lime, an olive or two, and a pickle. Often times when you order one in a restaurant you'll enjoy salt around the rim of the glass. I absolutely love to live a world where we can't leave well enough alone and that Bloody Mary accompaniments have been taken to the next level(s). Now you can order a Bloody Mary complete with an entire meal stacked up above your cocktail. cheeseburgers, chicken wings, or raw oysters.

Cutting the limes, cooking the bacon, and skewering the olives made building a Bloody Mary a breeze

This Bloody Mary bar will set you up for success without too much hassle. I didn't consider, for even one second, offering salt for the the rim of the glasses which would eventually be sprinkled all over the floor throughout my house. Hey, if you've got your own bus boy or cleaning crew don't let me stop you!  ​

The complete Bloody Mary Bar

Easy Bloody Mary Bar

Serves roughly 8 - 10 people

Ingredients:
2 quarts (64 ounces) of tomato juice
Vodka

Bloody Mary Seasoning - We used and loved Demitri's Bloody Mary Seasoning

​Garnishes: Pick and chose, as you like!

​Traditional

• Celery
• Lemon or lime wedges
• Olives
• Pickles
• Hot sauce

​Cheese

• Babybel cheese wheels
• String cheese
• Cheese cubes or curds

Meat or Seafood

• Strips of crispy bacon
• Slim Jim
• Shrimp cocktail

Also Needed:
Toothpicks or skewers
Shot glasses for measuring vodka, if you're into that kind of rigidity 
Cups or classes
​Ice
​

Directions:

1. Gather, prep, and place your garnishes at the bar. Slice the lemons and limes. Cook the bacon. Unwrap the Slim Jims or cheese snacks. If you're using Mini Babybels, slice the bottom of the wheel and place them on the glasses. Build some toothpicks or skewers with smaller items. 
2. Prepare the Bloody Mary's. We offered one bottle of plain tomato juice, one container of tomato juice + Bloody Mary mix together (per the mix's instructions), and a bottle of vodka, giving guests the option to add as much or as little booze as they'd like.
3. Complete the bar with cups and ice. Refill the bar as needed.

You don't need to point people in the direction of a Bloody Mary bar, they'll find it without instruction!  

Photographer to Bloody Mary bar: Say CHEESE!

Having a Bloody Mary bar allowed us, as the hosts, the freedom to enjoy ourselves and the party. It gave the guests the option to add booze and/or snacks to their drinks. I did hear someone saying they were drinking, and love, straight tomato juice :) All of my drinks included vodka and extra olives. There's something for everyone :)

Cheers!

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