While margarita glasses have been encrusted with a salted rim since the first mariachi sound track was recorded, it’s only been in this century that Bloody Marys have been treated to a similar aesthetic enhancement: a rim of spiced salt crowning the glass.
Drinks are subjected to the “two G’s” right before serving: garnish and garbage. In the former camp are all the ingredients added to enhance a drink’s flavor or add some nutritional benefit. In the case of a Bloody Mary this is where everything from a celery stick to a wedge of lemon or lime or a skewer of olives comes in. Garbage is the category that includes paper umbrellas and swizzle sticks that add to the visual appeal of the presentation but serve no function. Rimming a glass falls somewhere between the two. Depending on the method used the salty mixture will either meld into the drink or it can be primarily decorative and bordering on annoying if it gets all over the fingers or makes a dark suit or dress look like you’ve spilled a snow cone.
Because the process involves inverting the glass, rimming obviously must be done before the drink is mixed, poured, or garnished. I suggest pouring in the actual Bloody Mary with a funnel to ensure that your careful rimming doesn’t drip right into the drink.