Bloody Bull

Makes 6 drinks

The Bloody Bull is what you get when a Bloody Mary and a Bullshot (here) produce an offspring. It’s recognizable as a basic Bloody Mary but the addition of beef consommé changes the nature of the drink. Most histories trace the bastard child to Brennan’s in New Orleans in the mid 1950s, and the inclusion of some Guinness stout to increase the richness is a trick I observed at Brooklyn Star, a bar in Brooklyn, New York.

2¼ cups tomato juice

¾ cup double-strength beef consommé, such as Campbell’s

½ cup strained tomatoes (passata di pomodoro)

½ cup Guinness stout beer

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 tablespoons dill pickle brine

2 tablespoons sambal oelek or sriracha sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon prepared white horseradish

1 teaspoon celery seeds

3 tablespoons Creole seasoning for rimming the glasses (optional)

9 to 12 ounces vodka or Bacon-Infused Vodka (here)

SUGGESTED GARNISHES:

Dilly Beans (here)

Strips of Beef Jerky (here) or store-bought jerky

Lemon wedges

Combine the tomato juice, consommé, strained tomatoes, beer, lemon juice, brine, sambal oelek, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, and celery seeds in a pitcher and stir well. Chill well.

Rim 6 (14-ounce) glasses with Creole seasoning, if desired, following the instructions here.

Pour about 6 ounces (¾ cup) of the mix into a pint glass, add 1½ to 2 ounces of the vodka, and fill the glass completely with ice. Roll the drink between 2 pint glasses to mix and chill for individual servings (see here), or pour the vodka and mix into a pitcher filled with ice and stir well with a long-handled spoon.

Strain the drink into a rimmed glass using a funnel to avoid wetting the rim. Add ice cubes, and garnish each drink with dilly beans, beef jerky, and lemon wedges. Serve immediately.

Note: The mix can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered.

snifter