1. Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix
Perfectly drinkable out of the bottle, this bar favorite wins for its ideal blend of tomato sweetness and peppery kick -- without the overpowering blast of heat and spice that kills most mixes.
2. Borsari Bloody Mary Mix
This mix takes next honors if you like the bite of horseradish in your Bloody Mary cocktail. It’s a lighter blend that leans toward the sweet, but it works as a good counterbalance to the heat of the horseradish.
3. Demitris Bloody Mary Seasoning
This Worcestershire-heavy seasoning requires blending with tomato juice, but the extra step gives you more say in the style of your Bloody. The hearty flavor and thick texture seem ideal for fans of a savory, meaty spin on the drink. Case in point: The bottle also suggests using it as a steak marinade.
4. Longbranch Bloody Mary Zinger
Thicker and with a hint of barbecue flavor, this blend scored points for its sweetness. You might need to rim the glass with celery salt and add a few cranks of cracked pepper, but the mix is also one of the few that tasted great with or without vodka.
5. Tabasco Mild Bloody Mary Mix
Don’t let the brand fool you. There’s barely a hint of the vinegary heat associated with the hot sauce in this mix. It’s a great base, but the blend might require a bit of doctoring if you like more seasoning and spice in a Bloody Mary cocktail.
6. Tabasco Extra Spicy Bloody Mary Mix
Surprisingly lacking in heat for an “extra spicy” mix, Tabasco makes up for its missing spice with salt. And a lot of it. A generous splash of lime helps, but you’ll definitely need more dashes of hot sauce to bring out the warmth.
7. Blue Crab Bay Co. Stingray Bloody Mary Mix
If you’re in the camp of cocktailers who like a splash of briny, sea flavor in your Bloody, this clam juice-spiked mix has it all -- and then some. Thick (you might even call it chunky) and distinctly shellfishy, it makes an unusual but flavorful drink -- without too much spice.
-- Colleen Rush
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