Ultimate Virgin Bloody Mary

Vegan MoFo Theme: Healthy Vegan Brunch from A to Z.

A month of brunch posts wouldn't be complete without a recipe for Bloody Mary!  Since my intention has been to keep my posts healthy and gluten free, we're sticking with a virgin beverage.

However, since we're leaving out the alcohol, it gives us the perfect opportunity to kick it up a notch so that we're not sipping on some boring old tomato juice.

Bloody Mary is commonly considered a "hair of the dog" drink that is supposed to help to cure a hangover.  Really the vodka probably just helps to numb the pain and isn't actually getting its drinker sober.

It's become a traditional brunch cocktail, with a debatable origin. Some say it was created in New York in the 1920s after Prohibition; others say it dates back to 1939. Others still date Bloody Mary's creation way back to the mid 1550s, believing it to have been named after the ruthless Queen of England.  Check out this liquor.com article if you're interested in reading about the drink's history.

Of course, the base of Bloody Mary is traditionally tomato juice, so it can also be looked upon favorably for its health properties. Tomatoes are loaded with vitamin C and antioxidants; great for bone health, cardiovascular health and anti-cancer support.

I decided to take it a step further and make this an Ultimate Bloody Mary by using a vegetable blend for even more nutrient density and adding some ginger for anti inflammatory support. While it is best to juice or blend your own vegetables, you can purchase bottled juice for convenience. If using bottled juice, be sure to read the ingredients first, and opt for organic, if possible.

Ultimate Bloody Mary
Ingredients 
8oz Vegetable Juice Blend
1 Tablespoon ginger juice*
dash of vegan, gluten free Worcestershire sauce
juice of half a lime (about 1 Tablespoon), or to taste
dash of hot sauce or cayenne
few grinds fresh black pepper

Directions
Combine everything in a glass or shaker container and stir or shake to mix well.



*Ginger juice is made by grating fresh ginger and pressing it through a fine mesh strainer to extract the liquid.