Virgin Mary
Tomato juice, lemon, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce over ice. A savoury drink with a kick.
- Time
- 4 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Glass
- Highball
- Strength
- Alcohol-free
How to make a Virgin Mary
- Season the glass. Add the salt, pepper, lemon juice, Worcestershire, hot sauce and olive brine to a highball glass.
- Add ice and tomato juice. Fill the glass with ice and pour in the tomato juice.
- Stir until mixed. Stir with a bar spoon for about 10 seconds, until the seasoning has dissolved and the colour is even. Do not shake: it makes tomato juice foamy and pale.
- Taste and adjust. Take a sip. If it tastes flat, add salt or lemon. If it tastes harsh, add a little more tomato juice. Garnish with celery.
- Glass
- HighballNo highball? Any tall glass.
- Ice
- Ice cubes
- Garnish
- Celery stick and a lemon wedgeOr: A couple of green olives on a stick.
What you need to make a Virgin Mary
Kit
JiggerA double-ended measure, usually 25 ml and 50 ml.
Bar spoonA long teaspoon does the job.
Citrus squeezerFresh juice makes the biggest difference of anything.
Bottles we'd use
- Tomato juiceMr & Mrs T or Big Tom are made for this; plain supermarket juice works too.Find it on Amazon
- Worcestershire sauceLea & Perrins is the standard and adds depth.Find it on Amazon
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The Virgin Mary story
Take the vodka out of a Bloody Mary and you have a Virgin Mary, sometimes called a Bloody Shame. The Bloody Mary itself has disputed origins: accounts credit Fernand Petiot at Harry's New York Bar in Paris in the 1920s, or the King Cole Bar in New York in the 1930s, and neither claim has been settled.
Without the spirit, the seasoning has to carry the drink. Salt, pepper, lemon, Worcestershire and hot sauce are not garnishes here, they are the recipe. Taste it as you build it and keep adjusting until it tastes lively and sharp. A little olive brine adds salt and depth.
Virgin Mary: your questions answered
What is in a Virgin Mary?
A Virgin Mary is made with 150 ml tomato juice, 15 ml fresh lemon juice, 3 dashes of Worcestershire sauce, 3 dashes of hot sauce, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish: celery stick and a lemon wedge.
Is this Virgin Mary alcohol-free?
Yes. This Virgin Mary is made without any alcoholic ingredients, so it suits drivers and anyone taking a night off.
What glass do you serve a Virgin Mary in?
Serve a Virgin Mary in a highball over ice. No highball? Any tall glass.
