Hosting Thanksgiving can be really stressful, even for the pros among us. Between the shopping, the chopping, the cooking, and the cleaning, it’s a lot. And as much as we love having a full table, keeping people out of the kitchen—and stopping them from nibbling early on the appetizers—is a challenge.
A Bloody Mary station is a fantastic way to keep people and their stomachs occupied. When you have a house full of guests the morning of Thanksgiving, setting up a do-it-yourself Bloody Mary bar is beyond simple to execute, but it feels special for your guests. With the help of Demitri’s bundles and some fun extras, you can whip up this bar while the oven is preheating.
Step 1: Get your supplies ready
We’ve got a range of bundles, depending on what you already have on hand and how many Bloody Mary options you want to offer. The Meet Demitri’s Kit is our favorite for a Bloody bar. It includes all four flavors of our award-winning seasonings (Classic, Extra Horseradish, Chilies & Peppers, and Chipotle Habanero) and Original and Bacon Rimshot Rim Salt for garnish… plus some fun extras. This way, you can let your guests choose their own adventure and mix up a personalized Bloody.
Make sure you’ve got plenty of tomato juice and vodka on hand. Ketel One is our go-to for a classic Bloody, but if you’ve got a stocked bar, you can also offer tequila for a Bloody Maria.
You’ll also want to add some garnish choices. Since everyone will be eating the big meal soon, keep these nice and snacky. Think celery sticks, a few types of olives, Blaze’s Beans, cornichons, lemon and lime wedges, and maybe some shrimp or deviled eggs if you have the time.
Step 2: Set up your station
Once you have your Bloody Mary ingredients and garnish ready, the next part is putting everything out onto your bar or serving table. Pro tip: Pouring your tomato juice into a carafe will amp up the aesthetics of your spread.
Cookware
- Enough glasses to go around. While we highly recommend sticking to nice glassware, we understand if you need to save yourself the clean-up… and the dishwasher space.
- Teaspoons
- Jigger or shot glasses
- Cocktail shaker
- Ice bucket
- Skewers or toothpicks for the garnish
- Saucers for the Rimshot Rim Salt
Print out a recipe card with these ingredients and instructions so guests can tailor a cocktail to their heart’s desire.
Per 1 Bloody Mary
6-8 oz. tomato juice
1-2 teaspoons Demitri’s Bloody Mary Seasoning of choice
2 oz. vodka
Directions
- Use a lime wedge to gently moisten the rim of your glass, then press into a saucer of rim salt.
- Combine ingredients in a shaker. Add ice. Pour back and forth, until the mixture is chilled.
- Pour the mixture into your glass and pick your garnish.
- Squeeze a lime wedge on top and enjoy!
Steps 1 and 2 are really all you need to pull off an incredible Bloody Mary bar. Deputize someone else to handle the clean up—and make sure they bring the chef a nice big Bloody, too!
However you’re celebrating Thanksgiving, we hope your meal is full of laughter and celebration. We’re grateful for your love of Demitri’s, and we’re honored to have a place at your table. Happy Thanksgiving!
Bonus points– here is a list of to inspire your Bloody Mary Garnishes:
- Baby Corn
- Bacon
- Basil Sprig
- Beef Jerky
- Blaze's Pickled Beans – (available through Bargreen)
- Carrot Stick
- Celery
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Cheese Cubes - cheddar, pepper-jack, pretty much anything that doesn't fall apart
- Chili Peppers
- Cilantro Sprig
- Cocktail Onions
- Cucumber Spear
- Dill Sprig
- Edible Flowers
- Tofu – Fried or Fresh
- Green Pepper Ring
- Horseradish – freshly-grated pinch
- Jalapeno Popper
- Lemon, Lime, Orange or Grapefruit wedges, wheels, twists or zest
- Olives – olives stuffed with blue cheese or peppers always impress
- Onion Rings - hang 'em over a straw or another garnish!
- Parsley Sprig
- Pepperoncini
- Pepperoni Stick
- Peppers – pickled or fresh
- Pickle Spear
- Pickled Asparagus
- Pickled Okra
- Prawns
- Radishes
- Roasted Garlic
- Rosemary Sprig
- Scallion (green onion)
- Skewered Steak Bites
- Stuffed Olives - stuffed with blue cheese, lemon rind, roasted garlic, jalapenos...
- Thyme Sprig
- Zucchini Planks
- Zucchini Wheels
