A new twist on the Bloody Mary

It seems the Bloody Mary has recently taken on a new persona and everyone is racing to cultivate the most extreme cocktail. I'm not sure if outrageous garnishes and a greater variety of mixes is an incredibly new thing or if I'm just noticing it more now because it is the beginning of baseball season and many people I know love to tailgate with the tasty concoctions. Nonetheless, this topic makes me thirsty.

There are a couple of ways in which Bloody Mary lovers are putting a spin on the old favorite. First, you have the beverage itself. Any foodie or bloody connoisseur will tell you it takes a perfect mix of ingredients to make a perfect tumbler; a truly great drink will not simply combine the contents of a bottle of mix with regular vodka. There are other important ingredients. In addition to offering new types of mixes like bold, spicy, or sea food infused specialty flavored vodkas have been appearing at a mary bar near you. Most recently I spotted cucumber vodka on an ingredient list. 
 
Second, the garnishes have gotten bigger and bigger. Sometimes it can constitute as a meal with veggies, cheese, and bacon; I've even seen one with a burger on top of all the afore mentioned accoutrements. My favorite of the additives is spicy chili salt on the rim of the glass. I also enjoy popping the pepper jack cheese cubes after I've finished. Of course, I can't forget about the traditional olives. 



In case you need an excuse for trying out a modern Bloody Mary, I found a chart on cracked.com that explains some often used excuses for imbibing.