18 Tomato Cocktails Guaranteed To Transform Your Summer Brunch Experience Updated 05/2026

There is something undeniably magnetic about a tomato cocktail. Whether it arrives in a towering glass crowned with a celery stalk and a sprinkle of smoked paprika, or as a delicate, jewel-toned sip swirled together with fresh basil and aged spirits, drinks built on tomato have a way of commanding the table. They are bold, complex, and quietly luxurious, the kind of drink you order when you want to feel a little more alive.

If you have ever assumed that tomato cocktails begin and end with the Bloody Mary, this article is your beautifully overdue wake-up call. The world of tomato-based drinks stretches far beyond that beloved brunch staple, touching every corner of the globe and every shade of the flavor spectrum, from smoky mezcal-spiked sours to delicately clarified milk punches made with cherry tomatoes.

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Below, you will find 18 stunning tomato cocktail recipes to shake, stir, and savor, each one crafted to bring something extraordinary to your glass.

The Tomato In Your Glass: A Love Story Worth Telling

It is easy to forget that the tomato, now the backbone of some of the world’s most beloved cocktails, was once considered deeply suspicious. Early European settlers believed it was poisonous, a rumor that shadowed the fruit for centuries before cooks and drinkers finally came around to its remarkable depth of flavor.

The tomato’s journey into the cocktail world is deeply tied to the history of American drinking culture. It was not until Dr. John Harvey Kellogg introduced a commercial tomato-based beverage at his Battle Creek Sanitarium in Michigan in 1917 that the modern era of tomato juice truly began. Its popularity soared, and by the 1920s, tomato juice had secured its place in the annals of beverage history.

Then came Prohibition, and with it, a certain creativity born of necessity. The tomato cocktail’s journey really gained momentum during Prohibition when Americans sought creative ways to mask the taste of poorly made spirits. The first documented “Bloody Mary” appeared in the 1920s at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, though the drink did not gain widespread popularity until the 1930s and 1940s.

One popular theory credits Fernand Petiot, a bartender at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, with mixing vodka and tomato juice for the first time. The drink’s popularity soared in the United States, especially when spice and additional ingredients were added to give it the classic taste we know today.

What makes this origin story even more interesting is the cultural backdrop that surrounded tomato juice’s early rise. Arriving on the scene as it did during Prohibition, tomato juice clearly served as a non-alcoholic option, and it tended to be an appetizer favored by those who ate luncheon. It was especially popular in restaurants that appealed to women, such as tea rooms, quaint inns, and department store restaurants. There is something poetic, then, about tomato cocktails being celebrated today by a new generation of women who appreciate both their history and their flavor.

Tomato juice was so popular by the mid-1930s, both in homes and restaurants, that government scientists were said to be working on disease-resistant tomato varieties that would yield more juice. This was not simply a food trend. It was a cultural moment.

From a flavor standpoint, tomato is genuinely extraordinary as a cocktail base. Tomato juice provides an ideal foundation for cocktails due to its natural balance of sweetness, acidity, and umami. Unlike fruit juices that can become cloying, tomato juice maintains complexity when mixed with spirits and seasonings. The lycopene content gives tomato-based cocktails their distinctive rich color while contributing antioxidant properties. Professional mixologists appreciate how tomato juice’s savory profile creates what’s known as the “fifth taste,” umami, which enhances the overall drinking experience.

Today, we are living through what many bartenders describe as a savory cocktail renaissance. For years, the tomato’s invitation to the cocktail party was limited to appearances in Bloody Marys and Micheladas. But by the beginning of last year, the savory cocktail trend had blown up, with tomatoes beginning to make a stronger showing in interesting cocktails at influential spots, one of the best-known examples being the Caprese Martini at Jac’s on Bond in Manhattan.

There are plenty of other delicious ways to drink in tomato season, from spirit-free recipes to cocktails that bring fresh, sweet tomatoes together with unexpected spirits, savory elements, and spicy tinctures. The tomato is no longer just a brunch accessory. It is a star ingredient with serious range, and it is finally getting the spotlight it deserves.

18 Best Tomato Cocktails List

The Classic Bloody Mary

Few drinks are as instantly recognizable, or as deeply satisfying, as the original Bloody Mary. This is the cocktail that started it all, the one that turned tomato juice into a cocktail icon. It is fiery, savory, and endlessly customizable, making every glass feel like it was made just for you.

The classic Bloody Mary pours a deep, lustrous crimson with a frothy top edge, usually served over ice in a tall glass rimmed with celery salt. The garnish is where the drama happens: a crisp celery stalk, a lemon wedge, and perhaps a skewered olive or two. This is the brunch drink that makes you feel put-together even when you are absolutely not.

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Ingredients:

• 2 oz vodka
• 4 oz tomato juice
• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp horseradish
• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 3–4 dashes Tabasco hot sauce
• Pinch of celery salt
• Pinch of black pepper
• Ice cubes
• Garnish: celery stalk, lemon wedge, olives

Instructions:

1. Rim a tall highball glass with celery salt by running a lemon wedge around the edge and dipping it into a plate of salt.
2. Fill the glass with ice cubes.
3. In a shaker, combine the vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, horseradish, Worcestershire, and Tabasco.
4. Shake briefly and strain into the prepared glass.
5. Season with celery salt and black pepper.
6. Garnish generously with your celery stalk, lemon wedge, and olives.

The Michelada

The Michelada is proof that sometimes the most satisfying things in life are delightfully simple. Essentially a beer Bloody Mary, the Michelada is a delicious, savory cocktail made with tomato juice and Mexican lager, pronounced “mee-chay-lah-duh” in Spanish. This is the drink of lazy afternoons, outdoor tables, and the kind of golden summer light that makes everything look like a magazine spread.

Poured into a salt-and-chili-rimmed glass over ice, the Michelada glows amber-red with rising bubbles from the lager. A lime wheel perched on the rim and a dusting of Tajin complete the picture. It is casual perfection.

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Ingredients:

• 1 light Mexican lager (12 oz), chilled
• 2 oz tomato juice
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 3 dashes hot sauce (Tabasco or Valentina)
• Pinch of black pepper
• Salt and chili powder or Tajin for rim
• Garnish: lime wheel

Instructions:

1. Rub a lime wedge around the rim of a tall glass and dip it into a mixture of salt and chili powder or Tajin.
2. Fill the glass with ice.
3. Squeeze the lime juice into the glass.
4. Add the tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and black pepper.
5. Slowly pour in the chilled lager, stirring gently to preserve the carbonation.
6. Garnish with a lime wheel and serve immediately.

The Bloody Caesar

Canada’s beloved national cocktail is the Bloody Caesar, and if you have never tried it, you are in for a genuinely exciting discovery. The Bloody Caesar is a savory highball made with vodka, Clamato juice (tomato plus clam broth), Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce, poured over ice in a highball glass rimmed with celery salt and usually topped with a crisp stalk of celery and a lime wedge.

The drink’s origins are traced back to Walter Chell, a bartender who drew inspiration from the Italian spaghetti alle vongole to create the Bloody Caesar in 1969 at the Calgary Inn in Alberta, Canada. The briny, oceanic depth of clamato juice sets this apart from anything else in the tomato cocktail family, and once you try it, you will understand why Canadians are so devoted to it.

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Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz vodka
• 4 oz Clamato juice
• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 3 dashes hot sauce
• Fresh lime juice, to taste
• Celery salt for rim
• Ice cubes
• Garnish: celery stalk, lime wedge

Instructions:

1. Rim a tall glass with celery salt by rubbing a lime wedge around the rim and dipping it into the salt.
2. Fill the glass with ice cubes.
3. Add the vodka, Clamato juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and a squeeze of lime juice.
4. Stir gently to combine.
5. Garnish with a celery stalk and a lime wedge.

The Red Snapper

The Red Snapper is considered the original Bloody Mary, created before vodka became the standard spirit for the drink. The name “Red Snapper” was chosen to make the drink more appealing to the upscale clientele of the St. Regis Hotel in New York City. Today, the Red Snapper stands confidently on its own as a gin-forward tomato cocktail with undeniable elegance.

The Red Snapper cocktail is a Bloody Mary with gin. Switching out the vodka leads to a whole new drink: savory, spicy, tangy, with a hint of botanical on the finish from the gin. In the glass, it presents the same deep red as a classic Bloody Mary, but the nose is different, herbal and aromatic, making every sip feel like a small adventure.

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Ingredients:

• 2 oz dry gin
• 4 oz tomato juice
• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp horseradish
• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 3 dashes Tabasco
• Pinch of celery salt and black pepper
• Ice cubes
• Garnish: celery stalk, lemon wedge

Instructions:

1. Rim a highball glass with a mixture of kosher salt and Old Bay seasoning.
2. In a shaker, combine the tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, Tabasco, celery salt, and black pepper. Shake without ice.
3. Add gin and stir briefly to combine.
4. Fill the prepared glass with ice and pour the mixture over.
5. Garnish with a celery stalk and lemon wedge.

The Bloody Maria

The Bloody Maria is the tequila-loving cousin of the Bloody Mary, and she brings a whole different energy to the table. Earthy, smoky, and tinged with the warmth of agave, this tomato cocktail swaps vodka for blanco or reposado tequila, and the result is extraordinary.

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Rich, deep red in color with a golden hue from the tequila, the Bloody Maria looks stunning in a rocks glass with a Tajin-rimmed edge. A lime wedge, a jalapeño slice, and a cherry tomato on a skewer make for a garnish that is just as dramatic as the drink itself.

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Ingredients:

• 2 oz blanco tequila
• 4 oz tomato juice
• 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
• 1/2 tsp horseradish
• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 3 dashes hot sauce
• Pinch of cumin and smoked paprika
• Ice cubes
• Garnish: jalapeño slice, lime wedge, cherry tomato

Instructions:

1. Rim a tall glass with Tajin seasoning by running a lime wedge around the edge and pressing into the seasoning.
2. Fill the glass with ice.
3. In a shaker, combine tequila, tomato juice, lime juice, horseradish, Worcestershire, hot sauce, cumin, and smoked paprika.
4. Shake well and strain into the prepared glass.
5. Garnish with a jalapeño slice, lime wedge, and a cherry tomato skewer.

The Tomato Basil Caipirinha

This one is pure summer poetry. To craft this cocktail, lime wedges, fresh basil leaves, and sugar are crushed in a tumbler to extract the lime juice. Tomato juice and cachaça are then stirred into the glass with a generous amount of ice. A garnish of cherry tomato and basil on a skewer is the finishing touch.

The Tomato Basil Caipirinha is a blush-tinted, herb-laced dream, fragrant with fresh basil and bright with citrus. It is the tomato cocktail you order at a rooftop bar while the sun sets and someone plays acoustic guitar nearby. Or, more realistically, the one you make on a Friday evening and feel immediately proud of.

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Ingredients:

• 2 oz cachaça
• 2 oz tomato juice
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 6 fresh basil leaves
• 1 tsp white sugar
• Crushed ice
• Garnish: cherry tomato and basil sprig on skewer

Instructions:

1. Place the lime wedges and basil leaves in a sturdy tumbler glass.
2. Add the sugar and muddle firmly until the lime releases its juice and the basil is fragrant.
3. Fill the glass with crushed ice.
4. Pour in the cachaça and tomato juice.
5. Stir gently to combine.
6. Garnish with a cherry tomato and basil sprig on a skewer.

The Spicy Wasabi Mary

For the woman who appreciates a genuine, well-placed kick of heat, the Wasabi Mary is an experience. This tomato cocktail trades the gentle warmth of Tabasco for the bold, sinus-clearing rush of wasabi, creating something that is surprisingly complex and deeply addictive.

In the glass, the Wasabi Mary looks just like its classic counterpart: deep red, glossy, and served over ice in a tall glass. But the first sip tells a completely different story, with the wasabi hitting cleanly and immediately before giving way to the rich tomato base and a long, satisfying finish.

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Ingredients:

• 2 oz vodka
• 4 oz tomato juice
• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp wasabi paste
• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• Pinch of celery salt and black pepper
• Ice cubes
• Garnish: cucumber ribbon, lemon wedge

Instructions:

1. In a shaker, dissolve the wasabi paste into the lemon juice, stirring until smooth.
2. Add the vodka, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, and black pepper.
3. Fill the shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 10–12 seconds.
4. Strain into a tall glass filled with fresh ice.
5. Garnish with a cucumber ribbon and lemon wedge.

The Caprese Bloody Mary

Inspired by one of Italy’s most iconic salads, the Caprese Bloody Mary is a tomato cocktail that feels like a meal in itself. Fresh mozzarella, ripe tomatoes, and aromatic basil are the soul of a classic Caprese, and here they translate beautifully into a sophisticated, gallery-worthy drink.

The Caprese Martini, featuring basil-infused vodka, olive oil, Lustau blanco, balsamic vinegar, and tomato, became one of the best-known examples of the savory tomato cocktail trend. This home-friendly version keeps that spirit alive and makes it entirely achievable for your next dinner party.

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Ingredients:

• 2 oz basil-infused vodka (or regular vodka plus 4 fresh basil leaves)
• 4 oz tomato juice
• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 2 dashes Tabasco
• 4 drops aged balsamic vinegar
• Pinch of salt and black pepper
• Ice cubes
• Garnish: skewer of fresh mozzarella ball, cherry tomato, and basil leaf

Instructions:

1. If using regular vodka, muddle the basil leaves in a shaker to release their oils.
2. Add the vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire, Tabasco, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.
3. Fill the shaker with ice and shake for 10 seconds.
4. Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice.
5. Garnish with a skewer of mozzarella, cherry tomato, and basil.

The Bloody Bull

The Bloody Bull is not for the faint-hearted, and that is precisely what makes it so irresistible. This unique blend combines the bold flavors of Bloody Mary with the savory richness of beef broth, resulting in an unconventional yet delicious drink. The bullshot, as it was initially called, was first introduced in 1952 at Detroit’s Caucus Club, the brainchild of John Hurley, a BBDO advertising executive who frequently visited the steakhouse.

The Bloody Bull is a deep mahogany red, thicker and more velvety than a standard Bloody Mary, served over ice in a tall glass with a celery stalk and lemon slice. It drinks like a savory, warming embrace, perfect for those late autumn brunch gatherings or any time you want something that truly means business.

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Ingredients:

• 2 oz vodka
• 2 oz tomato juice
• 2 oz beef broth (low sodium)
• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 3 dashes Tabasco
• Pinch of celery salt and black pepper
• Ice cubes
• Garnish: celery stalk, lemon slice

Instructions:

1. Fill a shaker with ice.
2. Add the vodka, tomato juice, beef broth, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, celery salt, and black pepper.
3. Shake well for 10–12 seconds.
4. Strain into a tall glass filled with fresh ice.
5. Garnish with a celery stalk and a slice of lemon.

The Green Bloody Mary

Who said a Bloody Mary had to be red? The Green Bloody Mary shatters expectations with a vibrant, grassy hue that tastes as fresh as it looks. Built on a base of tomatillo juice and cucumber, this tomato cocktail variation is lighter, more herbaceous, and unexpectedly beautiful.

This drink glows like liquid jade in the glass, pale green and translucent, garnished with a crisp cucumber slice, a sprig of fresh cilantro, and a sliver of green jalapeño. It is the kind of cocktail that stops conversation when you walk into a room carrying it.

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Ingredients:

• 2 oz vodka
• 3 oz tomatillo juice (blend and strain fresh tomatillos)
• 1 oz cucumber juice
• 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
• 2 dashes green Tabasco
• 1/2 tsp horseradish
• Pinch of celery salt
• Handful of fresh cilantro
• Ice cubes
• Garnish: cucumber slice, cilantro sprig, green jalapeño sliver

Instructions:

1. Blend fresh tomatillos and strain through a fine mesh sieve to collect the juice.
2. In a shaker, muddle the cilantro briefly.
3. Add ice, vodka, tomatillo juice, cucumber juice, lime juice, green Tabasco, horseradish, and celery salt.
4. Shake vigorously for 12 seconds and double-strain into a rimmed highball glass over ice.
5. Garnish with cucumber, cilantro, and jalapeño.

The Tomato Margarita

This savory take on the Margarita is irresistibly delicious with its split base of mezcal and manzanilla sherry. The Tomato Margarita is the cocktail for the adventurous drinker who adores both smoky spirits and bright, acidic flavors, and cannot choose between them.

Poured into a rocks glass over a large ice cube, this drink is a sunset in liquid form: deep amber-red with a hazy shimmer from the manzanilla sherry. Tajin on the rim, a lime wheel garnish, and a tiny fresh tomato slice round out a presentation that is as polished as it is delicious.

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Ingredients:

• 1 oz mezcal
• 1 oz manzanilla sherry
• 1.5 oz fresh tomato juice
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• 1/2 oz triple sec or orange liqueur
• 1/4 oz agave syrup
• Tajin for rim
• Ice
• Garnish: lime wheel, small tomato slice

Instructions:

1. Run a lime wedge around the rim of a rocks glass and dip into Tajin seasoning.
2. Add a large ice cube or fill with regular ice.
3. In a shaker with ice, combine the mezcal, manzanilla sherry, tomato juice, lime juice, triple sec, and agave syrup.
4. Shake vigorously for 12 seconds.
5. Strain into the prepared rocks glass.
6. Garnish with a lime wheel and a small tomato slice.

The Tomato Caprese Cocktail

One of the most beloved salads of summer takes its seasonal flavors to the glass, combining rum, tomato water, basil syrup, and a touch of vinegar and salt. The Tomato Caprese Cocktail is elegant, delicate, and surprisingly complex, the kind of drink that makes you slow down and pay attention.

Tomato water is the secret here. When you strain fresh tomatoes through cheesecloth overnight, the liquid that collects is extraordinary: nearly clear, faintly blush-tinted, and packed with pure tomato flavor. Combined with rum and basil syrup, it creates a cocktail that is unlike anything else on this list.

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Ingredients:

• 2 oz aged white rum
• 2.5 oz fresh tomato water (see below)
• 1/2 oz basil syrup (simmer equal parts sugar and water with a handful of basil, then strain)
• 1/4 oz white balsamic vinegar
• Pinch of flaky sea salt
• Ice cubes
• Garnish: small basil leaf, drop of quality olive oil

Instructions:

1. To make tomato water: halve ripe tomatoes, blend briefly, and strain overnight through cheesecloth. Do not press, allow gravity to do the work.
2. In a mixing glass with ice, combine the rum, tomato water, basil syrup, white balsamic vinegar, and a pinch of sea salt.
3. Stir gently for 20 rotations to chill without over-diluting.
4. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
5. Garnish with a small basil leaf and a single drop of good olive oil floating on top.

The Clarified Tomato Milk Punch

The Clarified Tomato Milk Punch is the showstopper of the tomato cocktail world, a technique-driven drink that delivers an experience so unexpected and so beautiful, it feels like a magic trick. The flavor is savory and unique, with the clarification process creating a crystal-clear liquid from cherry tomato juice, creating something visually breathtaking.

The finished drink is pale and luminous, almost perfectly clear with just the faintest blush tint, garnished with a single cherry tomato and a few drops of olive oil. It drinks smooth, silky, and layered, the savory edge of parmesan-infused vodka gliding alongside bright tomato acidity.

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Ingredients:

• 2.5 oz parmesan-infused vodka (steep parmesan rind in vodka for 48 hours, then strain)
• 1 oz fresh cherry tomato juice (muddle and strain)
• 1/4 oz simple syrup
• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
• 4 drops white balsamic vinegar
• 2 cracks black pepper and a pinch of salt
• 1 oz whole milk
• Garnish: cherry tomato, drops of quality olive oil

Instructions:

1. Combine the cherry tomato juice, simple syrup, lemon juice, white balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and infused vodka in a jar and stir.
2. Slowly pour in the whole milk and gently stir. The mixture will begin to curdle.
3. Refrigerate the mixture for 1–2 hours.
4. Line a fine mesh strainer with a damp coffee filter and pour the mixture through, allowing it to drip slowly without pressing. Let gravity work completely.
5. Stir the clarified liquid over ice in a mixing glass to chill, then strain into a chilled stemmed glass.
6. Garnish with a cherry tomato and a few drops of olive oil.

The Tomato Spritz

Not every tomato cocktail needs to be a bold, savory statement. Sometimes, all you want is something light, bubbly, and effortlessly chic, which is exactly what the Tomato Spritz delivers. Think of it as the Aperol Spritz’s more interesting, garden-fresh sibling.

The Tomato Spritz is a pretty blush-orange color, effervescent and lively in a large wine glass over ice, with a cherry tomato and a basil leaf floating on top. It is perfectly suited to afternoon get-togethers, al fresco dinners, and any occasion where you want something that looks as good as it tastes.

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Ingredients:

• 1.5 oz Aperol
• 1.5 oz fresh tomato juice
• 3 oz Prosecco, chilled
• Splash of sparkling water
• Ice cubes
• Garnish: cherry tomato, fresh basil leaf, orange slice

Instructions:

1. Fill a large wine glass with ice cubes.
2. Pour in the Aperol and fresh tomato juice and stir gently.
3. Top with chilled Prosecco and a splash of sparkling water.
4. Stir once more, very gently, to combine without losing the bubbles.
5. Garnish with a cherry tomato, a fresh basil leaf, and an orange slice.

The Virgin Mary

The Virgin Mary proves that you do not need a drop of alcohol to enjoy the full, magnificent experience of a tomato cocktail. The Virgin Mary is the more virtuous counterpart of the original Bloody Mary, combining tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice with a few optional shakes of hot sauce and a dash of dill pickle juice for that little something extra.

Served identically to its alcoholic counterpart, the Virgin Mary is just as satisfying, just as garnish-worthy, and just as delicious. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise. This one is perfect for the designated driver, the mocktail lover, or anyone who simply wants all the flavor without the buzz.

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Ingredients:

• 4 oz tomato juice
• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp horseradish
• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 3 dashes hot sauce
• 1 dash dill pickle juice
• Pinch of celery salt and black pepper
• Ice cubes
• Garnish: celery stalk, lemon wedge, olives, pickle spear

Instructions:

1. Rim a tall glass with celery salt.
2. Fill the glass with ice.
3. In a shaker, combine tomato juice, lemon juice, horseradish, Worcestershire, hot sauce, pickle juice, celery salt, and pepper.
4. Shake briefly and pour into the prepared glass.
5. Garnish extravagantly with celery, lemon, olives, and a pickle spear.

The BLT Cocktail

The BLT Cocktail is everything you love about the beloved sandwich, distilled into a savory, smoky, tomato-forward drink. Using bacon-infused vodka and pepper vodka together with tomato juice creates a cocktail that tastes like a brunch dream you never knew you needed.

This drink glows a warm, deep red in a rocks glass, with a crispy bacon strip and a celery stick serving as the ultimate garnish. It is unapologetically indulgent, the kind of cocktail that makes people at the next table lean over and ask, “What is that?”

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Ingredients:

• 1 oz bacon-infused vodka (cook bacon, cool the fat, add vodka and steep overnight, then strain)
• 1 oz black pepper vodka
• 4 oz tomato juice
• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
• Pinch of celery salt
• Ice cubes
• Garnish: crispy bacon strip, celery stalk, cherry tomato

Instructions:

1. Rim a rocks glass with a mixture of celery salt and smoked paprika.
2. Fill the glass with ice.
3. In a shaker, combine both vodkas, tomato juice, lemon juice, and celery salt.
4. Shake well and strain into the prepared glass over ice.
5. Garnish with a crispy strip of bacon, a celery stalk, and a cherry tomato.

The Heirloom Tomato Sour

Fresh, seasonal heirloom tomatoes make this cocktail something truly special. The Heirloom Tomato Sour celebrates the tomato at its absolute peak, showcasing its natural sweetness and acidity without hiding anything behind heavy spice blends.

Giles, the bartender behind Blueprint’s Friend of the Farmer Heirloom Tomato Sour, notes that additions like peach liqueur and Aperol serve to tone down some of the acidity of the heirloom and really allow the fruit to shine. Garnished with a basil leaf, this drink is a love letter to summer produce.

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Ingredients:

• 2 oz bourbon or rye whiskey
• 2 oz fresh heirloom tomato juice (blend and fine-strain ripe heirloom tomatoes)
• 1/2 oz Aperol
• 1/2 oz peach liqueur
• 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 oz simple syrup
• 1 egg white (optional, for froth)
• Ice cubes
• Garnish: basil leaf, dehydrated tomato slice

Instructions:

1. If using egg white, dry-shake all ingredients (without ice) vigorously for 15 seconds to emulsify.
2. Add ice and shake again for another 12 seconds.
3. Double-strain into a chilled coupe or rocks glass.
4. Garnish with a fresh basil leaf and a dehydrated tomato slice on the rim.

The Kimchi Mary

The Kimchi Mary is a bold, global riff on the Bloody Mary that borrows deeply from Korean culinary tradition. This cocktail is known as a cult classic German party shot called the Mexikaner, elevated with a dash of kimchi juice that adds a deeply fermented, spicy, umami dimension that plays brilliantly against the tomato base.

Funky, fiery, and fascinatingly complex, the Kimchi Mary is a tomato cocktail that rewards curiosity. It looks like a standard Bloody Mary in the glass, deep red and garnished with a pickled vegetable skewer, but the taste is something entirely its own. Fermented, spicy, and deeply satisfying, it is the cocktail for the woman who appreciates bold, global flavors.

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Ingredients:

• 2 oz vodka
• 3 oz tomato juice
• 1 oz kimchi juice (the brine from a jar of good kimchi)
• 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 3 dashes gochujang hot sauce (or regular hot sauce)
• Pinch of sesame salt
• Ice cubes
• Garnish: kimchi piece on skewer, sesame seeds, green onion

Instructions:

1. Rim a tall glass with sesame salt (mix sesame seeds and flaky salt).
2. Fill the glass with ice.
3. In a shaker, combine the vodka, tomato juice, kimchi juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire, and gochujang hot sauce.
4. Shake well and strain into the prepared glass.
5. Garnish with a skewered piece of kimchi, a sprinkle of sesame seeds, and a sliced green onion.

Conclusion

Tomato cocktails are anything but one-note. From the iconic simplicity of a perfectly made Bloody Mary to the quiet sophistication of a Clarified Tomato Milk Punch, from the smoky drama of a Tomato Margarita to the garden-fresh delight of a Green Bloody Mary, these drinks prove that one ingredient can contain an entire world of possibility.

What makes the tomato so extraordinary in the glass is exactly what makes it remarkable on the plate: that rare combination of sweetness, acidity, and umami that makes everything around it taste more alive. Add a splash of spirits, a squeeze of citrus, and a little imagination, and the tomato becomes something genuinely magical.

Whether you are hosting a lazy Sunday brunch, planning a summer rooftop gathering, or simply treating yourself to an intentional Saturday afternoon drink, there is a tomato cocktail on this list waiting to become your new favorite.

Now pick your recipe, chill your glass, and raise it to the most underrated fruit in the cocktail world. You have earned it.

Sources: https://chesbrewco.com
Category: Cocktails