Bloody Mary

The best start to an evening, or the necessary start to the following morning? Your choice. But a well-made Bloody Mary is a great Christmas drink.

Make sure you have vodka, tabasco, Worcestershire Sauce, lemons, fino sherry, black pepper, celery salt and celery when you are shopping for the season.

Don't forget to make plenty of ice.

John's Bloody Mary Recipe

Makes 4 long drinks

100ml vodka
2 dashes Tabasco sauce
2 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice (juice of half a lemon)
25ml fino sherry (Tio Pepe is ideal, and widely available)
2 grinds black pepper
celery salt
celery

Tomato juice

Put some ice in the cocktail shaker. Add the vodka, Tabasco, Worcestershire Sauce, lemon juice, sherry, black pepper. Shake over the ice until combined.

Moisten the inside of four glasses. Dip into a bowl of celery salt so the inside of the glass is glazed with a little salt.

Place more ice in each glass. Pour in the vodka mix and top with tomato juice.  Garnish with celery.