Add Wasabi To Your Bloody Mary For A Huge Kick Of Flavor

The Bloody Mary has long maintained its position as one of the most popular drinks to ever hit the cocktail scene. Spicy, salty, and savory, the classic cocktail which features vodka, tomato juice, hot sauce, and a rather cheeky signature celery stick has gained a broad appeal, becoming one of the most central staples to those boozy weekend brunches. And with its simple but sturdy base, the "hair of the dog" cocktail has inspired many innovative variations since its earliest iteration as the non-alcoholic oyster cocktail in the late 1800s.

But if you're looking for a unique, bold take on the drink, consider adding a little wasabi. Zesty, flavorful, and possessing a smooth, thick consistency perfect for mixing into savory drinks, it can definitely accentuate the tartness of the tomato juice and elevate the drink's inherently pungent flavor profile. Frankly, if you want to transform your Bloody Mary into a knockout afternoon cocktail with a rich mouthfeel and added health benefits, wasabi definitely packs the punch. 

In recent years, wasabi, a popular condiment typically consumed with sushi and sashimi has also become a popular flavoring for grocery store snacks, including potato chips, edamame, and even packaged almonds. So, it was only a matter of time before cocktails joined the fold. The good news is that adding wasabi to your Bloody Mary is easy. You'll simply want to mix (or shake) one teaspoon of wasabi paste with your vodka to infuse it, mixing until the wasabi is dissolved, then add your tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, vodka, and other ingredients. If you only have wasabi powder, you can make a paste by mixing about 3 teaspoons of it with 1 teaspoon of water, then add that to your vodka. 

Out of wasabi altogether? You're in luck, as wasabi is fairly easy to make yourself. Mix together a few teaspoons of horseradish with a teaspoon of mustard, one chopped anchovy, and a little soy sauce, and you're in business. But you mustn't get carried away with your wasabi — most wasabi sold and consumed in modern sushi restaurants is an inauthentic combination of horseradish and mustard which has a much sharper taste than the authentic version made directly from its plant's underground stem. If you add too much to your Bloody Mary, the flavor will overpower your drink. So start by incorporating sparingly, then add more to taste, and you're ready to brunch with the best of them.

There are a variety of other ingredients that pair well with your wasabi for an ultimate Bloody Mary that will completely change the game. If you want to kick the heat up another notch, add half a teaspoon of sriracha sauce in place of the hot sauce, and mix until everything is combined. The sriracha will give your drink a hint of Asian-inspired heat that will partner perfectly with the wasabi. You can even add a few drops of liquid smoke to round out the overall flavor with some smokiness. 

In terms of garnishes, you can add some pickled ginger as a wasabi-friendly garnish in the place of the traditional celery stick; while you're at it, a rim of togarashi, a Japanese seven-spice mixture, adds another fun flair. Or for another rim pairing that will work to enhance the flavor of your drink, try a mixture of lemon pepper and celery salt. The citrus flavor from the lemon will add brightness to the pungency of the wasabi. Be creative, and enjoy.