Out of tomato juice? No problem. Greg Tooke, founder of My Big Fat Bloody Mary, sees his pared down bloody mary bar as an opportunity to adapt.
Rummaging through the pantry, I find a solution – beef broth.
I’ve heard it said that the human race has come to thrive in almost every corner of this planet, not because of its intelligence, but because of its ability to adapt.
Whether it’s wearing the hide of another animal, fashioning a spear from a nice straight tree limb, or garnishing a cocktail with roasted potatoes leftover from last night’s meal, adaptation is the key to our survival.
The bloody mary itself was born of a need to adapt. That Old Fashioned you drank last night just won’t cut it at 10am. Serve that and your in-laws will try another intervention. But offer your battle axe of a mother-in-law a bright red drink with a fresh green celery stalk and you’re in her good graces… at least until lunchtime. Speaking of the mothers-in-law, let’s take a moment to thank this virus for getting us out of all those FFO’s (Forced Family Outings). #blessed
It’s day 53 of the quarantine. It’s a Monday. After a week of cold gray days, the patio is suddenly drenched in warm sunlight.
Ordinarily, I’d be annoyed. Crappy weather all weekend, and now it’s a beautiful Monday and I have to go to work. But! Without any work to go into, one day is as good as another! So I adapt and pretend it’s Sunday Funday.
My kitchen and my liquor cabinet are shadows of their once robust selves. Limiting trips to the store and the limited availability of certain items have taken a toll.
For instance, this morning, I found myself without tomato juice. But do I quit? Do I let this keep me from procreating?!? I’m a proud human being. The species must go on. So I adapt!
Rummaging through the pantry, I find a solution – beef broth. If you haven’t tried a Bull Shot, I highly recommend it. It’s basically a bloody mary with beef broth instead of tomato juice. No limes either? With fresh produce harder to keep on hand, I’ve come to appreciate bottled lime juice. Any port in a storm, my man!
Garnish? Hell, I’m not risking a brush with these social distance-crashing mouth breathers at the grocery store just for a mediocre jar of olives! Let’s see what’s on hand.
Last night’s dinner leftovers look tasty and might be just what the hangover ordered. I load a skewer with roasted potatoes, sauteed snap peas, pesto tortellini, and what the hell, New York Strip! (You get your $1200 stimulus yet?)
I grab the drink, the laptop, the guitar, and head for the back porch. To pull off my Corona Monday Funday, I set up a Zoom meeting and send out invites. “Grab an instrument, a good story, and mix a drink!,” I say. Who says you can’t have music, friends, and delicious Bloody Marys in the time of Corona? Let the Monday Funday begin!
Bullshot Recipe by Greg
Ingredients
2 oz. vodka
6 oz. beef broth
1/4 oz. lime juice
1 tsp. Worcestershire
1 dash hot sauce (try sriracha!)
1 pinch celery salt
Glass: pint glass
Garnish: celery stalk
Directions
Mix lime, Worcestershire, hot sauce, and celery salt in glass. Fill glass with ice. Pour vodka, then beef broth over ice. Garnish with a celery stalk.
