This article spotlights Ashley Miller from San Francisco, California. With 22 years in the food and beverage industry and numerous awards for her bloody marys, Ashley brings innovation and creativity to her cocktails. By relying on fresh ingredients and purposeful complexity, she is able to combine not only savory aspects, but also sweeter elements such as a sugary bacon “crack” rimmer. Her approach to bloody marys is both refined and adventurous. And that’s exactly the kind of person the bloody mary industry needs.
What do you love most about bloody marys?
I love the complexity of how you can work with a bloody mary. Traditionally, brunch is screwdrivers and mimosas, something easy and whimsical. But a bloody mary is really complex. You can go heavy on umami, spice, vinegar, etc. There are so many different ways you can go with them. At The Front Porch in San Francisco, I combined a sugary bacon “crack” rim with a really rich Worcestershire flavor. For my bloody marys, I like to combine both sweet and savory.
Do you remember your first bloody mary?
I had a friend in Arizona where I’m from. And she loved just a straight vodka and clamato with a celery stalk. Maybe a dash of Tabasco. When I started bartending in Scottsdale in 2002, that was considered a good bloody mary. Things have really changed.
What’s your favorite must-have garnish?
I personally hate celery. I know that’s weird to say. I think it has a very distinct flavor that I just don’t enjoy. I do love when people put really interesting, complex garnishes on their bloody mary. But I want it to always have a purpose. It should complement the drink. I also enjoy a salty, smoky garnish, like a nice thick cut Nueske’s bacon strip.
Do you have a go to recipe?
At The Front Porch, we had a dishwasher named Sammy who made a fresh habanero salsa for me every weekend. He would grill the tomatoes, chop up the habaneros, and blend it all together. Then I would use a little of the salsa, tomato juice, Worcestershire, our house pickling juice, celery salt, celery seed, and mustard powder for our mix. Some bloody marys can get so complicated. I feel like I’ve won so many awards by keeping it pretty simple and using high quality, fresh ingredients.
If someone wants to try something new, do you have any unique or creative suggestions?
I think what’s best is to always use fresh ingredients. Tomato water, which is a pain to get (but worth it), makes a really awesome, super complex bloody mary. I also like the idea of making your own hot sauce, working again with that sweet and savory. Make a bloody bull or add in some mushroom broth for more umami flavor. The sky’s the limit with bloody marys. That’s the fun of it. As long as you have vodka and tomato juice, you can go anywhere with it.
Do you have any favorite bars or restaurants to get bloody marys in San Francisco?
Foreign Cinema has a really great one. They use sherry vinegar, south Indian curry, and sumac. Pop’s also has a really good one. It’s so good that I don’t even know how or why it’s that good. Those are two that I love. Foreign Cinema if you want to go fancy, and Pop’s if you want to drink a bloody mary at 7am on a Tuesday.
