The Bloody Mary ranks alongside margaritas and martinis as one of the most recognized cocktails. Noted for its distinctive bold, spicy flavors and a stunning red color, the making of this renowned cocktail begins with a vodka and tomato juice base, with the flavor intrigue brought in by a selection of spices and condiments. Ingredients can vary from common items like hot sauce and lemon juice to more daring choices such as Worcestershire sauce and horseradish.

While the complex and spicy flavor of Bloody Mary garners much attention, vodka plays a pivotal part. Vodka’s clean, neutral taste creates a backdrop for the cocktail’s spices and seasonings to come to the forefront. Precisely because the vodka is not intended to steal the show, there’s no need to opt for high-end brands when making a Bloody Mary. With so many flavors and spices at play, the nuances offered by top-shelf vodkas are likely to get washed out and wasted.

It would be more judicious to go for a more budget-friendly vodka and invest the savings into superior mix ingredients. Consider top-quality tomato juice, fresh lemon or lime juice, gourmet hot sauces, and fresh spices. These are more likely to boost the quality of your Bloody Mary than even the finest vodkas!

Read more: 23 Cocktails To Try If You Like Drinking Gin

The best vodka for your Bloody Mary is one that complements the spices and flavors without stealing the show. Look for mid-range vodkas like Smirnoff, Absolut, or Stolichnaya; they’re well-distilled, providing the needed smoothness and neutrality without breaking the bank.

It’s worth noting that when we say “bottom-shelf vodka,” we don’t mean you should scrape the shelves’ bottoms and buy the absolute cheapest bottles available. Ultra-cheap vodkas often undergo minimal distillation and prioritize cost savings over flavor in their production, resulting in a sharper, more “ethanol-like” taste due to higher levels of fermentation byproducts called congeners. That’s not what you want in your Bloody Mary! A handy rule of thumb is to choose a vodka that you’d enjoy sipping on its own. If it’s smooth when sipped neat, it’s likely to work well in your Bloody Mary.

In case you want to get creative, some bartenders suggest trying flavored vodkas like pepper or citrus-infused types to add an extra flavor kick. But remember, this is entirely up to your taste. Plus, adding flavored vodka to a Bloody Mary can be a bit tricky, as it will affect the balance of flavors. So, it’s a good idea to have a recipe on hand (like this Kimchi Bloody Mary recipe!) to make sure everything tastes just right when you give it a go!

Read the original article on Tasting Table.