The Bloody Mary is up there with the margarita and the martini as one of those cocktails that are so popular even people who aren’t cocktail enthusiasts will have heard of them before. It’s revered for its uniquely bold and spicy flavors, as well as a striking blood-red color. Crafting this iconic cocktail begins with a base of vodka and tomato juice, and the complexity unfolds through a mix of spices and flavorings. These range from everyday ingredients like hot sauce and lemon juice to more adventurous options such as Worcestershire sauce and horseradish.

While the Bloody Mary is famous for its complex and spicy taste, the vodka in it plays a crucial role. The spirit’s clean, neutral flavor provides a background for the cocktail’s spices and seasonings to shine. It’s exactly because the vodka isn’t meant to draw attention to itself that you don’t have to use top-shelf vodkas in a Bloody Mary. All of the flavorings and spices in the cocktail will wash out the taste of the spirit, so all of the nuances provided by top-shelf vodkas will be lost and wasted.

Instead, it’s better to use a lower-priced vodka and invest your savings in high-quality mix ingredients. Go for high-quality tomato juice, freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice, artisanal hot sauces, and fresh spices. They’ll make a bigger difference in your Bloody Mary than the most premium vodkas!

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

The ideal vodka for your Bloody Mary should not overshadow the cocktail’s flavors and spices and should preferably be a mid-range selection such as Smirnoff, Absolut, or Stolichnaya. These vodkas are well-distilled, thus giving the desired neutrality and smoothness without being overly expensive.

When referring to “bottom-shelf vodka,” we are not suggesting you should go for the most inexpensive options available. Vodkas of this kind are usually not well distilled and focus on cost reduction over taste, which results in a sharper, more “ethanol-like” taste due to the high presence of fermentation byproducts known as congeners. This is not desirable for a Bloody Mary. A good rule is to opt for a vodka that you’d find enjoyable to drink straight. If it tastes smooth when drinking it neat, it will likely pair nicely with your Bloody Mary.

For those feeling adventurous, some bartenders advise trying flavored vodkas like pepper or citrus-infused ones for an additional flavor boost. However, don’t forget that taste is subjective. Moreover, introducing flavored vodka to a Bloody Mary might complicate the flavor balance. So, it’s smart to follow a recipe (like this Kimchi Bloody Mary recipe!) to ensure taste perfection when experimenting.

Check out the original article on Tasting Table for more information.