Ultimate Bloody Mary Bar
This Bloody Mary Bar has all the fixings you need on one tray and can be easily customized to add your favorite toppings. Perfect for a brunch or any party, every guest gets to create their ideal cocktail by adding the Bloody Mary toppings and garnishes that they love best!
A Bloody Mary is probably the most versatile drink out there and is such a classic cocktail that’s perfect to kick off any brunch or party. I love making this Bloody Mary Bar anytime I’m hosting a crowd because it’s so fun for everyone to join in and create their own drinks.
The best part of this bar is that you can customize the toppings to whatever you like best or what looks good at the store! I’ve received endless compliments about this idea from family and friends, as well as with my community on social media. It’s truly takes minutes to set up and will be a drink everyone will always remember.
If you love a cocktail, you’ll definitely want to also try my Prosecco Margaritas or White Wine Spritz!
Leanna’s Tip: Have fun with this! Every time I build a Bloody Mary Bar, it’s filled with different toppings for variety.
Ingredients
There are hundreds of recipes for Bloody Mary’s out there, but the classic, key ingredients are:
- Tomato juice: The base of any good Bloody Mary cocktail, adds that rich tomato flavor.
- Vodka: Alcohol of choice, these are also delicious without any alcohol and a splash of soda water instead.
- A bit of spice: I like to add either horseradish or Tabasco hot sauce for a kick.
- Lemon or lime juice: Adds nice fresh acidity to every sip.
- Worcestershire sauce: It’s not a Bloody Mary without this ingredient in my opinion! It adds so much umami and another little kick to the cocktail. A little dash goes a long way!
- Bloody Mary Toppings: A boatload of Bloody Mary garnishes to please each and every guest!! See my countless ideas below!
Types of Toppings for Bloody Mary’s
- Celery
- Bacon
- Buffalo chicken nuggets
- Pickles
- Banana peppers
- Cheddar cheese
- Cherry tomatoes
- Salami
- Olives
- Shrimp
- Okra
- Lemons
- Limes
How to Make a Bloody Mary Bar
There’s no wrong way to set up your board, but here are my favorite tips:
- Start with the largest items first, such as the carafes or Vodka bottles and place in the back of the board.
- Next, fill in with items that are medium-height, such as the glasses holding shrimp or pickles.
- Arrange the lowest items in the front.
- Enjoy!
Serving a Bloody Mary Bar
Serving Boards: I used this White Reclaimed Wood Tray that I would totally recommend! I also love this wooden Lazy Susan as well as this round wooden Target tray, that you can use year-round. If you’d like a rectangular tray, this wooden version from Target is great, as well as this beautiful choice from Etsy. For a higher-end round tray, I love my MacKenzie-Childs checkered party tray.
Carafes, Glasses, and Fruit Bowls: How cute are these carafes that you can use for juice? I also love these adorable bowls to hold the toppings. You could also place the shrimp around these Margarita Glasses!
Kitchen Links: I get asked all the time about the products in the background of my kitchen. Much of it is from MacKenzie-Childs, which I have slowly grown a collection of over the years! My favorites are this checkered chopping board, my black and white checkered teapot, and the gray and white checkered utensil holder. I also have this enamel canister that you can find in small, medium, or large.
Expert Tips
- Chill the tomato juice in the fridge. I like to keep a second pitcher of tomato juice always in the fridge while I’m entertaining to make sure it’s always cold and ready to drink.
- If you would like your Bloody Mary to be non-alcoholic, then simply omit the vodka and top the drink off with seltzer water.
- The ratio of tomato juice to vodka is typically 2 to 1 for a Bloody Mary, about 4 ounces of tomato juice to 2 ounces of vodka. The beauty of a Bloody Mary bar is that people can customize their drink to their own taste preferences.
- Prep the toppings in advance. You can easily assemble all of the toppings and keep them in the fridge until guests arrive.
Storage
I like to store any items that need to be refrigerated in zip top bags or airtight containers, then refrigerate for up to a couple of days.
What I love about this Bloody Mary Bar is how quickly it comes together! To save time, you can prep the bacon in advance and slice any fruits or veggies. You can also make the skewers and keep them in the fridge.
FAQs
The options are truly endless. We always have tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, black pepper, lemon juice, horseradish and a ton of toppings like bacon, olives, cheese on skewers, and more!
The classic is vodka. Buy a medium-priced vodka for this drink.
You can, just be sure to stir well before enjoying to make sure all of the flavors are nicely combined again.
More Easy Cocktail Recipes
Bloody Mary Bar
Ingredients
Bloody Mary Toppings:
- Celery
- Bacon
- Buffalo chicken nuggets
- Pickles
- Banana peppers
- Cheddar cheese
- Cherry tomatoes
- Salami
- Olives
- Shrimp
- Okra
- Lemons
- Limes
Bloody Mary Cocktail:
- Tomato juice chilled
- Vodka
- Prepared horseradish
- Fresh lemon or lime juice
- Worcestershire sauce
- Soda water for non-alcoholic option
Instructions
- Start with the largest items first, such as the carafes or Vodka bottles and place in the back of the board.
- Next, fill in with items that are medium-height, such as the glasses holding shrimp or pickles.
- Arrange the lowest items in the front.
