The Charles Clark Bloody Mary

RecipeCocktail

Sep 1

There are many things I know to be true about my father. A couple of those things are that he loves (this cannot be stressed enough) the University of Mississippi/Ole Miss football, and that he loves a good Bloody Mary. With Fall and football season upon us, I wanted to showcase his famous Bloody Mary. Who said family recipes have to come out of the oven?

Everyone loves my dad’s Bloody Mary. In fact, my father-in-law has the recipe taped to an inside cabinet in his kitchen. The two non-negotiables for a Charles Clark Bloody Mary are 1) the mix must be Zing Zang, which can be bought at just about any store, and 2) you cannot under any circumstances leave out the lime juice. The rest can be mixed to your taste buds.

Garnishing is the fun part. I say “garnish with creativity,” and really whatever you have on hand! Garnishes can include: celery stalks, lemons, limes, olives, picked okra, chili-lime rim, beef jerky, bacon, etc. I personally prefer pickled okra, olive, lime, and beef jerky (which doubles as a swizzle stick)!

Classic Garnishes

To classically garnish your Bloody Mary, I suggest a celery stalk, green olives with pimento, and wedges of lime or lemon.

Bloody Marys can be inherently enjoyed at anytime of day for any occasion. Charles Clark’s preferred venues for imbibement are The Grove at Ole Miss, on a balcony at the beach, after a morning in the woods, or Christmas Day (Bloody Mary Christmas!)

Pro tip: the recipe makes enough for one Charles Clark Bloody Mary, but if you get half-way through that Zing Zang bottle, just go ahead and mix a batch of drinks in there to take your Bloody Marys to-go!