March 19, 2020

Carrot Bloody Mary

This Carrot Bloody Mary is a bold update of a beloved classic, the Bloody Mary. It’s a carrot juice cocktail recipe with vibrant color and zesty flavor.

It’s easy to make just one or a big batch for a crowd. So why not upgrade your usual brunch with something even Bloody Mary haters will love?

(This recipe was originally published March 19, 2020. Pictures were updated March 28, 2022.)

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Why carrot juice in a bloody mary?

Look, I’m Italian. I like pasta sauce. I like pizza sauce. I like tomatoes in chili. But those are tomatoes with/on other foods. Tomato soup? No thank you. It’s like sipping marinara. And drinking tomato juice is like drinking watered down…marinara.

But I like the idea of a Bloody Mary. Mimosas have their place on the brunch table, but a savory, spiky, boozy cocktail with allll the garnishes? Sounds great!

Minus the tomato juice.

I just needed to come up with a Bloody Mary recipe with a twist. So somehow it just clicked – why not try carrot juice?

It’s slightly sweet but still savory so it would take well to other ingredients, like hot sauce, horseradish and Worcestershire.

So I tried it and loved it! Bold, kicky flavor with vibrant color? Yes, please.

It provides a refreshingly zippy high-five to your mouth that’s perfect in the morning (or any time of day, really).

It works equally well with vodka or tequila.

And yes, using an orange-colored juice means it’s not red, so it’s not really a “bloody” Mary. My boyfriend suggested Beta Mary for all the beta carotene in carrots but it also kinda sounds like test version of some new humanoid robot.

And sure, I could’ve gone with Bunny Mary but also, no…no I couldn’t.

So Carrot Bloody Mary it is.

How to make a carrot bloody mary

It’s pretty simple! If you’re making just one or two, you’ll need:

a sturdy cocktail shaker with a seal (the seal is crucial for any cocktail mixing)
highball glasses
if you’re making enough for a crowd, you’ll need a large serving pitcher.

As for the ingredients for 1 drink:

4 oz. carrot juice
2 oz. vodka or tequila
2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce (see notes below for Paleo/vegan option)
2 dashes hot sauce (I use Frank’s original)
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
celery sticks for garnish
optional add-ins:
- 1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish
- 1/8 teaspoon celery seed
- pinch of ground cumin
- pinch of cayenne powder

And honestly, for the lemon or lime juice, bottled is fine. Sure, fresh probably tastes better but I don’t think it’s necessary here. But when I use bottled citrus juice, I aim for organic in a glass bottle like this lemon or this lime juice as opposed to some kinds that have added ingredients and are packaged in plastic.

For vegan/Paleo: while I use Worcestershire from time to time, it does contain sugar (not a big deal, but not Paleo) and anchovies (which I love, but a no-go for vegans). So coconut aminos is a good substitute. It’s coconut sap reduced down until it’s dark and thick with a savory umami flavor.

A carrot juice recipe for carrot haters

Why aren’t carrot juice cocktails more of a thing? They have a great color, a refreshing sweet/savory flavor, it’s incorporating a healthy ingredient into a boozy drink – I mean, come on.

Carrot juice makers, your marketing opportunities are right there!

Even carrot haters will love something like a carrot juice Bloody Mary!

Other recipes you might like:

a carrot juice cocktail made with vodka and bloody mary seasonings in a highball glass

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