This late-summer Bloody Mary recipe is neither too salty nor too heavy, unlike most traditional versions you’ll get at the bar or in a mix. Filled with lemon juice, fiery Sriracha chili sauce, and herbal seasonings, this cocktail provides easy, refreshing sipping.

You’ll get a bold dose of heat with the liberal use of horseradish and Sriracha chili sauce in this drink. Sriracha’s zippy flavor is typically matched well with citrus, so this cocktail also has a healthy squirt of fresh lemon juice for balance.

In place of the usual celery salt called for in Bloody Marys, I use a salt-free seasoning mix that’s loaded with dehydrated vegetables and spices. It adds a pleasing herbal aroma and vegetal flavor to an otherwise tomato-y base. The seasoning mix in my cupboard contains celery seeds, dehydrated onion and garlic, and dried basil and oregano—all ingredients that work great in this cocktail mix. Experiment with whatever no-salt seasoning mixtures you’ve got on stock, and see what works best for your palate.

Of course, all Bloody Marys need a touch of salt or savory, and here it comes from shoyu, which adds a nice depth without too much actual saltiness on the tongue.

Lemon-Sriracha Bloody Mary Recipe

Makes 1 drink

INGREDIENTS
¼ cup tomato juice
2 ounces vodka
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon Sriracha sauce
½ teaspoon prepared horseradish
¼ teaspoon salt-free herbal seasoning mix
1 dash shoyu
Sea salt and black pepper, for serving
Lemon wedges, for serving
Cherry tomatoes, for serving

METHOD

Combine tomato juice, vodka, lemon juice, Sriracha, horseradish, seasoning mix, and shoyu in a tall glass; stir gently to mix. Set aside.

Sprinkle an ample amount of sea salt and black pepper onto a small plate. Lightly run a lemon wedge around the rim of a serving glass. Dip the glass rim into the salt/pepper mixture to coat the rim. Fill glass with ice.

Pour mixture into prepared serving glass. Garnish with lemon wedge and cherry tomatoes. Serve immediately.  

All images by Kimberley Stakal