I reviewed Karlsson’s back in September and tried their signature “Black Gold” cocktail (on the rocks topped with ground black pepper). Now it’s time to apply that earthy goodness of Karlsson’s in another proper place: a Bloody Mary.

The Bloody Mary in particular has been a point of contention for me.  “Can you really call a cocktail simple if it has 8 or more ingredients?” I’ve wondered. This Bloody Mary has been making it’s rounds on the internet, and it includes garnishes like a hamburger, nachos, bacon, popcorn, a hot dog and a pretzel. Now I’m convinced that the Bloody Mary may never be simple.

So my solution to the conundrum of the Bloody Mary is to either embrace it’s complexity or just use a good, natural mix. The mixes I’ve used  in the past have included Trader Joe’s and Ubon’s, both of which I like. Lately I’ve been hearing some good things about Zing Zang’s mix, so I grabbed a bottle to try with Karlsson’s. Zing Zang is a  thinner mix than Ubon’s, but spicier, and Zing Zang is widely distributed, so it’s easier to find.

Karlsson’s Bloody Mary

• in a tall glass filled with ice, add:
• 1 1/2 oz Karlsson’s Gold Vodka
• top with Bloody Mary mix
• optionally, add a few dashes of Tabasco
• garnish heavily, I prefer pickled things and olives

This is a spicy Bloody Mary, but from my understanding, lots of people like them spicy. Using Karlsson’s will add a richness to the drink that I immediately  noticed when I  substituted a typical vodka in it’s place.