As the heat goes up, cool your cocktail down

The Dill & Cucumber Vodka Bloody Mary

A bloody Mary truly is a versatile drink. Whether it’s 9 am or 9 pm, a nice bloody can really hit the spot. At MBFBM, we’ve created specialty recipes that utilize the freshly grown ingredients available locally. Remember the Autumnal Bliss Bloody Mary recipe?

Last night I stepped onto the back porch for my customary evening bloody. Opting for a spicy habenero chipotle recipe, I was soon sweating like a butcher. Not cool. No, not cool at all. Then I remembered the vodka infusion I’d started a week earlier.

 

Perfect! With a refrigerator full of summer vegetables from the local farmers market, two items jumped out and said, “summer;” Cucumbers and dill. The smell of dill is a classic summer association. The undeniable cool freshness of cut cucumbers is a perfect pairing and yields a smell like fresh cut grass from the comfort of a hammock.

To make this cool, fresh, and delicious summertime cucumber vodka bloody Mary recipe, you’ll need to do a little prep work. Easy prep work- don’t worry. You’ll be infusing vodka with cucumber and dill 2 to 5 days in advance of making the drink recipes.

Avoid pesticides and other nasties by selecting organically grown dill and cucumber. It’s a good idea to make up multiple batches. the infused vodka will keep for a very long time, once its been drained and filtered.

The Dill Cucumber Vodka Infusion

What you’ll need:

One quart good quality vodka
One fresh cucumber-washed and cut
One handful of fresh dill plant

Instructions: Place cucumber and dill into a one quart Mason jar. Top with vodka and store in a cool place for 2 to 5 days. Drain and filter any sediment.

Cucumber Dill Bloody Mary Recipe

Ingredients:

2 oz infused vodka (see above)
5 oz Clamato Juice
1/8 tsp celery salt
1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

Fill a pint glass with ice. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into cocktail shaker and mix vigorously. pour back into glass. Garnish with pickle and fresh cucumber slice. Serve with cold pale ale.

-Greg Tooke My short bio