I’m a garnish guy. While some people drink Bloody Marys to get drunk, I’m out here creating a meal in a cup to truly enjoy the experience. Basically, I want a Bloody Mary to involve as much solid food as it does liquid. The best Bloody Mary garnishes are ones that I can pile on so high that you worry for my safety. I want there to be so much food in my stomach that I can’t drink enough of the actual Bloody Mary to get drunk. But hey, average Bloody Mary drinker, even if you don’t commit as hard to the experience as I do, there’s still value to be found in this lineup of the best garnishes for Bloody Marys, I promise!
Q Spectacular Bloody Mary MixBefore we even get to garnishes, we need a good Bloody Mary mix. It really doesn’t get much better than Q Spectacular Bloody Mary mix. Sporked editor-in-chief and Bloody Mary aficionado Justine Sterling gave her seal of approval to Q’s rendition because it has “the umami of tomato, along with a touch of tang and some delicious spice.” This is a great foundation for the best Bloody Mary garnishes.
Read the full ranking of the best Bloody Mary mixes
Wickles Dirty Dill Cocktail CornichonsSome people probably count dill pickle spears among the best Bloody Mary garnishes, but take one look at Wickles Dirty Dill Cocktail Cornichons and tell me you don’t want those instead. They’re snappy, lightly spiced little bursts of dilly flavor that you can pop into your mouth and consume in one bite rather than searching for the rest of a half-eaten spear in your Bloody Mary. Bite-size Bloody Mary garnishes ftw!
Read the full ranking of every Wickles product
Mezzetta Garlic Stuffed OlivesIf you’re worried about your cocktail toothpick getting too loaded up with stuff (coward), get you a Bloody Mary garnish that does a lot. Mezetta Garlic Stuffed Olives are just the thing. Not only are they the best green olives we found in our green olive taste test, but they’re also so much more, thanks to that big ol’ garlic clove that’s been stuffed in the hole where their pit used to be. Sporked contributor Danny Palumbo described these as “pickled, pungent, firm, salty, oily, and briny,” so you’re getting a lot of oomph from just one garnish.
Read the full ranking of the best green olives
Nueske’s Applewood Smoked BaconNueske’s Applewood Smoked Bacon may not have taken the top spot in Sporked’s best bacon ranking, but it’s a secret weapon if you’re looking for the best garnishes for Bloody Marys. Managing editor Gwynedd Stuart found that Nueske’s has a lot of meat in every strip, which is vital when we’re perching it on the lip of a Bloody Mary. Bacon is a great BM garnish, but it has to hold up to liquid! Limp bacon just won’t do. Each strip of this Nueske’s bacon also delivers a blast of smoky, woody flavor that really pairs pair well with the rest of our best Bloody Mary garnishes.
Read the full ranking of the best bacon
Old Croc Sharp Cheddar CheeseNo Bloody Mary is complete without a cube or two of really good cheese. It can’t be all pickles, olives, and cocktail onions—we need protein (so we can keep drinking Bloody Marys). We recommend Old Croc. This sharp cheddar has an intensely delicious flavor thanks to a year-long aging process. You know those crunchy little flavor crystals you find in really good cheese? Old Croc has them. For real, we won’t judge you if you load up your cocktail skewer with nothing but this cheese. This is truly one of the best Bloody Mary garnishes.
Read the full ranking of the best cheddar cheese
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