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Bet on These Bloody Mary Mixes

A Bloody Mary made from scratch with fresh ingredients can be one of the best brunch treats, but if you’re looking to simplify, there are plenty of bottled mixes that are just as good (and sometimes better) than the homemade stuff. With ingredients ranging from cucumbers to pickle juice to fresh dill, here are a handful of Mary mixes that we love.

Brewt’s Bloody Mary Mix A Michigan-based maker of mixers and hot sauces, Brewt’s (named for their Chihuahua, Brewtus) ups the ante on traditional Bloody Mary ingredients like Worcestershire and horseradish with additions of pickled jalapeño juice and olive juice for a spicy, extra savory mix that pairs particularly well with gin.

Cliff House Classic This clam juice-based mix from San Francisco restaurant Cliff House was first developed in 2014 by Chef Ralph Burgin. It has a great balance of tangy tomato and red pepper flavors, spicy horseradish and a touch of celery salt. Perfect for warming up those chilly Bay Area mornings.

Fat & Juicy Roasted veggies and garlic, fresh horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, a splash of Frank’s RedHot—all these ingredients and more combine for one delicious mix that blends equally well with vodka and tequila—the former amps up the spice factor and the latter the smoke. For an extra kick, try the extra-spicy cayenne or smoky chipotle mixes.

Guelaguetza Michelada Mix Technically better suited for the Michelada (we’re not splitting hairs between the two; they’re both great brunch drinks!), this mix from Los Angeles Mexican restaurant Guelaguetza has a perfect balance of tomato acidity and Tajin spice. Bonus: Each bottle comes with a tiny sample of extra Tajin for rimming your glass.

Gordy’s Pickle Jar A classic combo of tomato paste, vinegar, cucumber water, salt, garlic, pepper and dill gets elevated by a special signature ingredient: cherry peppers. Medium-bodied and piquant thanks to its bright pickle personality, the cherry peppers add a layer of subtle sweetness, making this a perfect option for anyone who’s averse to spice.

Jack Rudy Bloody Mary Mix For the Bloody Mary purists looking to sidestep the bells and whistles increasingly found within the category, this stripped-back mix tastes light and refreshing thanks to a simple blend of tomato juice, hot sauce, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice.

McClure’s Spicy Bloody Mary Mix If you like dill pickles, you’ll love this mix from Detroit pickle darling McClure’s. Packed with spicy, tangy goodness, it combines fresh tomato flavor with dill, garlic, a bright, pickle tang, crunchy bits of cucumber, and loads of black and chile pepper heat on the finish. It mixes well with vodka and gin, and we especially love it with beer.

Nashville Hot Tennessee’s Walker Feed Co. teamed up with hot chicken experts and fellow Nashvillians Party Fowl to create this spicy blend. It packs a powerful punch thanks to Party Fowl’s signature spice rub, including red peppers, habaneros and chili powder. Mixed with Walker’s original Southern Bloody Mary base, made with fresh tomato juice, malt vinegar and bourbon barrel-aged Worcestershire sauce, just make sure you have plenty of celery on hand to cool the burn.

The Real Dill Inspired by their Habanero Horseradish Dill Pickles, The Real Dill’s super-fresh mix is made with cucumber water that’s leftover from their pickle making. A perfect amount of heat comes through at the finish, and it blends seamlessly with vodka.

San Marzano Get Ripe This refrigerated mix from two Connecticut-based business partners is as fresh as you can get short of plucking the tomatoes from the vine and squeezing the citrus yourself. Made with fresh-pressed celery juice, fresh-ground horseradish, California lemons, milled San Marzano tomatoes and a splash of Balsamic vinegar, this mix is bright and fresh and not too spicy, and it makes an amazing virgin Mary (though it’s also delicious mixed with vodka).

Stone Hollow Farmstead Sweet Mary Bloody Mary Mix With a full lineup of creative Mary mixers, Alabama-based Stone Hollow Farmstead throws some real wildcards into the Bloody Mary game. Their Sweet Mary is as delicious as it is unexpected, made with pickled peaches, yellow heirloom tomatoes, and a hint of habanero for a sweet-tart-spicy blend that works exceptionally well with tequila.

Sonoma Gourmet Bloody Mary Mix With a backbone of searing horseradish, accompanied by a bright pop of lemon juice for balance, this robust and savory mix from Sonoma Gourmet (also known for their excellent pizza and pasta sauces) will appeal to the most discerning Bloody Mary drinker.

SuckerPunch Gourmet Bloody Mary Mix With a short list of ingredients, including a purée of their signature spicy dill pickles, the Original Bloody Mary mix from SuckerPunch yields a tomato-rich base with a slight tang and just enough spice to round it out.

Texas Beach A burst of black pepper and Old Bay layer over a rich base of tomato and Worcestershire in this mix from Richmond, Virginia (the name is a reference to Texas Avenue in Richmond, where the team first debuted the recipe at a Bloody Mary contest). Savory in all the right ways, but with hints of fresh lime to keep things balanced, the hearty blend is both vegan and gluten-free, and it won a Good Food Award in 2017.

Emma Janzen and Penelope Bass contributed tasting notes to this story.

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