21 Best Bloody Mary Mix Brands, Ranked - Tasting Table (2024)

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ByHayley Hamilton CogillJuly 4, 2023 5:15 am EST

The Bloody Mary is a favorite forvodka drinkers,as well as those trying to get going after a hard night. For those who prefer tequila, a distant cousin is the Bloody Maria. Such savory drinks have become a brunch staple, the perfect pairing for everything from steak and eggs to afluffy cheese souffle.

An American bartender at Harry's New York Bar in Paris in the 1920s namedFernand Petiot is credited as the first to combine vodka and tomato juice, calling it the Bloody Mary. In the 1930s, Petiot moved to New York, introducing the co*cktail to patrons at King Cole Bar, adding additional flavorings to satisfy the American palate. These included ingredients still enjoyed today, like lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and Tabasco hot sauce.

Today, dozens of producers offer pre-mixed, packaged Bloody Mary mix with such additions as horseradish, sriracha, and serrano peppers. So, where does one start? We taste-tested 21 brands to identify the best mix to create the ultimate tried and true Bloody Mary. Read on for the rankings.

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Aiming to get a nutritious veggie boost to your diet by utilizingV8's Bloody Mary mixwith your vodka? Don't get your hopes up. Unlike traditional V8 juice, which delivers two servings of vegetables in every eight-ounce serving, the Bloody Mary mix base is not the same veggie-packed juice. Instead, the main ingredient is tomato juice, with lemon juice from concentrate, sugar, salt, and spices.

Though the flavor is fine, it lacks the zest and spice you want in a Bloody Mary mix. It tastes more like tomato juice than a potent Bloody Mary mix. V8 is a good base if you have additional ingredients to enhance its flavor, like hot sauce and Worcestershire. But if you are planning to add elements,why buy a pre-packaged mix?

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In the late 1950s, former professional baseball star Francis Joseph "Lefty" O'Doul opened a popular pub in San Francisco. It was the place to go for sports fans, celebrities, and lovers of tasty co*cktails. Lefty died in 1969, but today a line of mixers bearing his name remain in the city, including the "San Francisco Original Bloody Mary Mix" and "Spicy Ghost Pepper Bloody Mary Mix."

While the story is terrific, it raises eyebrows that Lefty's combination of traditional ingredients results in 100 calories for every three-ounce serving in both varieties. Each serving also contains 13 grams of sugar and 30% of your daily sodium. Considering most co*cktails include five or six ounces of a mixer, Lefty O'Doul's adds an unnecessarily sugary, caloric boost to what is traditionally a low-calorie co*cktail.

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The name Ocean Spray likely brings to mind a cranberry bog; thecompany is, after all, the largest producer of productsfrom the tart fruit in America.

But Ocean Spray also makes a Bloody Mary mix, albeit one thatsticks to its roots by including cranberry juice and grapefruit juice with typical ingredients like tomato juice, horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce. Even with that horseradish heat, the mix is on the fruity-sweet side. It needs a good punch of hot sauce and a hearty squeeze of citrus if you want to make a well-balanced co*cktail.

The mix contains high fructose corn syrup, which can contribute to obesity,and each four-ounce serving has 40 calories, eight grams of sugar, and 990 mg of sodium, 43% of your daily value.

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Clamato is a good option for a Bloody Mary if you are okay with doctoring the drink; it will require extensive enhancement to create a top-notch version. Clamato includes tomato juice,onion, garlic, red chili pepper, and an essential item, clam broth, making it the ideal base for another brunch favorite, the Caesar co*cktail.

The clam broth adds a seafood-rich taste, reminiscent of aclassic shrimp co*cktail. That taste is enhanced when adding accouterments like bacon-wrapped scallops or crab claws to the co*cktail's garnish, making anultimate seafood Bloody Mary.

It is available in various flavors, including picante and Michelada, which pairs nicely with tequila or beer. Every four-ounce pour has 30 calories, 5.5 grams of sugar, and around 400 mg of sodium, comparable with other brands.

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Dr. Swami & Bone Daddy'soriginal Spicy Cajun mix is similar to aBloody Bull, the Bloody Mary's beefy cousin. The brand's "Spicy Cajun Bloody Mary Mix" combines horseradish and Worcestershire sauce with beef bouillon and Cajun spices to create a savory combo with meaty umami. It also has over 1000 mg of sodium per four-ounce serving, over 40% of the recommended daily amount.The company makes a Gourmet mix without the broth, reducing the sodium to bemore in line with other leading brands.

There were high hopes for this mix, as the authentic lemon-lime citrus taste of Dr. Swami'sperfectly balanced margarita mix is a fave. But Dr. Swami leaves you wanting more. The Cajun flavor was spicy but too salty, leaving the tongue feeling like sandpaper, while the Gourmet fell relatively flat.

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TheMr. & Mrs. T brand has produced co*cktail mixes for over 60 years, and it is one of the most popular Bloody Mary mixers available. Unfortunately, longevity doesn't always equal taste.

Astaple of airline travel in the 1960s when an executive with American Airlines first fell in love with the product, Mr. & Mrs. T became the entire fleet's brand. Today it remains the go-to brand for American Airlines, Delta, and United.

Offerings include the original,zesty pepper, bold & spicy, and horseradish flavors. While the products have a good tomato flavor, with the horseradish and spicy flavors increasing the heat with cayenne and jalapeno pepper, habanero sauce, and horseradish, for a standard Mary you could do better.

The "T" mixers possess a sweetness fromcane sugar that detracts from its savory qualities. There is also a mix of processed flavor enhancers, like hydrolyzed corn protein, disodium guanylate, and disodium inosinate — so if you're trying to avoid processed foods, maybe make a different choice next time you're at 30,000 feet.

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Stirrings Simple Bloody Mary mix takes its inspiration from a tomato sauce recipe. It includes pure cane sugar, often used in sauce to help cut the tomato's acidity. The resulting mix has a hint of sweetness and mellow horseradish spice. While the flavor is good, Stirrings is rather austere compared to others. It needs doctoring with the ingredients that take a Bloody Mary from good to great.

Begin with flavored cucumber vodka, smoky mezcal, or aged reposado tequila. Then, add dashes of hot sauce, a pinch of celery salt, and a big squeeze of lemon juice, lifting the overall flavor and cutting the sweetness. Finish by rimming your glass with lime and the Stirrings Bloody Mary Rimmer, packed with sweet and salty tomato-rich flavor.

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It's very helpful that Q Mixers come in convenient, seven-and-a-half-ounce cans. This means you don't have to open an entire bottle of a mix if you only want one co*cktail.

Each individual can offers nearly two servings, totaling 50 calories and 1040 mg of sodium.The sodium level is high (you'll likely use the entire can for one drink), but for some it might be worth it; Q packs a punch of rich, zesty, satisfying flavor into each.

The mix includes expected ingredients (rich tomato paste, horseradish, jalapeno peppers, Worcestershire, lemon, and a blend of spices), creating a full-bodied drink perfect for brunch dishes like garlic and mushroom frittata. Q's umami and garlic notes should have no problem elevating the taste of the egg-based dish.

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In April 2023, Fever Tree added Bloody Mary and Margarita mix to its product line of zesty carbonated mixers. The Bloody Mary mix includes Californian tomato paste, mixed with the usual suspects of Worcestershire, horseradish, and hot peppers. Like the quality gingers and premium tonics the company is known for, the zesty Bloody Mary mix is sumptuous and filled with flavor.

This blend leans into the umami-filled Worcestershire sauce, balancing it out with tart lemon juice and sweet cane sugar to produce a well-integrated drink with subdued heat, perfect for those who enjoy a mild co*cktail. If you like it spicy, add a few dashes of hot sauce. The texture is thinner than many, making it great, even for enjoying as a Virgin Mary without alcohol.

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In 2012, three co*cktail afficionadofriendslaunched Hella co*cktail Co. in Brooklyn. The goal was simple: Create premium quality mixers from all-natural ingredients. Hella Bloody Mary mix has real lemon juice, horseradish, celery seed, cayenne pepper, and more, delivering well-rounded tomato and celery flavor without needing additional ingredients beyond your preferred liquor.

The product is available in both a classic and spicy style, with the latter adding red pepper extract to the mix, punching up the heat and spice while providing a little extra kick to the classic version. Both selections contain authentic Worcestershire sauce with anchovies, so Hella is not vegan. However, the addition of the fish in the drink gives it anumami-rich taste. Each four-ounce serving has 25 calories, and zero added sugars.

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Tabasco Bloody Mary mix utilizeshigh-quality, name-brand ingredientslike Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco hot sauce, along with lime juice and thick, concentrated tomato juice. It delivers the authentic taste of a premium co*cktail while offering an affordable price of about $5 for a 32-ounce bottle.

Available mildly seasoned (modeled after FernandPetiot'sKing Cole Bar Bloody Mary co*cktail) or extra spicy (adding freshly grated horseradish), the latter adds a substantial boost of mouth-watering spice. The mix is complete, straight out of the bottle, so no additions are necessary. It has a nice amount of tang as well, a notablecharacteristic of the vinegary red pepper sauce. That said, to truly like this, you'll need to be a Tabasco fan, because its flavor is prominent.

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Master of Mixes range of Bloody Mary mixers includes "Classic," "Loaded," "Michelada," and "Five Pepper," each offering something for every kind of Bloody Mary drinker, from those who prefer a mellow drink to those who loves the heat. Each variation is non-GMO, gluten-free, vegan, kosher, and hand-crafted by chef Anthony Lamas.

The Classic flavor evokes a balanced vegetable juice. Itcontains roasted garlic, roasted onion, and real celery puree instead of powders. The Loaded adds lime juice, cucumber puree, and horseradish to the classic mix, while Five Pepper brings the heatwith a combination of roasted and crushed peppers, including jalapeno, Anaheim, and aji.The biggest downside to these mixers is the high sodium content, particularly the Five Pepper, which packs a whopping 1040 mg per four-ounce serving.

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The team behind Lava co*cktail mixers took 18 months to perfect its Bloody Mary mix recipe. The main ingredient isSan Marzano tomatoes from Campania, Italy, as the base. They are some of the finest tomatoes in the world,packed with rich flavor, less acidity and more sweetnessthan other tomatoes thanks to the nutrient-dense volcanic soils of the Italian region.

Three San Marzano tomatoes go into every bottle of Lava Bloody Mary mix. In addition to the tomato juice, this gluten-free, vegan mix contains reverse osmosis purified water, hot sauce, anchovy-free Worcestershire, spices, and lemon juice. The mixture is thick, rich, and has an exceptionally pronounced sweet tomato flavor. The heat from the cayenne pepper-based hot sauce melds with the natural sweetness of the fruit.Lava is sold in one-liter bottles producing 11 full-flavored three-ounce servings for $16.

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Zing Zang is a widely-available, crowd-pleasing option. It has bold veggie flavorsfrom a tomato and vegetable juice mix, including beets, carrots, celery, and spinach.It hasa delicious celery flavor too, which is helpful if you don't have the traditional garnish on hand.

While the original delivers a well-rounded drink, it lacks the spicy heat you might want in a Bloody Mary. The brand's"Blazing" flavor, however, brings thatfiery punch, balanced with sweetness from the inclusion of sugar.

Zing Zang uses processed ingredients,like MSG, disodium guanylate, and disodium inosinate, to enhance the mixer's flavor, and it is high in sodium, which isn't ideal. However, it is one of themost affordable brands,with only 20 calories in each three-ounce serving.

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There is a lot to like about Powell & Mahoney's Bloody Mary mix, predominantly its status as the lowest sodium mix on this list. With 330 mg per four-ounce serving, P&M produces a flavorful co*cktail without overwhelming saltiness, one that is naturally vegan and free from artificial flavors.

Available in "Classic" and"Siracha" flavor, both use gluten-free Worcestershire sauce made with wheat-free tamari, non-GMO produce, cane sugar, and a mix of spices and peppers to create a thick, satisfying mixer with pronounced horseradish flavors. If you prefer a mild Bloody Mary,the Classic is for you.

If you love the garlicky, spicy kick of heat that Sriracha sauce brings to everything it touches, your choice is obvious. Try it with tequila, pairing it with huevos rancheros or sourdough avocado toast, topped with a poached egg.

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Tequila producer Tres Agavesoffers a certified U.S.D.A. organic Bloody Mary mix that is vegan, gluten-free, and made without the addition of high fructose corn syrup or cane sugar. Instead, the producer adds organic agave to the organic tomato paste and water base. The agave balances other ingredients, like the spiciness of the organic chili pepper, the tang of organic lemon juice, and the salty bite from the high sodium content, 740 mg perfour-ounce serving.

The Tres Agaves offering was a hit, offering the ideal punch of heat for a morning-time co*cktail. It has a well-rounded tomato flavor and spice from herbs, garlic, and onion. While the umami of Worcestershire sauce is noticeably absent, it could also make a great base for a Michelada.

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With an unctuous viscosity and abundant speckling of peppers and spices throughout,Bourbon Barrel Foods Bloody Mary mix is bold, rich, and full-flavored. The mixture begins with tomato juice and hot sauce, then adds a combination of bourbon barrel-aged Worcestershire sauce and a combination of bourbon smoked spices, includingtogarashiwith mustard seed, seaweed, and smoked sea salt.

The result is an umami-rich, smoky, spicy product with one of the lowest sodium amounts among these rankings, 290 mg per four-ounce serving. Though brown spirits, like bourbon or rye, are not the traditional liquor in a Bloody Mary, the smokiness of this full-flavored mix works well with the aged brown liquors. Consider garnishing with a slice or two of maple-smoked bacon to enhance that sweet smokiness.

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Pickle producer McClure's began the production ofBloody Mary mix in 2012, six years afterbrothers Bob and Joe McClure began pickling cucumbers using a passed-down family recipe. The pickling brine became a key ingredient in one of today's finest Bloody Mary mixes. The ingredients list for McClure's is one of the most concise. The gluten-free, kosher Bloody Mary mix offers a combination of herbaceous, garlicky flavor and a burst of tang using only water, vinegar, tomato, cucumber juice, garlic, dill, salt, and pepper.

Pair it with cucumber-flavored vodka or an herbaceous, botanical gin that will enhance the herbal notes in the mix. It is available in the original "Mild" flavor and "Spicy,"both with 25 calories in each four-ounce serving. We thoroughly love both. However, the heat in McClure's spicy mix is tame compared to similar brands' options, with tomato juice and salty, briny pickle juice flavors remaining in the forefront.

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Barsmith was born from a group of bartending friends in Nashville and Austin. They use only non-GMO ingredients to create Barsmith's gluten-free Bloody Mary mix, free of anything artificial.

Flecks of black pepper and jalapeno pepper seeds linger throughout the robust, essential Bloody Mary and "Nashville Hot" mixes. Both products deliverfiery cayenne and jalapeno pepper heat, with the Nashville Hot adding pepper extract to create a spice similar to Nashville hot chicken. The flavor does notoverpower the palate, though, thanks to a subtle dose of added sweetness that melds with a bright tanginess of intertwined lemon and lime juice.Citrus is an essential ingredient in any quality Bloody Mary, which Barsmithdelivers in awell-rounded, delicious flavor profile that is also affordable.

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Real Dill's "Bloody Mary Mix" is fresh, balanced, and deliciously made by pickle producers in Denver. Combining tomato paste with cucumber juice, vinegar, garlic, dill, horseradish, and habanero creates a complete flavor combination that awakens the brunch-time palate with a pickle-forward, briny tang. Check out "Extra Spicy" (with serrano peppers) for a robust mix loaded with garlic, tasting like a spicy tomato and cucumber salad.

The product's inception came at weekly farmers markets, where co-foundersJustin Parks and Tyler DuBois mixed Bloody Marys using the brine from their habanero horseradish dill pickles. It became so popular they bottled it utilizing cucumber water, a byproduct of the pickling process.

Every small-batch bottle includes the production month and batch number, produced in one-quart bottles. Vegan and gluten-free, 25 calories per four-ounce serving, it is one of the best Bloody Mary mixes, with a mouth-coating texture and herbaceous, piquant, pickled flavor.

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Toma is thick, rich, and delicious. The flavor and consistency are reminiscent of tangy barbecue sauce, worthy of ribs. Toma founder Alejandro Lopez's Bloody Mary recipe began as sauce, utilizing homemade sriracha, smoky chipotle, and tomatillos.

Toma overlaps with many ingredients used in barbecue sauce including Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and sugar, along with items like tomatillos, soy sauce, chipotle and jalapeno pepper, raisins, and orange juice. The resulting mix has a smoky, savory, spicy profile, with flecks of black pepper and jalapeno seeds dotted throughout.

The product line includes"Original," "Mild," and spicy "Horseradish," ready-to-enjoy without additional hot sauce or citrus. Each ingredient-packed,highly-seasoned $16 bottle is free of preservatives and anything artificial. The flavor is unique while remaining completely familiar, and it's one we can't stop drinking.