INGREDIENTS
¼ cup whole black peppercorns
1 bottle high-quality vodka
1 46-oz. can tomato juice
1½ oz. Worcestershire sauce
1¼ oz. Tobasco Sauce
½ oz. prepared horseradish
4 tsp. celery salt
1½ tsp. celery seed
1½ tsp. Pickapeppa Sauce
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus additional for rimming glasses
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
6 asparagus spears, blanched
Olives
PREPARATION
• Prepare the black pepper vodka a week in advance: Muddle or lightly crush the peppercorns and add them to the vodka.
• Shake the bottle every other day for a week. Strain the peppercorns and rebottle.
• Prepare the Bloody Mary base on the day it will be consumed: Combine the remaining ingredients – except the garnishes – in a lidded pitcher, shake well and refrigerate.
• To prepare individual servings, rim a Collins glass with kosher salt and fill it with ice. Add 2 ounces of the black pepper vodka and 6 ounces of the Bloody Mary base. Stir.
• If desired, garnish with an asparagus spear and a toothpick threaded with olives.
This article appears in April 2011.