So, you say you like Bloody Marys, do you? I don’t. I am disenchanted with the taste of vodka, nearly entirely. I am not going to rally against vodka, but I will suggest that it doesn’t bring as much to the table as its other base-spirit siblings do, especially gin and tequila, which I frequently substitute for any vodka-based drink recipe with resounding success.

Here we have a smorgasbord of green ingredients. These are all the elements of a green-based cocktail for MxMo. Not all of them were used in the Bloody Green mix.

Take the Bloody Mary for example: the substitution of tequila makes for a spiced addition of delicious proportions—the Bloody María. The tomato juice in Bloody drinks, for whatever reason, amplifies the subtle characteristics of the base spirit’s flavor profile. I am not one to amplify the flavors of rubbing alcohol, but bringing out the subtle, smoky nuances of distilled agave and blending them with fresh tomato, meaty Worcestershire and a gallery of spices makes for a hell of a drink (Scotch is a great addition, too).

However, I find that tequila has a more natural home with green sauces. Despite the wonderful smoked agave/tomato combination, I wondered what would happen if we used a green sauce as the topper for my favorite morning makeover. Naturally, we had to make a green sauce that acted like a Bloody mix, with a strong, vegetal front and a meaty/spicy backbone.

Bloody Green Mix

• 9 tomatillos
• 3 Anaheim peppers
• Worcestershire sauce
• Tapatío
• Spices, as you prefer
• ½ cup water

The Preparation

1. De-husk your tomatillos and wash all your goodies thoroughly;
2. Place the Anaheim peppers on a baking tray and put under the broiler;
3. Broil until the top side browns, turn and broil until that side browns;
4. Remove the Anaheim peppers from the broiler, put in a plastic bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 15 minutes;
5. Cut your tomatillos (halves, quarters, doesn’t matter) and put in a blender;
6. Remove the Anaheim peppers from the plastic bowl and remove the skins;
7. Remove all seeds from inside the Anaheim peppers and put the remaining flesh in the blender;
8. Add water to the blender and blend, Blend, BLEND!
9. Add Worcestershire, Tapatío and spices to taste (I used garlic salt, black pepper and diced jalapeno)
10. Blend until the mixture is well-pureed and all solids are completely broken down.

Like beauty, the level of meatiness (Worcestershire) and spiciness (Tapatio and spices) in Bloody mixes is all on the tongue of the beholder. Exact measurements need not apply. Start small and then add, taste, add, taste and repeat until you’ve reached an end product that can stand by itself as a glass of vegetable juice or as a new dip for your tortilla chips. Add an ounce-and-a-half to two-ounces of tequila and a few squeezes of lime and voila! Something new and entirely delicious!

Place your Anaheim peppers on a baking sheet and place on the top rack of the broiler. Brown them on each side. This will bring out the roasty flavors of the peppers and aid in removing the skins. You could smoke them on the grill for added smoke flavor.

“Sweating” the peppers is an important step to help you remove the peels. 15 minutes in plastic wrap and the peels will slide right off the flesh.

I use a blender instead of a food processor because we really want this mix as liquefied as possible for easier imbibing.

Now we have a Bloody Green Mix that works great with tequila-based Bloody Marías! Add tequila and lime over ice and taste the awesomeness!