Squid Mixes: Tequila Maria

I love tomatoes.  They are simply magical.  I don't understand people who don't like them.  I'm not sure any produce season excites me quite as much as tomato season.  The time of year brings wonderful possibilities for a food hobbyist, even a mixologist.

I made fresh tomato juice for the first time this year.  I used this recipe from Simply Recipes, minus the black pepper - a personal preference.  The result was nice, sweeter than what one typically finds at the supermarket.  But it's a lot of effort.  I doubt I'd do it again as I think the store-bought stuff is perfectly fine.

Tomato juice project #1 was the Tequila Maria, essentially a Bloody Mary with tequila rather than vodka.  I have been a huge fan of Bloody Marys for as long as I have been of legal drinking age.  On airplanes, I will happily take the mix without the vodka.  However, in my recent mixing adventures, I have been unimpressed with vodka in general.  I feel it dilutes the other ingredients whereas gin, its main white liquor rival, does a better job of enhancing them.  The taste experience: vodka pushes the flavors apart whereas gin draws them together.  So, what to do with my beloved Bloody Marys?  I'm certain gin and tomato juice would be terrible.  But what about tequila?

I got my recipe from The New York Bartender's Guide: white tequila, tomato juice, lime juice, white horseradish, Tabasco, Worcestershire, black pepper (skipped it), celery salt (didn't have it, used Kosher), cilantro.  Plenty of heat, which I want.  I'd leave out the horseradish and probably the cilantro next time, maybe in favor of more Tabasco.  I prefer red pepper heat to horseradish heat.  The verdict: we both liked the tequila.  A side-by-side comparison would be more meaningful but for now, I think I'm onto something.

Stay tuned.