Spicy and Numbing Sichuan Bloody Mary

Ingredients

250 g	vodka
2 g	Sichuan peppercorns
930 g	tomato juice, chilled
60 g	Asian broad bean chili paste
54 g	oyster sauce
30 g	lemon juice
18 g	rice vinegar
6 g	kosher salt
	ice cubes

Optional garnishes

	Chinese sausage (lop cheong)
	water chestnuts
	celery ribs
	lemon or lime wedges
	pickled vegetables
	steamed shrimp

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Sichuan peppercorns: Sichuan peppercorns aren’t peppercorns at all but rather the dried seed husks from a small Chinese citrus tree called the prickly ash. They contribute a unique tingling or buzzing sensation much like carbonation, which is due to a pungent compound called sanshool that acts on receptors that usually respond to touch. They can be found at Asian markets or online. Click here to purchase.

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tomato juice, chilled: The test kitchen’s favorite tomato juice is Campbell’s Tomato Juice. Find it in your supermarket, or you can purchase it by clicking here.

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Asian broad bean chili paste: Douban jiang is a spicy, salty paste made from fermented broad beans, soybeans, chilis, salt, rice, and various spices. It is a staple in Sichuan cuisine, where it provides rich meatiness and heat. It can be found in Asian markets, or you can purchase our preferred product by clicking here.

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oyster sauce: Oyster sauce is a rich concentrated mixture of oyster extract, soy sauce, brine, and assorted seasonings. Our favorite oyster sauce is Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Sauce. Find it in your supermarket, or you can purchase it by clicking here.

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Chinese sausage (lop cheong): Chinese sausage, also known by its Cantonese name lap cheong, is a dried, smoked, hard pork sausage usually seasoned with rose-infused rice wine and soy sauce, giving it great sweet and salty flavor. It can be found in Asian markets, or you can purchase it by clicking here.

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons vodka

1½ teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns

3¾ cups tomato juice, chilled

¼ cup Asian broad bean chili paste

3 tablespoons oyster sauce

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

ice cubes

Optional garnishes

Chinese sausage (lop cheong)

water chestnuts

celery ribs

lemon or lime wedges

pickled vegetables

steamed shrimp

Hide Annotation

Sichuan peppercorns: Sichuan peppercorns aren’t peppercorns at all but rather the dried seed husks from a small Chinese citrus tree called the prickly ash. They contribute a unique tingling or buzzing sensation much like carbonation, which is due to a pungent compound called sanshool that acts on receptors that usually respond to touch. They can be found at Asian markets or online. Click here to purchase.

Hide Annotation

tomato juice, chilled: The test kitchen’s favorite tomato juice is Campbell’s Tomato Juice. Find it in your supermarket, or you can purchase it by clicking here.

Hide Annotation

Asian broad bean chili paste: Douban jiang is a spicy, salty paste made from fermented broad beans, soybeans, chilis, salt, rice, and various spices. It is a staple in Sichuan cuisine, where it provides rich meatiness and heat. It can be found in Asian markets, or you can purchase our preferred product by clicking here.

Hide Annotation

oyster sauce: Oyster sauce is a rich concentrated mixture of oyster extract, soy sauce, brine, and assorted seasonings. Our favorite oyster sauce is Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Sauce. Find it in your supermarket, or you can purchase it by clicking here.

Hide Annotation

Chinese sausage (lop cheong): Chinese sausage, also known by its Cantonese name lap cheong, is a dried, smoked, hard pork sausage usually seasoned with rose-infused rice wine and soy sauce, giving it great sweet and salty flavor. It can be found in Asian markets, or you can purchase it by clicking here.

Essential Equipment

Cocktail Shaker
Sous Vide Device (Recommended)
Digital Kitchen Scale

Instructions

- 250 g vodka
- 2 g Sichuan peppercorns
If using sous vide device: Use sous vide device to heat water bath to 149 degrees F/65 degrees C. Meanwhile, combine vodka and peppercorns in 1-quart zipper-lock freezer bag. Press out as much air as possible from bag and seal. Gently lower bag into water bath, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag (do not let go of bag). Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release remaining air pockets, and seal bag fully. Clip top of bag to side of water bath container. Cook for 30 minutes. Taste vodka. It should be assertively mouth-numbing. If it is not, return bag to water bath and cook up to 10 minutes longer. Remove bag from water bath and strain vodka through fine-mesh strainer into heat-resistant airtight container; discard peppercorns. Let vodka cool for at least 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

If cooking on stovetop: Heat 3,600 grams water in Dutch oven over medium heat to 160 degrees F/71 degrees C. Meanwhile, combine vodka and peppercorns in 1-quart zipper-lock freezer bag. Press out as much air as possible from bag and seal. Gently lower bag into Dutch oven, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag (do not let go of bag). Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release remaining air pockets, and seal bag fully. Clip top of bag to side of Dutch oven. Cook for 30 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain temperature between 140 degrees F/60 degrees C and 160 degrees F/71 degrees C. Taste vodka. It should be assertively mouth-numbing. If it is not, return bag to water bath and cook up to 10 minutes longer. Remove bag from water bath and strain vodka through fine-mesh strainer into heat-resistant airtight container; discard peppercorns. Let vodka cool for at least 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

If infusing at room temperature: Combine vodka and peppercorns in airtight container and place container in 50- to 70-degree F/10- to 21-degree C location away from direct sunlight. Let vodka infuse for 4 to 7 days. (Don’t be alarmed if mixture turns cloudy during this time.) After 4 days, taste vodka daily until it has reached desired flavor. It should be assertively mouth-numbing.
- 930 g tomato juice, chilled
- 60 g Asian broad bean chili paste
- 54 g oyster sauce
- 30 g lemon juice
- 18 g rice vinegar
- 6 g kosher salt
Stir tomato juice, chili paste, oyster sauce, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt together in large pitcher. If not using immediately, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- Ice cubes
For each cocktail: Combine 180 grams (6 fluid ounces) tomato juice mixture, 42 grams (1½ fluid ounces) peppercorn-infused vodka, and 36 grams (¼ cup) ice cubes in cocktail shaker and vigorously shake for 30 seconds. Strain into highball glass over ice. (If your chili paste is particularly chunky, you can use a fine-mesh strainer instead of a standard cocktail strainer.) Garnish as desired and serve immediately.

Instructions

Cook's Note: Doing this infusion in a sealed bag in warm water speeds up the process considerably, without any risk of evaporating our precious alcohol. You can do this with a sous vide device or simply with a Dutch oven and a thermometer. I also provide instructions for a traditional room-temperature infusion on the counter. This recipe can be easily doubled (or tripled!) depending on your Bloody Mary needs. We’ve tested this recipe using both gram measurements and traditional U.S. volume and weight measurements, so you get to pick the one that works best for you. Cocktail recipes are classically presented in fluid ounces and measured with a jigger; in this recipe, we also list ingredients in fluid ounces when it comes time to shake the cocktails.

Editor’s Note: We develop our recipes using gram measurements in order to be as precise as possible and then convert to U.S. volume and weight measurements for our readers’ convenience. There are times that we will call for combining two volume measurements to achieve the correct gram measurement.

- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons vodka
- 1½ teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
If using sous vide device: Use sous vide device to heat water bath to 149 degrees F/65 degrees C. Meanwhile, combine vodka and peppercorns in 1-quart zipper-lock freezer bag. Press out as much air as possible from bag and seal. Gently lower bag into water bath, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag (do not let go of bag). Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release remaining air pockets, and seal bag fully. Clip top of bag to side of water bath container. Cook for 30 minutes. Taste vodka. It should be assertively mouth-numbing. If it is not, return bag to water bath and cook up to 10 minutes longer. Remove bag from water bath and strain vodka through fine-mesh strainer into heat-resistant airtight container; discard peppercorns. Let vodka cool for at least 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

If cooking on stovetop: Heat 4 quarts water in Dutch oven over medium heat to 160 degrees F/71 degrees C. Meanwhile, combine vodka and peppercorns in 1-quart zipper-lock freezer bag. Press out as much air as possible from bag and seal. Gently lower bag into Dutch oven, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag (do not let go of bag). Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release remaining air pockets, and seal bag fully. Clip top of bag to side of Dutch oven. Cook for 30 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain temperature between 140 degrees F/60 degrees C and 160 degrees F/71 degrees C. Taste vodka. It should be assertively mouth-numbing. If it is not, return bag to water bath and cook up to 10 minutes longer. Remove bag from water bath and strain vodka through fine-mesh strainer into heat-resistant airtight container; discard peppercorns. Let vodka cool for at least 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

If infusing at room temperature: Combine vodka and peppercorns in airtight container and place container in 50- to 70-degree F/10- to 21-degree C location away from direct sunlight. Let vodka infuse for 4 to 7 days. (Don’t be alarmed if mixture turns cloudy during this time.) After 4 days, taste vodka daily until it has reached desired flavor. It should be assertively mouth-numbing.
- 3¾ cups tomato juice, chilled
- ¼ cup Asian broad bean chili paste
- 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Stir tomato juice, chili paste, oyster sauce, lemon juice, vinegar, and salt together in large pitcher. If not using immediately, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- Ice cubes
For each cocktail: Combine ¾ cup (6 fluid ounces) tomato juice mixture, 3 tablespoons (1½ fluid ounces) peppercorn-infused vodka, and ¼ cup ice cubes in cocktail shaker and vigorously shake for 30 seconds. Strain into highball glass over ice. (If your chili paste is particularly chunky, you can use a fine-mesh strainer instead of a standard cocktail strainer.) Garnish as desired and serve immediately.

Ingredients

Optional garnishes

Optional garnishes

Essential Equipment

Instructions

Instructions

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