I have to be honest, in my opinion nothing ruins a shot of vodka more than Bloody Mary mix. I’ve always thought it was gross and reminded me of when my mother used to force me to eat a bowl of runny ketch up like soup for lunch or dinner. Never liked the look, smell and especially not the taste of it. However, being a bartender I’ve had to make gallon after gallon of Bloody Mary batches. Much to my dismay I’ve had to taste it as not to serve something seriously horrendous to people who actually like the stuff. Putting my distaste aside I have come across several home recipes that don’t make me want to vomit. However, I haven’t been able to say that about the majority of store bought brands. Until now.

The very cleverly named Hoosier Momma Bloody Mary Maker is new to the market and already running circles around the competition. Why? Well, for starters it tastes like it’s homemade. The majority of Bloody Mary ‘connoisseurs’ make their own from scratch because the care they put into crafting their recipes simply cannot be found in a bottle on the shelf. Secret Asian Man, my Bloody Mary taster, stated “there are too many unknown or generalized ingredients with store brands…‘natural and/or artificial flavors.’ I never understood that. But this is all natural and every ingredient is listed.” Secret Asian Man also stated that a lot of other brands use a lot of hot spice to cover up the lack of flavor. “Hoosier Momma has the right amount of each ingredient where it blends into a really nice flavor.”

Aside from how it tastes is how it looks. I knew this was going to taste different the second I laid eyes on the bottle. First, it comes in a jar that looks like tomato sauce. Second, it looks like tomato sauce. The color is rich with abundant herbs visible from every angle. And when I put the jar on its side, it clung to the glass unlike the watered down, strangely ‘reddish-orange’ colored versions. Opening up the jar the aroma was tangy and spicy, pleasant and hearty. I wasn’t repulsed in the slightest. Not even when I tasted it. And I completely agree with Secret Asian Man that Hoosier Momma is a well balanced and blended Bloody Mary mix.

I think what I like most about Hoosier Momma is that it’s vegan. What’s that? How could Bloody Marys not be vegan…it’s tomato juice and spices, right? Wrong. What most people don’t know (unless you bother to read the back of the bottle) is that the majority of Bloody Mary mixes contain wheat and animal products. What do you think gives Worcestershire sauce (a key ingredient in Bloody Mary mix) that beefy flavor? Perhaps being a vegetarian is what makes me hate it so. But Hoosier Momma Bloody Mary Maker is gluten free and uses organic vegan Worcestershire sauce. But the great thing about that is even if you’re a meat eater, you’d never know the difference. Secret Asian Man didn’t until after he read the label. “I would absolutely buy this if saw it on a shelf.”

Don’t take my or Secret Asian Man’s word for it. Check out the Hoosier Momma site to find which stores carry this amazing Bloody Mary Maker or to order it online. And while at their site, check out their other products like their Hickory Smoked Spicy Bloody Mary Glass Garnish, Momma’s Garden Dilly Beans and the Spicy Mommacita Red Jalapeno Hot Sauce!