Bloody Mary Garnish Ideas

The best part of a Bloody Mary? All of the toppings! Whether you like to keep things simple or create an over-the-top cocktail, these Bloody Mary garnish ideas will help you take your favorite brunch or game-day drink to the next level.

I turned 21 while I was living in Wisconsin. If you’ve never been to Wisconsin, they take their Bloody Marys very seriously. 

They serve them with a beer back (sometimes called a beer chaser or sidecar of beer) and they absolutely LOAD them up with toppings and garnishes.

In fact, they add so many toppings, they call them “the salad” — because you can almost make a meal from the garnishes alone!

Since that was my introduction to the classic brunch cocktail, I still prefer my Bloody Marys the Wisconsin way: with a beer chaser and plenty of garnishes.

Whether you’re mixing up a batch of Bloody Marys for a holiday brunch, game-day tailgate, bridal shower, or slow weekend morning at home, I’ve got a ton of Bloody Mary garnish ideas to take your cocktails to the next level.

Setting up a DIY Bloody Mary bar

If you’re making Bloody Marys for guests, I strongly suggest setting up a Bloody Mary bar. They’re so fun and easy, and my friends love being able to customize their cocktails and garnishes.

You can set everything up ahead of time and then your guests can serve themselves and create the cocktail of your dreams. And you don’t have to play bartender the whole time! 

Pick a spot that’s out of the way of the main flow of traffic and set out everything your guests will need for making their drinks. Here’s the order I suggest using:

• Glasses
• Salt rim with lemon and lime wedges
• Ice
• Bloody Mary mix and liquor options
• Condiments 
• Garnishes and toothpicks/skewers

I always make a batch of my homemade Bloody Mary mix for the BEST Bloody Marys. It’s so easy to make and tastes better after a day in the refrigerator, so it’s great for prepping ahead of time.

You can also prepare your rimming salt and many of your garnishes ahead of time. Store everything in airtight containers, refrigerating things like fresh vegetables, cooked meats, etc.

Then all you have to do before guests arrive is set everything out! 

Toothpicks or skewers?

If you’re a minimal garnisher, cocktail or appetizer picks will probably be just fine.

But if you’re like me and my Wisconsin friends, you’re gonna need full skewers. You can’t fit a true Bloody Mary salad on a toothpick!

I like to add both picks and skewers to my Bloody Mary bars, that way guests can truly choose their own adventure and don’t feel like they have to limit their options.

My favorite Bloody Mary garnish ideas

Now let’s get to the good stuff: the (many) Bloody Mary garnishes you can choose from!

Don’t feel like you have to include everything when setting up a Bloody Mary bar. If you start to feel overwhelmed, pick 1-2 things from each category. 

This will give enough variety that all of your guests should be able to find a few things that they’ll enjoy adding to their cocktail.

1. Rimming salts

I love adding salt rims to my Bloody Marys. Not only do they look pretty, but they add lots of flavor!

I typically make my own salt rim using a combination of Old Bay and salt, but there are a ton of other flavor options out there, such as:

• Smoked salt
• Tajín
• Citrus salt (especially lime salt)
• Habanero salt
• Black pepper salt

If you don’t want to make your own, check your local spice shop or search online for “infused salts,” “margarita salts,” or “rimming salts.” You’ll find all kinds of flavors that would work great with the savory tang of a Bloody Mary.

2. Condiments

Condiments aren’t technically a garnish since you mix them into the cocktail, but they’re still worth thinking about!

Including condiments in your Bloody Mary lineup lets guests tweak the flavor of their cocktails to be exactly how they like them. They can make them spicier, more acidic, more herbaceous…whatever their hearts desire! 

Some condiments I like to include are:

• Spices: Salt, black or cayenne pepper, paprika, curry powder, chili powder, Old Bay seasoning, Cajun seasoning, lemon pepper seasoning, caraway seeds, etc.
• Dried herbs: Dill, rosemary, thyme
• Hot sauce: If you only set out one hot sauce, choose a classic one such as Frank’s Red Hot, Crystal, or Cholula. Including several hot sauce options is always more fun, though!
• Prepared condiments: Worcestershire sauce, prepared horseradish, hot mustard, wasabi, steak sauce, cocktail sauce, teriyaki sauce, red chili paste, etc.
• Juices: Pickle juice, olive juice, lime juice, lemon juice
  
  

3. Fresh vegetables

Celery sticks are the “classic” Bloody Mary garnish, but don’t stop there. Some other fresh vegetables I like to use include:

• Carrot sticks
• Sliced bell peppers or baby/snacking bell peppers
• Sliced jalapeños
• Cherry tomatoes
• Spring radishes
• Sliced cucumbers or baby cucumbers

Baby corn is a great one, too. It’s not exactly a “fresh” veggie since it comes in a can, but they’re cute and a lot of fun to add.

4. Pickled and marinated vegetables

Even in the middle of winter, you can find a ton of great pickled and marinated veggies at almost any grocery store. Try looking for:

• Dill pickle spears
• Pickled onions
• Pickled green beans
• Pickled beets
• Cocktail onions
• Giardiniera
• Artichoke hearts
• Roasted red peppers
• Pepperoncini peppers
• Cheese-stuffed cherry peppers
• Pickled garlic

Your local farmers market is another great place to find seasonal fresh veggies and pickled or preserved veggies to use. I love stopping by the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market to grab locally made pickles!

5. Olives

You could argue that olives technically belong under pickled and marinated veggies, but I love them so much that to me, they’re a category of their own.

You can use:

• Green olives
• Black olives
• Stuffed olives
• Fancy marinated olives

There are lots of different olives available at the grocery store these days, especially if your store has a deli section with a variety of antipasto items. You can also try making your own blue cheese stuffed olives!

6. Cured meats

The salty savoriness of cured meat is always a great pairing with a tangy Bloody Mary. Some of my favorites to use as Bloody Mary garnishes are:

• Meat sticks
• Crispy bacon
• Beef jerky
• Salami
• Summer sausage
• Smoked sausage
• Prosciutto

Check your local butcher shop for locally made options or unique flavors of things like beef sticks. You could also whip up your own maple black pepper bacon for an extra-fancy touch!

7. Seafood

If you’ve got seafood lovers or pescatarians on the guest list, consider using:

• Cocktail shrimp 
• Oysters on the half shell
• Fried calamari

If you’re adding oysters to the lineup, consider whipping up a simple mignonette sauce to go with them.

8. Cheeses

There’s not much that I love more than cheese with my Bloody Mary! After all, I did learn to drink them in Wisconsin, remember?

Cheese sticks or cubes are great in a variety of flavors:

• Cheddar
• Pepperjack
• Monterey jack
• Colby jack
• Gouda
• Feta

You can also use other forms/types of cheese, such as:

• Cheese curds (fresh or fried)
• Small fresh mozzarella balls
• Blue cheese crumbles
• Brie cheese wedges
• Mini cheese balls

Honestly, if it’s a cheese you enjoy eating on a cheese board, you’ll probably enjoy it as a garnish on your Bloody Mary!

9. Over-the-top ideas

Here is where we go a little overboard and really lean into that Wisconsin-style Bloody Mary “salad”: our over-the-top Bloody Mary garnishes.

These are the ones that seem crazy, but are honestly a lot of fun! Some ideas include:

• Mini grilled cheese sandwiches
• Sliders
• chicken wings
• meatballs
• jalapeño poppers
• pimento cheese deviled eggs
• Cream cheese roll ups
• Mini corn dogs
• Mini taquitos

And so much more! Let your imagination go wild and have some fun—after all, that’s what makes for the best Bloody Mary!