Barsys
Bloody Brew
About
Most cocktails are a drink. The Bloody Brew is an event. Underneath the circus of garnishes it's a Caesar - the Clamato-based cousin of the Bloody Mary - but nobody's going to be staring at the liquid, because there's a hamburger balanced on top of it.
That's the whole idea. For the World Series we wanted something loud, savory, and faintly absurd: the kind of drink that stops a room and gets photographed before anyone takes a sip. Vodka, Clamato, olive brine, and a serious hit of celery salt and black pepper make the base genuinely good - spicy, briny, and meaty in a way that goes down easy during a ballgame. Then you load it. Three fat pimento olives, a whole celery stalk, a splash of Miller Lite for the "Brew" in Bloody Brew, and a burger skewered across the top like it's the most normal thing in the world.
It's lunch and a cocktail in one glass. It is ridiculous. That's the point, and we're not sorry.
Shaken or Stirred?
Neither, really - a Caesar is built and gently stirred, never shaken. Shaking whips the tomato and Clamato into a froth and wrecks the texture. The move is to build it right in the glass and stir, or "roll" it by pouring gently between two glasses if you want it fully mixed without the foam. Everything goes in over ice, you stir, and then the real work starts: stacking the garnish. The drink takes a minute. The tower on top takes longer.
What You'll Need
For one Bloody Brew:
- 1.5 oz (45 ml) Vodka
- 0.5 oz (15 ml) Olive brine
- 0.5 tsp Celery salt
- 0.5 tsp Ground black pepper
- 8 oz (240 ml) Clamato (tomato-clam juice cocktail)
- 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
- 3 dashes Hot sauce (optional)
Ice: 4 cubes
Glass: Pint glass or tall highball
Garnish: 3 pimento-stuffed olives, 1 celery stalk, a splash of Miller Lite (optional)
Pro tip: Rim the glass with celery salt before you build - run a lemon or lime wedge around the edge and dip it. And season to taste: Clamato and hot sauce brands vary a lot, so add the Worcestershire, pepper, and hot sauce, stir, then taste before you commit. The burger goes on last, skewered on a sturdy pick so it actually holds for the photo.
How to Make It
Prep time: 5 minutes (most of it is the garnish)
Skill level: Easy
- Rim a pint glass with celery salt, then fill it with 4 ice cubes.
- Add the vodka, olive brine, celery salt, black pepper, Worcestershire, and hot sauce.
- Pour in the Clamato and stir gently to combine. Taste, and adjust the seasoning.
- Add a splash of Miller Lite if you're using it.
- Load the garnish - celery stalk, three olives on a pick, and a burger skewered across the top - and serve immediately, ideally to applause.
Using Barsys Cocktail Machine?
Here's where the machine does the sensible part of a very silly drink. The Barsys 360 AI Cocktail Maker pours the vodka, olive brine, and Clamato into the glass in exact measure, which matters more than it sounds - a Caesar is easy to get wrong, since too much Clamato leaves it thin and too much brine turns it into a salt lick. Get that liquid base right and the drink under all the nonsense is actually good. The celery salt, pepper, Worcestershire, hot sauce, and the entire garnish circus are on you - no machine is stacking a burger - but the part that decides whether it tastes right, the 360 lands every time. Which helps, because at a watch party you'll be making a lot of these, and nobody wants the tenth one tasting like seawater.
For the full recipe, download the Barsys Ai app.
Tasting Notes
The Barsys Edge
A Caesar is deceptively fussy. It's mostly Clamato, so the small pours - the vodka, the brine, the dashes - are what separate a balanced drink from a salty, flat one, and every brand of Clamato and hot sauce behaves differently. Eyeball it across a dozen drinks at a loud party and some come out weak, some come out brutal, and your guests will clock the difference.
Barsys keeps the vodka, brine, and Clamato in the same ratio every pour, so the base is right before you even start seasoning. The spice and the spectacle are yours to play with - but the drink under the burger stays consistently good, which, for something this over-the-top, is a reassuring bit of control to have.
Sip Setting
This is a watch-party showpiece - the drink you make precisely because people lose it when they see it. It belongs to game day: first pitch, a loud room, a table buried in food, the World Series on every screen. It works for a boozy brunch too, since a Caesar is a morning drink at heart, and this one eats like breakfast and lunch at once.
It isn't a quiet sipper and it isn't elegant. It's a crowd-pleaser in the most literal sense - make one, set it down in front of people, and wait for the phones to come out.
Garnish Game
This is the entire reason the drink exists, so don't hold back. The base layer is classic Caesar - a celery stalk standing up like a flag and three fat pimento-stuffed olives on a pick. Then you escalate. A splash of Miller Lite over the top earns the "Brew" in the name and adds a bit of fizz. And the centerpiece: a full hamburger, skewered on a sturdy pick and balanced across the rim like the drink ordered itself a meal.
Want to push it further? Caesars are famous for garnish insanity, so treat nothing as off-limits - bacon, a chicken wing, a slider, a pickle spear, a cheese cube, a cocktail onion, even a little pennant for the team you're pulling for. The only real rule is that there isn't one. Practical note: use proper skewers and picks so the tower actually holds for the three seconds it needs before someone photographs it and starts eating it apart.
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FAQs
What is the Bloody Brew?
A loaded, over-the-top game-day cocktail - a Caesar (Clamato-based Bloody Mary) made with vodka, olive brine, celery salt, and pepper, then piled with olives, celery, a beer splash, and a whole burger on top.
Is it a Bloody Mary or a Caesar?
Technically a Caesar, because it uses Clamato (tomato and clam juice) rather than plain tomato juice. A Bloody Mary uses straight tomato juice. They're close relatives, and most people use the names loosely.
What is Clamato?
A tomato juice cocktail blended with clam broth and spices. It's what gives a Caesar its signature salty, savory, slightly briny depth - a little more complex than plain tomato juice.
Why is there a burger on it?
Because the brief was "ridiculous," and a Caesar is the one cocktail where a burger garnish is almost traditional. Loaded Caesars are famous for absurd toppings, so a whole burger is on theme, not off it.
Can I make it less spicy?
Yes - skip the hot sauce and go light on the black pepper. The celery salt, Worcestershire, and Clamato give it plenty of savory flavor without much heat.
What's the Miller Lite for?
A splash of light beer floated on top gives it the "Brew" angle, adds a little fizz, and lightens the body. It's optional, but it's a fun, on-theme touch for a baseball cocktail.
Can I use tomato juice instead of Clamato?
Yes, and then you've made a Bloody Mary rather than a Caesar. It'll be a touch less savory - add a little extra Worcestershire and olive brine to make up the depth.
Can I make it without alcohol?
Easily. Skip the vodka (and the beer) and build everything else over ice for a loaded Virgin Caesar. The spice and garnishes carry it.
Can I batch it for a party?
Yes. Mix the vodka, brine, Clamato, and seasonings in a pitcher ahead of time, keep it cold, and pour over fresh ice to order. Save the garnish-stacking for each glass as you serve it.