Best Tomato Juice for Bloody Mary

The Best Tomato Juice for Bloody Mary Cocktails

Tomato juice is the foundation of a Bloody Mary, but not all tomato juices are worthy of starring in this classic brunch-time cocktail. The best tomato juice for Bloody Mary cocktails will have a nice texture and harmonious savory and tangy flavors. Before you set up your next brunch cocktail bar, let’s take a look at the best tomato juices because picking the wrong tomato juice would be, well, a bloody shame. 

Winner: Best Tomato Juice for Bloody Marys

Campbell’s Tomato Juice

A classic and reputable American brand, Campbell’s provides quality products, and their tomato juice is no exception. Campbell’s Tomato Juice is perfect for Bloody Mary cocktails thanks to its ingredient quality, vitamin C content, and beautifully balanced texture and taste. 

Highly nutritious, this 100% juice is made from peak-season fresh tomatoes and contains no added sugar. One 11.5-ounce can provide a 15% Daily Value of potassium and an 8% Daily Value of vitamin A. Impressively added vitamin C packs an extra nutritional punch with 104 mg of vitamin C, making up 110% of Daily Value.

This simple and well-rounded tomato juice is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser with its perfect balance of acidity and sweetness. Campbell’s Tomato Juice provides a rich flavor without getting too overpowering. 

Therefore, it’s the perfect Bloody Mary base that can easily be customized with other ingredients like seasonings, hot sauce, lemon or lime juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Additionally, the consistency is thin without being too watery, making this a good tomato juice for a refreshing yet satisfying Bloody Mary. 

With its quality ingredients, pleasant consistency, and harmonious flavor, Campbell’s Tomato Juice is a no-fail ingredient that will help craft a perfectly balanced Bloody Mary brunch cocktail. 

Best Organic Tomato Juice

RW Knudsen Organic Tomato Juice

If pure ingredients are important to you, look no further than RW Knudsen Organic Tomato Juice. Store-bought Bloody Mary mix can contain preservatives, and tomatoes typically have high pesticide residue, so organic tomato juice may just be considered essential for some people. 

The ingredients in RW Knudsen Organic Tomato Juice are: 

  • Filtered water
  • Organic tomato concentrate 
  • Sea salt 
  • Organic lemon juice concentrate

These simple and pure ingredients give this tomato juice a particularly robust garden-fresh taste. While lemon juice and salt serve to enhance and brighten the flavors, this tomato juice has a relatively low sodium content compared to other brands, with 440 mg for an 8 oz serving, making it a smart choice for those wanting to limit sodium intake.  

When choosing tomato juice, it’s important to consider texture. Thinner tomato juices tend to be favored for Bloody Marys thanks to their drinkable and refreshing nature, but the best consistency ultimately depends on your personal preference.

RW Knudson tomato juice runs on the thicker side. While it may be too much for some people, it’s a great choice for those who prefer truly rich and hearty Bloody Marys. 

With a real fresh tomato flavor, rich consistency, and low sodium, there are plenty of reasons to love RW Knudsen Organic Tomato Juice. 

Best Keto Friendly

Mott’s 100% Tomato Juice

Mott’s 100% Tomato Juice is a delicious and keto-friendly tomato juice. Following a keto diet means eating very little carbs, but it doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice your love of Bloody Marys. Just make sure to avoid using a Bloody Mary mix, and make sure your tomato juice has no added sugar or fruit. 

In looking at its nutritional facts, Mott’s brand tomato juice contains eight grams of carbs per eight-ounce serving. In comparison, previously mentioned Campell’s and RW Knudsen brands both contain ten grams of carbs for the same serving size, making Mott’s a better choice for carb counters. 

In addition to having an edge in terms of carbs, Mott’s is one of the best tomato juices for those seeking an all-around lighter option. Mott’s 100% Tomato Juice is made up of water, tomato concentrate, salt, and ascorbic acid for color. 

These simple ingredients lend themselves to a smooth and balanced taste. Additionally, Mott’s variety juice has the thinnest consistency, making it the best tomato juice for making a large pitcher of summery and refreshing Bloody Mary. 

Mott’s tomato juice also contains less sodium when compared with similar Campell’s tomato juice, so it’s a better option for those who prefer less salt, whether it be for taste or health reasons. 

In general, tomato juice is fairly low in calories and carbs, making it a generally healthy and keto-friendly ingredient in your Bloody Mary recipe. Choose Mott’s 100% Tomato Juice for the best keto-friendly option.

Just make sure the other ingredients that go in your Bloody Mary are keto-friendly as well. The good news is that most seasonings like hot sauce, horseradish, garlic, black pepper, or celery salt won’t add many carbs. Most garnishes are also safe, so feel free to get creative. Grilled bacon, shrimp, or pickled okra — the satisfying and keto-friendly Bloody Mary garnish options are endless!

Best For Spicy Bloody Mary

V8 Spicy Hot 100% Vegetable Juice

Campbell’s Original Tomato Juice is optimum for a classic bloody mary cocktail, but this time we’re turning towards Campbell’s V8 Spicy Hot 100% Vegetable Juice for some extra heat. This is our top choice for extra bold and spicy Bloody Marys.

This pick differs from the other tomato juices on this list in that it’s not purely tomato juice. However, we think it’s still worthy of a spot on this list thanks to its delicious flavor, nutritional Value, and of course, spicy kick. 

Satisfying and nutrient-rich, Spicy V8 is a great source of vitamin A and vitamin C thanks to its vegetable content and added vitamin C. The tomato flavor is prominent, allowing this juice to still work really well in a Bloody Mary, and the other vegetables only enhance the taste of the cocktail. The flavor proves more interesting and complex than regular tomato juices due to the additional vegetables in the list of ingredients, like carrots, celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, watercress, and spinach.

The heat of V8 Spicy Hot 100% Vegetable Juice is the perfect complement to sweet and tangy vegetable flavors. For the ultimate spicy and delicious Bloody Mary, try adding more kick alongside spicy V8 juice with ingredients like hot horseradish, cayenne pepper, or freshly ground black pepper. For fans of bright and zesty flavors, try turning up the acidity with a dash of pickle juice or olive brine and try out garnishes like pickled asparagus or a lemon wedge.

There are some great options on this list for 100% tomato juice, but nothing beats the fire of V8 Spicy Hot 100% Vegetable Juice. It’s the best tomato juice for spicy Bloody Marys. It is sure to add the heat and zing you are after for the perfect weekend-morning cocktail. 

Best For Bloody Caesar

The Original Clamato Tomato Cocktail

The Original Clamato Tomato Cocktail is a bit of a wild card due to an unusual ingredient, but this tomato cocktail juice shines for its ultra-savory nature. It’s worth noting that Clamato juice is considered a tomato cocktail, meaning it’s far from pure tomato juice. 

This tomato cocktail lists high-fructose corn syrup as an ingredient and contain high levels of sodium. It may not be the healthiest pick on this list, but the salty and tangy flavor of Clamato juice is simply addicting.  

A Bloody Mary made with Clamato juice is known by many people as a Bloody Caesar cocktail. This interesting Bloody Mary variety originated in Calgary and is now a popular drink in Canada. In addition to tomato juice, Clamato contains a surprisingly prominent ingredient: clam juice. 

Clam juice adds an extra umami flavor that will take your Bloody Mary to the next level. Try adding horseradish and garlic to make the flavors sing. Garnish with fried clam strips for the ultimate rich and savory Bloody Mary cocktail. 

FAQs

What is the difference between tomato juice and Bloody Mary mix?

Tomato juice is a juice made with real tomatoes and minimal other ingredients, while Bloody Mary mix is a pre-made preparation that includes tomato juice, spices, citrus, and other ingredients. Using your tomato juice of choice and adding in your own seasonings instead of using a mix gives you more opportunity to experiment with different ingredients and customize your Bloody Mary to your liking. 

Which is better, tomato juice or V8 juice?

Tomato juice and V8 juice can both be great in Bloody Mary. V8 juice offers a different flavor than pure tomato juice because it includes juice from several different vegetables. V8 Spicy Hot 100% Vegetable Juice is perfect for mixing a bold and spicy Bloody Mary cocktail. 

How do you make a Bloody Mary taste better?

For a tasty Bloody Mary, it’s important to start with the right tomato juice. Use our list to view high-quality tomato juices and decide which one is best for you in terms of health factors and personal preferences.

Key Takeaways

  • Great tomato juice is the foundation of a great Bloody Mary 
  • Personal preferences like taste and consistency will help decide which tomato juice is best 
  • Different tomato juices cater to different health and nutritional concerns
  • Experiment with different ingredients and garnishes to enhance your Bloody Mary 
  • Consider setting out a few different tomato juice options at your Bloody Mary bar

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