It’s the classic brunch cocktail that has experienced a surge in popularity over the last few years. The Bloody Mary is a classic weekend cocktail – packed with flavour, spice and a real kick, it’s one of the few that’s an acceptable tipple before midday.

At The River Lee, the team behind the bar know the secret to a great Bloody Mary, but also that each person has their own preferences when it comes to their perfect cocktail. Which is why, at recent brunch events, a Bloody Mary Bar has been set up so guests can whisk up their own, personalised drink, exactly as they want it.

We chatted to Pierce Lowney, Bar Manager at The River Lee, to find out more about the Bloody Mary Bar, as well as his tips to mix up the perfect one yourself.

Do you have a recipe for the perfect Bloody Mary?

We actually like to spice it up a little, and serve our house Bloody Mary as a Bloody Maria, which consists of your traditional ingredients (tomato juice, salt, black pepper, Worcester sauce, tobasco, lemon juice and a garnish of celery) but substituting tequila instead of vodka, for a Latin feel. We tend to keep it traditional most of the time as it is a breakfast cocktail, and we know from experience it can often be used as a recovery drink from the night before! One of the stories around the original creation of the cocktail says its purpose was to mask the smell of alcohol in a beverage during breakfast!

What do you find people often change when making it on their own?

There are so many options it's actually mind-boggling! We have been asked for everything from fish, to cheese and eggs, so the sky really is the limit. Some more traditional additions are a splash of Irish stout (Beamish or Murphy's, of course in Cork!) bacon, anchovy & fish sauce, and of course spices, depending on your tolerance. Some people do like it extremely spicy, so fresh chilli is often the order of the day.

Can you tell me a little more about the make your own Bloody Mary station at the brunches? 

During a busy brunch service we have a brunch bar that specialises in DIY Bloody Mary. We have a lot of different options from making it Irish (whisky, Clonakilty black pudding and Murphy's stout added) Asian (chillies, fish sauce and peppers) or smokey (bourbon, bacon dust and BBQ sauce). Plus, there's always the option of making your own stacked cocktail with whatever mild to wild tastes you may have!

What do you think goes well with a Bloody Mary?

In my opinion Bloody Mary is part of a prober hearty brunch! My ideal paring is with a rich comfort food dish like a black pudding hash or Italian Eggs Benedict. It is a very versatile cocktail though, depending how you like yours made! It is the perfect for a social occasion also.

You can see more about brunch at The River Lee here.