The Bloody Mary is popular again. Just go to any restaurant for brunch and you’ll see versions of it on a menu, and possibly even a do-it-yourself station dedicated to this classic vegetable juice and booze cocktail. If you’ve ever thought about mixing one up yourself, and let’s be honest, a bunch of us live out our bartender, drink-slinging fantasy every weekend at home, check out Manny’s Ultimate Bloody Mary (UBM).
Manny’s Ultimate is the creation of Greenwich resident Manny Ferreira, a former bartender and bar manager, who previously worked behind the bar at notable restaurants like Columbus Park Trattoria and The Ginger Man, and nightclub scenes in Norwalk and Manhattan. Westchester might be familiar with him from when he owned Chaves, a Portuguese specialty store in Mamaroneck. When he closed his market and accepted a position working at Val’s Putnam Wines & Liquors, Ferreira virtually stumbled upon his now Bloody Mary mix business. While chatting with a customer who wanted to throw an epic Super Bowl bash, she got around to asking him to run the party’s bar to which he agreed. Her one request? “Do you know how to make a Bloody Mary?” After impressing her and the partygoers, he thought he might be onto something special, a mostly classic Bloody Mary recipe with a few additions, and ultimately refined with ingredients like freshly-squeezed lemon juice, just-cracked peppercorns, Portuguese sea salt, and Connecticut grown, freshly grated horseradish.
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This robust, spicy creation can be mixed with a variety of spirits, not just the traditional vodka, but tequila, pisco, mezcal, or moonshine. Like any bartender might suggest, Ferreira recommends mixing his product with premium liquor. If you’re not a drinker, Manny’s UBM tastes great minus the booze, served with plenty of ice, like a glass of vegetable juice. If you’re health conscious or have certain allergies, it’ll help you to know that Manny’s Mix is lower in sodium than most mixes (320 mg per serving), it’s gluten-free, and there are no traces of nuts or nut oils.
Ferreira plans to expand his business, with hopes of going national, and wants to develop other mixed-drink assistance products like rim seasonings and a natural, agave-sweetened margarita mix.
If you’re looking for Manny’s Ultimate Bloody Mary in Westchester, it’s exclusively available at Fjord Fisheries in Larchmont, and if you cross the Connecticut border, it can be found at many liquor stores and markets in lower Fairfield County for around $9.99 . For a complete list of where to find it, or to purchase it online, visit www.mannysubm.com
Related: Watch: Dubrovnik Crafts A New Fashioned Cocktail
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