Tipsy Tuesday: Fresh Tomato Red Snapper

As every friend I have in DC was well aware of, my husband Michael had a DC "bucket list" -- a list of places and events that he wanted to check out before we moved away. By far, the most indulgent of all of them (and my personal favorite) was an evening at the Columbia Room, which is basically a limited-seating cocktail 'experience' (for lack of a better term), and hands down, my favorite cocktail that evening was their own take on a Red Snapper. Usually, a Red Snapper is just a Bloody Mary with gin instead of vodka. It's no secret that I love, love, love a Bloody Mary, and I love my Bloody Marys thick and spicy. But this Red Snapper was made with fresh tomato juice that had been strained of any pulp and was accented with only a smidge of worcestershire and pepper. It was light and refreshing and unlike any tomato-based cocktail I'd ever had before.

Today I'm bringing you my recreation of this amazing cocktail. I know I've waited a little past tomato season to post this, but if you can still get your hands on them, you should use the brightest red, ripe tomatoes you can find since the tomato juice is really the star of this show.  Read on for the recipe.

Ingredients:
2 oz. freshly squeezed and strained tomato juice*
1.5 oz. gin
splash worcestershire sauce
pinch pepper

Directions: Shake ingredients together in a shaker full of ice. Strain into a chimney glass with ice. Garnish as you like.

*You really must DIY this as you're just not likely to find the light, pure tomato juice that this recipe envisions, and to get 2 oz., you're looking at juicing around 2 medium-sized tomatoes.