10 Superbly Savoury Tomato Cocktails to Try at Home

Tomato cocktails can be a bit of an acquired taste, but we love it! Chockful of vitamins C, B and potassium, the bright, bold taste of tomato juice combines perfectly with everything from vodka to tequila and even makes a tasty spritz. Here is a cherry-picked selection of ten of our favourite cocktails with tomato juice to try at home.

1. Bloody Mary cocktail

As far as easy cocktails for beginners go, the Bloody Mary recipe will always remain a classic. Fair enough, the ingredients list is pretty long – it contains SKYY vodka, tomato juice, horseradish, Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, pickle juice, salt, pepper and paprika (optional)—but most of these are actually pantry staples. Plus, the assembly isn’t too finicky. You simply shake it up with ice (twice if you’re feeling fancy), and strain it into a glass.     

2. Michelada cocktail

The Michelada cocktail is similar in style to the Bloody Mary, with beer, lime juice, assorted sauces, spices, tomato juice, and chilli peppers as its ingredients. However, while it plays in the same savoury space as everyone’s favourite brunch cocktail, it also has a delightful bubbly profile thanks to the fizziness of the beer.    

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3. Tomato Tequila cocktail

Do you have a batch of fresh cherry tomatoes and the will to muddle? Then you’ve got to try the Tomato Tequila cocktail. To make it, muddle 5 cherry tomatoes in a shaker, then shake it up with 5 basil leaves, 60ml Espolòn tequila, 30ml lime juice, 20ml agave nectar, 15ml balsamic vinegar and a pinch of Himalayan. Double-strain into a coupe glass and serve (with an optional salted rim). 

4. Tomato Martini cocktail

We love experimenting with different types of Martinis, and this tomato cocktail recipe is one you’ve got to try if you’re feeling that 007 vibe. Muddle 60ml of SKYY vodka and 4 fresh basil leaves in a cocktail shaker. Add 75ml tomato juice, a dash of salt and enough ice to fill the shaker. Shake until chilled, and pour into a serving glass. We like to garnish it with a cherry tomato and mozzarella ball on a cocktail stick, but that’s entirely optional. 

5. Tomato Spritz cocktail

How about an alcoholic drink with tomato juice with a bit of effervescence in the mix? The Tomato Spritz cocktail combines 15ml Bulldog gin, 60ml Cinzano Bianco vermouth, 45ml tomato juice, and 15ml cherry tomato shrub, which you combine in a Collins glass with ice, before topping it off with equal parts soda water and Prosecco. Read all about making a shrub here – it is most often done using fruit like berries, but using tomatoes is just as easy. 

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6. Tomato Margarita cocktail

To show off the sweeter side of tomatoes, try the Tomato Margarita. Combine three cherry tomatoes in a cocktail shaker with a pinch of salt. Add 45ml Espolòn tequila,15ml Grand Marnier, 15ml lime juice, and 15ml sugar syrup, fill the shaker with ice, and shake until well chilled. Double-strain into a glass with fresh ice, and garnish with a few cherry tomatoes on a skewer, if preferred. 

7. Virgin Mary cocktail

Drinks made with tomato juice don’t always have to be boozy. If you’re keen on a savoury mocktail, give the Virgin Mary a try. This lovely drink is the more virtuous counterpart of the original Bloody Mary, combining tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice with a few optional shakes of hot sauce and a dash of dill pickle juice for that little something extra.        

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8. Oyster Shooter cocktail

While this is not technically a cocktail per se, it’s so good that we’ve gone ahead and snuck it in here just to give you a taste of the good life. Combine 30ml tomato juice, a touch of horseradish and a pinch of pepper, pour into a shot glass, add 30ml SKYY vodka, shuck a fresh oyster in there, and garnish with a lemon wedge. Enjoy, and thank us later! 

9. Farmer’s Cocktail

This tomato cocktail recipe is a somewhat savoury spin on the popular Aperol Spritz cocktail formula. To make it, muddle three cubes of watermelon with 20ml of sugar syrup in a cocktail shaker. Then add 10ml Aperol, 60ml SKYY vodka, 30ml tomato juice, and 20ml lime juice, and shake until chilled. Double-strain into a highball glass, charge with 60ml soda water if desired, and garnish with some cherry tomatoes for an extra touch of whimsy. 

10. Red Snapper cocktail

Let us introduce you to an alcoholic drink with tomato juice that closely resembles the Bloody Mary, but comes to the party with a far more herbaceous flavour profile thanks to the addition of gin! The Red Snapper is the essentially non-identical twin of the OG ‘Mary, which means all you need to do is switch out the SKYY vodka for Bulldog Gin to try a fresh new take on the classic.