Spanish authority José Andrés isn't just a talented chef; he's also got an extraordinary sense of humor. "When you drink everything, life is so much better!" he exclaimed during a gazpacho-making demonstration in Aspen earlier this Summer. He then proceeded to spike his gazpacho and down it in front of a live audience.

As a lover of all things tomato, I was not only smitten with his Andalucían gazpacho, but also with the concept of a bloody mary with made-from-scratch gazpacho. By making your own tomato base, then garnishing the cocktail with raw vegetables, you achieve an all-natural, farm-fresh bloody mary.

Skip the salty tomato juice from a can and make a better bloody mary when you read on.

Adapted from José Andrés

Gazpacho Bloody Mary

Ingredients

Ice
6 ounces classic Spanish gazpacho
2 ounces Belvedere Bloody Mary
1 ribbon pickled zucchini*
1 cherry tomato

Directions

For extra effect, I used Belvedere's new Bloody Mary maceration for this drink; it's distilled with elements such as tomato, black pepper, horseradish, bell pepper, chile pepper, lemon, and vinegar. Regular vodka or gin would work, too.

1. Fill a shaker with ice. Add the gazpacho and vodka and shake well.
2. Pour into a glass. Garnish with the vegetables on a skewer.

Makes 1 drink.


*To make pickled zucchini, use a peeler to shave long ribbons of zucchini, then add them to any pickle brine for 3-4 days.

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