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Jaew Bong Bloody Mary

Fusion · Easy · Makes 2 large glasses

Jaew Bong Bloody Mary
Jaew Bong Bloody Mary
The jaew bong bloody mary is the #136's brunch sibling with the Lao jar: the classic tomato-vodka build with a spoon of the #86's sweet chili relish stirred in — its roasted shallot-galangal depth and gentle heat replacing half the hot sauce and most of the Worcestershire. The garnish goes Lao: a stick of the #87's jerky.

Quantities live in the recipe card.

Per glass

  • the jaew carries heat); a pinch of salt, black pepper, celery salt if owned

The garnish

- **Taste the jaew bong first and build to it.** Every jar runs different — sweeter, hotter, saltier — and the bloody mary's seasoning adjusts around it. The relish's solids sink; the drink's spice is in its liquid. - **The bridge:** the #86's homemade jaew bong or the jar from a Lao grocer; sweet chili sauce plus a drop of fish sauce bridges at a simpler register. The jerky garnish is the delightful non-negotiable.
Step 1. **Shake or stir hard, over ice.** Vodka, tomato juice, citrus, jaew bong, hot sauce, and seasonings over a large handful of ice — stirred vigorously (the classic) or shaken (the frothier café way) for 20 seconds. Checkpoint — taste through a straw: tomato first, then the jaew bong's roasted sweetness and gentle heat, the citrus lifting — it should read as a bloody mary that knows a secret, not a spicy tomato juice. Adjust with the jaew (depth) before the hot sauce (heat).
Step 2. **Pour over fresh ice, garnish tall.** The jerky stick standing in the glass (the meat stir-stick — it flavors the drink as it steeps), the lime on the rim. Checkpoint — drinking test: the first sip is familiar — cold, savory, tart — and then the Lao jar's depth arrives: roasted shallot, a whisper of galangal, the chili's slow warmth, and a sweetness that rounds where Worcestershire's funk would sit. The jerky, gnawed between sips, is the umami chaser. It should be the best bloody mary variation you have served without anyone guessing the jar. Chef’s Note — the bloody mary is a seasoned tomato base — a chassis as neutral as the #138's aioli — and the block's jar shelf drops into it cleanly: the jaew bong here, the #99's balachaung blitzed in for the Burmese version, a spoon of the #60's kimchi juice for the Korean. The format's garnish slot is equally open — the jerky stick is this recipe's invention, and the #139's waffle soldier is its sibling. One brunch, every cuisine's pantry.
Jaew Bong Bloody Mary

Jaew Bong Bloody Mary

Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: No cook · Total: About 10 minutes · Makes 2 large glasses

Ingredients

Per glass

  • 45 ml vodka (about 42 g, or omit for the virgin)
  • 150 ml tomato juice (about 150 g); 15 ml lemon or lime juice (about 15 g)
  • 1 tbsp jaew bong (about 15 g), plus more to taste
  • 2 dashes hot sauce (less than usual — the jaew carries heat); a pinch of salt, black pepper, celery salt if owned
  • 100 ml ice, or a handful of cubes

The garnish

  • A stick of the #87's sien savanh jerky (the Lao celery stick), a lime wedge, a small chili; the #46's toasted rice powder rim, optional

Instructions

  1. **Shake or stir hard, over ice.** Vodka, tomato juice, citrus, jaew bong, hot sauce, and seasonings over a large handful of ice — stirred vigorously (the classic) or shaken (the frothier café way) for 20 seconds. Checkpoint — taste through a straw: tomato first, then the jaew bong's roasted sweetness and gentle heat, the citrus lifting — it should read as a bloody mary that knows a secret, not a spicy tomato juice. Adjust with the jaew (depth) before the hot sauce (heat).
  2. **Pour over fresh ice, garnish tall.** The jerky stick standing in the glass (the meat stir-stick — it flavors the drink as it steeps), the lime on the rim. Checkpoint — drinking test: the first sip is familiar — cold, savory, tart — and then the Lao jar's depth arrives: roasted shallot, a whisper of galangal, the chili's slow warmth, and a sweetness that rounds where Worcestershire's funk would sit. The jerky, gnawed between sips, is the umami chaser. It should be the best bloody mary variation you have served without anyone guessing the jar.

Troubleshooting

SymptomCauseFix
Tastes only of tomatoJaew bong under-dosedBuild to the jar \u2014 another spoon
Too sweetJar's sugar plus juiceMore citrus and a pinch of salt
Solids gather at the bottomThe relish's natureStir between sips; it's part of the drink

Storage, Make-Ahead & Variations

- Made per glass (the pitcher pre-mix minus ice keeps 1 day refrigerated and improves); the #86's jar keeps weeks. - Variations: the balachaung version, the virgin build, the #136's sangria alongside for the full brunch service. The block's #136 and #141 are the drinks pair.