Cocktails with Tomato juice
Tomato juice is the strained juice of ripe red tomatoes, still cloudy with fine pulp.
How it's used
Hard shaking whips the pulp into a pale froth and thins the body. That is why Bloody Mary-style drinks are usually rolled between two tins or stirred. If you batch it in a jug, stir before every pour: the juice separates as it stands. Seasoning does most of the work: horseradish, celery and pepper turn plain tomato juice into a Bloody Mary.
Substitutes for Tomato juice
Another tomato juice
Swaps straight, but check the salt. Salted juice carries about 25 times the sodium of unsalted, so taste before adding any salt.
Passata or tomato paste
Thin passata with cold water until it pours like juice: about 1 part water to 1–3 parts passata. Season unsalted passata and taste. Tomato paste needs far more water.
Vegetable juice
V8 also works in the same amount. It tastes more of vegetables and is already salted.
Ready-made cocktail mix
Already seasoned with salt, spice and acid. Clamato also adds clam broth and sugar, so season less and taste first.
Storage
Refrigerate once opened and use within a few days. It is less acidic than citrus juice and goes off without much warning, so smell it before use.
