Don’t forget this brunch staple

Sunday brunch is a popular tradition for many families and groups of friends. Restaurants typically prepare special menus for Sunday brunch, and some families even gather at home after church services to break bread and leisurely enjoy a meal that isn’t quite breakfast or lunch.

Sunday brunch menus vary, but one staple you’re sure to find on brunch menus at your favorite restaurant is the Bloody Mary. Long considered to be a hangover cure, the Bloody Mary has become a go-to drink among brunch devotees. Though there’s no telling if its purported restorative properties after a night of drinking are accurate or urban legend, the Bloody Mary maintains its must-have status on brunch menus across the globe. And while its restorative properties are linked to its typically large dose of vodka, brunch enthusiasts who are not looking to recover from a night on the town can enjoy a virgin Bloody Mary, which contains no alcohol at all.

Brunch hosts can offer guests their own versions of a Bloody Mary, be it a “Virgin Mary” or an “Experienced Bloody Mary,” thanks to this recipe from Betty Rosbottom’s “Sunday Brunch” (Chronicle Books).

VIRGIN MARYS

Serves 6

1 recipe Mary Mix (see below) 6 lime wedges

6 1-inch pieces of celery

EXPERIENCED BLOODY MARYS

Serves 6

1 recipe Mary Mix (see below)

6 lime wedges

6 1-inch pieces of celery

9 ounces vodka

For Virgin Marys: Add the mix to six 10- to 12-ounce glasses filled with ice. Spear a lime wedge and a piece of celery on each of six skewers for the garnish. Serve immediately.

For Experienced Bloody Marys: Prepare as directed, but stir 11⁄2 ounces of vodka into each glass before serving.

MARY MIX

11⁄2 cups tomato juice

11⁄2 cups V8 juice

11⁄2 tablespoons prepared horseradish 11⁄2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice 3⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3⁄4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

3⁄8 teaspoon celery salt

Add all of the ingredients to a large pitcher. Stir well to mix. The mix can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated.