The world fell in love with Chicago’s Shea Couleé on Season 9 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, where she racked up several wins in the competition with her sharp wit, strong comedic timing, and colorful style. With those well-rounded sensibilities and her general geniality, it makes sense that she would have the most perfect cocktail recipe for summer just waiting in her back pocket. Couleé’s recipe for a classic Bloody Mary (with a twist!) seems pretty easy to master, but you should follow her advice to the letter if you want to capture the summer booze crown.
Before you crack open any bottles, set the right mood
“Probably roll a blunt, that’s where I would start. Once we rolled that one, we’d smoke that shit and roll another and smoke that one. I’m talking hypothetical here. You could throw on some Real Housewives of Atlanta to get the kiki going.”
Choose a drink that will satisfy everyone’s cravings
“Sometimes we go out for brunch, but sometimes we stay in and I make a really mean Bloody Mary because I love snacks. You know, you’re smoking blunts and you have the munchies and I feel like a Bloody with all the cute garnishes in there is the way that I would go. I typically like to go for some sharp cheddar, summer sausage, get some pepperoni, and some garlic dill pickle spears.”
Have a secret ingredient
“With my Bloody Marys I like to put Guinness in them. It gives it a frothiness that’s really cool. It gives a great texture to it.”
Keep the ratios cute
“I like to keep it really cold because you have the tomato in there. So I will probably throw five or six ice cubes in the glass. Then I’ll do about two ounces of vodka, probably an ounce of Guinness, and fill the rest of the glass with Bloody Mary mix. I really like the Zing Zang brand. Then I put some cracked black pepper in there to make it extra spicy.”