HAVE YOU EATEN? | RECIPE BY GREGORY YANG

BLOODY MAY LEE

PREP time: 10-15 mins. SERVES 1.

The idea of the cocktail was inspired by working at Sober Fish, a Thai and Japanese fusion restaurant in the Seward neighborhood of Minneapolis. We always had a guest that wanted their Bloody Mary extremely spicy and so we did just that by adding Thai chilies. The Bloody May Lee is also a play on the name of local Hmong American playwright May Lee-Yang. In her show, The Korean Drama Addict’s Guide to Losing your Virginity, there is a scene where the main character spices up her Bloody Mary with hot sauce she brought from home. This isn’t too far away from what Hmong people do when we bring our home-made pepper dip to American steak houses. Nothing against classic American resturants! It’s just that Southeast Asians are known for the intense flavors they bring to their dishes. Think firey chilis, tingling limes, and pungant shrimp paste. This is a bold, fun, and flavorful drink that will definitely spice up your brunch. Have it with your sticky rice and favorite Asian broiled meats! Or, as with any Bloody Mary, feel free to have it as your whole meal!

Here are the Asian grocery stores I shop at: Vinai in Brooklyn Park, Dragon Star in Brooklyn Park, Hmong Village in St Paul

— GREGORY YANG

Gregory is an actor and teaching artist based in the Twin Cities. Audiences saw him onstage for Theater Mu’s 2018 production of May Lee-Yang’s The Korean Drama Addict’s Guide To Losing Your Virginity.

This recipe video is not sponsored by Invictus Brewing Co. But feel free to check them out :)

INGREDIENTS

These measurements should just be guidelines. Go all out and add more or take out less to have the drink that best fits your tastes and preferences.

Chinese dry chili flake

Celery salt

1 lemon wedge

8 Thai chilies, diced

2 Tbps. Fish sauce

2 butter knife tips worth of wasabi

½- ¾ cups (4oz) Tomato juice

1/4 cup or one shot of vodka

2 Ice cubes

TOPPINGS

Feel free to add whatever toppings you’d like—cheese, salami, pickles, a slice of pizza, etc…

Celery, cut into sticks

Pepperoncini peppers

Hmong Sausage


OPTIONAL
Blonde Ale Beer to work as your beerback

INSTRUCTIONS

Grab 3 pint glasses. One will be your presentation cup, while the other two will help mix and assemble the drink.

Begin by rubbing the lemon wedge around the rim of the presentation cup. Then, salt the cup by placing the rim on the plate that has a combination of chili flake and celery salt. Set that cup aside.

In one of the mixing cups, add the wasabi, Thai chilis, fish sauce, tomato juice, vodka, a squeeze of the lemon wedge, and ice.

Roll the drink by passing the drink from one cup to the other. DO NOT SHAKE OR STIR THE DRINK. Continue until the wasabi has dissolved.

Pour the fully mixed drink into the presentation cup.

Lastly, garnish your Blood May Lee with your preferred toppings. For my drink one, I added a celery stick, sliced Hmong sausage, and a pepperoncini pepper. 

Enjoy!