Cirino’s Bloody Mary Mix is known as “THE NEW GENERATION OF SMART MARYS” because it belies the age-old stigma of a Bloody Mary Mix having to be that stodgy, pre-mixed, watered-down tomato paste cooked into a glass bottle product.
Cirino’s Bloody Mary Mix is a premium handmade CONCENTRATE. There is no tomato juice in it. The customer adds the juice, and as an option one can add an adult beverage. The flavor is the result of a culinary balance between the acid and the sugar. ‘It’s the chemistry of a perfect blend of ingredients,” Jerry Cirino explains. “It’s sweet, it’s spicy, it’s balanced, it’s fresh and it does not spoil…and the real value is that you can cook with it. It is an incredible marinade and go-to flavor-base”.
It also promises “to change your life”.
The mix has certainly changed the life of Jerry Cirino, who created his recipe in 1983 at his namesake restaurant and bar in Nevada City, CA.
“Some people who had been out partying came in and asked for Bloody Marys for their hangovers. It was a Saturday morning and I was bartending all alone. I didn’t know how to prepare a Bloody Mary,” recalled Cirino.
“Being Italian, I knew how to deal with tomato sauce. I put together a concoction and served the customers,” he said. “There was silence. I was worried they thought the drinks were terrible but then it was, ‘Wow, this is really good!’ and even ‘This is worth my hangover!’ I never changed the recipe.”
The problem came when Cirino’s bartenders tried to follow that original recipe.
“It was too complex and the drinks were inconsistent,” Cirino admitted. “So I developed the mix so my bartenders would pour a consistent Bloody Mary.” The rest is history.
Over the years, talk of the special sauce rippled through the community.
“People would come in periodically and ask to buy a bottle. We’d wash out an empty vodka bottle, fill it with the mix, put a masking tape label around it, and put it in a paper bag. People would slink out to their car as if they’d bought something on the black market,” laughed Cirino.
Cirino’s Bloody Mary Mix might never have been ready for prime time if Cirino hadn’t purchased a new computerized point-of-sale system when he opened Cirino’s at Main Street in Grass Valley in 2003. The sales data surprised him.
“I noticed how many Bloody Mary Mixes these crazy Nevada County people were buying!” exclaimed Cirino. “My wife Donna is a graphic artist, and she came up with the label and logo.”
With very little advertising other than a website, the popularity of Cirino’s Bloody Mary Mix skyrocketed. “Word of mouth and the sharing of such a social drink created the demand for the flavor we produce”.
“We sold 17,549 Bloody Mary drinks last year here at the restaurant and bar.”
The mix is now shipped to 47 states and five countries, including France, Germany, England, Mexico and Canada. In France, they’re even cooking with it.
Kamara Lefler of Grass Valley dropped by the bar last week to pick up a bottle.
“I’ve turned so many people on to it. I bring bottles every time I visit friends and family in Oregon. It’s so addicting!” exclaimed Lefler.
She’s not alone.
“We had a guy call us last month from Minneapolis. He had family coming in and forgot to order the mix. He paid $61.60 in expedited shipping for one bottle because he needed it overnight. He said it was worth it; that he had to have it,” recounted Cirino.
Jon Asbell, a bartender at Cirino’s at Main Street, recalled one Saturday morning when he could barely keep up with Bloody Mary orders.
“From the moment I opened the bar, guests at both the bar and the restaurant were ordering Bloody Marys,” he said. “I made 33 of them in a row before I made any other type of drink.”
In 2017, Cirino’s Bloody Mary Mix of Idaho was launched. Made with organic “Idaho Grown” horseradish, Clay Cirino joined the family business by grabbing the reigns of expansion and setting up shop at several Boise Farmers’ Market. The monumental reception has truly been an honor.
“The reason for this success is Donna, Tucker, Jenny, and Clay. We’ve done this whole thing together and I don’t want to quit what I’m doing, because I’m doing this with my family.
