Photography by Gav Martell

One of my favourite things about making food for other people is the sheer enjoyment of watching them consume whatever it is I’ve made for them. There are few people in my family other than me who enjoy tomato-based drinks, so when I heard we were getting together for brunch for my brother-in-law Dave’s birthday, I knew what I was going to throw together for my fellow tomatotarian (if that’s not a word it SO should be): A Bloody Nuisance.

You may have to search around a bit to find peppadews for this drink, but they are well worth the effort. Introduced to me by a South African friend, these hot and sweet peppers are a great garnish for this piquant drink. Try it out as a delicious addition to your next family brunch.

The Bloody Nuisance

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
• 2 cups tomato juice
• 5 fl oz vodka
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp horseradish
• 2-3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 6 dashes red hot sauce
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• Ice
• Celery and peppadew, to garnish

Preparation:
1. In a large measuring cup combine all ingredients and season to taste.
2. Pour into two glasses filled with ice. Garnish with celery and peppadew. Enjoy!

By day, Gav Martell is vice president at a software company. By night, he’s busy cooking up a storm, exploring culinary adventures, watching copious amounts of Food Network, drinking a nice red wine, training for half-marathons, playing endless amounts of hockey, and being a dad to three awesome taste-testers—not necessarily in that order. Check out his blog at GrillInterrupted.com. You can also find him on Twitter.