Last year, my friend Ally and I went to Vegas on a sporatic getaway trip and I had the most monstrous Bloody Mary of my life. The thing had a full meal on top of it: a slider, mac n cheese balls, a grilled cheese and pickled veggies just exploding over it. Needless to say, it was just what my hangover needed and I was absolutely stoked to get to make a Bloody Mary bar this weekend. The Bloody Mary is a common “hair of the dog” drink, probably because of the sneaky way it incorporates all hangover-curing food groups: vegetables, salt, protein and alcohol. The vegetable juice contains cysteine and potassium, which helps boost liver function and settles the stomach while the salt replenishes your electrolytes. Proteins help detoxify the liver and aiding in recovery by breaking down into amino acids, those things alcohol depletes. Finally, the alcohol, usually vodka or gin, takes away the withdrawal symptoms that can follow a night of heavy drinking and can ease aches and pains. To be honest, though, I just love them. I don’t need a hangover for an excuse to enjoy an alcohol-infused veggie juice!

Want to make a Bloody Mary masterpiece? READ ABOUT IT ON eHOW.

I like to think of it as being split up into five parts: the bloody mix, the rim, the veggies, the protein, and the spice/flavor.

I used THIS RECIPE for the mix. I added siracha, pepper, tabasco and jalepeno to a separate jug for a spicy rendition.

For the rim, I chose two options: chipolte salt and a classic garlic salt. Take a lemon and swirl it around the rim, then dip into the salt of your choice.

Veggies included marinated olives, fresh peppers, lemons, limes, cucumbers, jalepenos, celery, and tomatos.

Protein was beef jerky, bacon and colby cheddar cheese (aka the best orange cheese).

Spices/flavor was literally a hodge podge from my cabinet: sweet baby rays, some Lousiana hot sauce, Sriracha, BBQ seasoning, garlic salt, chipolte, chile flakes, and pepper. People got pretty creative.

I wanted to have a few skewers pre-made and ready to go beforehand, just in case!

About 10 minutes before the party, I got all the bar fixings from the fridge and layed out on the spread. I chose a simple daffodil flower arrangement to accent the colors and bring the table together. Flowers are my favorite way to decorate.

Make sure everything’s labeled so people know what they’re getting into! It’s a good idea to have a non-spicy as option as well.

The bar was so fun to make and turned out so pretty! I’d definitely do it again. For a true step-by-step on how to make a Bloody Mary bar, check out my article on eHow.com.