At home with his family in Tuckerman, Arkansas, the international event designer Bronson van Wyck kicks off Christmas morning with a Bloody Mary bar, “fully stocked first thing.” Naturally, the setup is an event unto itself, with plenty of tartan, silver, crystal, taxidermy, and vodka. Van Wyck’s recipe for his cocktail mix zings, too, with a trifecta of salty, spicy, and sweet flavors from ingredients such as olive juice, serrano peppers, and brown sugar. “The best way to serve a Bloody is by allowing guests to make their own,” van Wyck adds. “It’s so much fun to curate an assortment of unexpected garnishes: Peppadew peppers, dried citrus, bacon, shrimp, even oysters.” —Haskell Harris
