A Bloody Mary is a popular cocktail containing vodka, tomato juice, and usually other spices or flavorings such as Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, beef consomme or bouillon, horseradish, celery, olive, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and celery salt.
History
The origin of the Bloody Mary is disputed. Fernand Petiot is said to have invented the drink in 1920 while working at Harry's Bar in Paris, France, a frequent hangout for Ernest Hemingway and other American expatriates. Another story is that it was originally created by George Jessel around 1939. In 1939, Lucius Beebe printed in his gossip column "This New York" one of the earliest U.S. references to this drink, along with the original recipe: "George Jessel’s newest pick-me-up which is receiving attention from the town’s paragraphers is called a Bloody Mary: half tomato juice, half vodka."
According to a bartender from the St. Regis Hotel in NYC, Fernand Petiot invented the Red Snapper which is a classy name for Bloody Mary, at the St. Regis in 1934. There is no horseradish in the recipe.
Some claim that Fernand Petiot corroborates that George Jessel first created the drink and name, and that he (Petiot) merely added the spices to the plain vodka and tomato juice drink, based on a quote from The New Yorker magazine in July 1964:
“I initiated the Bloody Mary of today,” he told us. “Jessel said he created it, but it was really nothing but vodka and tomato juice when I took it over. I cover the bottom of the shaker with four large dashes of salt, two dashes of black pepper, two dashes of cayenne pepper, and a layer of Worcestershire sauce; I then add a dash of lemon juice and some cracked ice, put in two ounces of vodka and two ounces of thick tomato juice, shake, strain, and pour. We serve a hundred to a hundred and fifty Bloody Marys a day here in the King Cole Room and in the other restaurants and the banquet rooms.”
Origin of the term
The epithet "Bloody Mary" is associated with a number of historical figures—particularly Queen Mary I of England—and fictional women, especially from folklore. It is believed that inspiration for the cocktail was the Hollywood star Mary Pickford; previously, a similarly red cocktail consisting of rum, grenadine, and Maraschino had been named after her. Other sources trace the name to a waitress named Mary who worked at a Chicago bar called the Bucket of Blood.
In 1934, the cocktail was called "Red Snapper" at the St. Regis Hotel, where Petiot was hired at the time. It was here that Tabasco sauce was added to the drink, and the name "Bloody Mary" eventually won popularity. In the 1960s it became popular to serve the cocktail with celery due to a guest at The Pump Room at the Ambassador East Hotel in Chicago.
The name likely refers to the blood-like color of the cocktail.
Preparation and serving
The Bloody Mary is intended to cure hangovers and so is generally served in the morning.
While there is not much complexity in mixing vodka and tomato juice, more elaborate versions of the drink have become trademarks of the bartenders who make them. A common garnish is a celery stalk when served in a tall glass, often over ice. A beer chaser may also be served with the Bloody Mary, although this varies from region to region.
Ingredients
Bloody Mary recipe courtesy of the New York School of Bartending:
- 1 oz. to 1 1/2 oz. (30-45 ml) vodka in a Highball glass filled with ice.
- Fill glass with tomato juice
- 1 dash celery salt
- 1 dash ground black pepper
- 1 dash Tabasco
- 2-4 dashes of Lea & Perrin's Worcestershire sauce
- 1/8 tsp. horseradish (pure, never creamed)
- Dash of lemon or lime juice
Garnish with celery stalk.
May be shaken vigorously or stirred lazily, as desired. Garnish with a celery stalk; a skewer of olives, pickles, carrots, mushrooms, or other vegetables; or even meat or fish (salami, shrimp, etc.) and cheese. Occasionally, pickled asparagus spears or pickled beans are also used.
Packaged Bloody Mary mixes that combine the spicy, non-alcoholic components of a Bloody Mary are commercially available.
Variations
Variations in alcohol
Variations in mixers
Variation in drink format
Miscellaneous
References
- ^ New York Herald Tribune , December 2, 1939, page 9
- ^ http://www.foxnews.com/search-results/m/26710275/the-red-snapper.htm
- ^ Bloody Marys at 1933 prices just the tonic for NYC Reuters, 2 December 2008
- ^ Shoffner, Robert (2008-07-01). "Here's to the Bloody Mary". The Washingtonian . http://www.washingtonian.com/articles/restaurants/8837.html . Retrieved 2009-06-09 .
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