Top Ten Bloody Marys
Allegedly created in 1920 by Fernand ‘Pete’ Petiot at Harry’s Bar in Paris. A bit dull to start off with (just vodka and tomato juice) it is a drink nonetheless that was groundbreaking for two reasons, even in that simple incarnation: it was the first mixed vodka drink to become popular, and the first savoury drink to hit off with the thirsty masses. When Petiot left Paris in 1933 and was hired at the King Cole Bar in Manhattan, the hotel’s President rightly called poor Petiot’s proud creation “too flat”, which led Petiot to spice the drink up, literally: salt, pepper, lemon juice and Worchester sauce was added, and so a Classic was born.
Today any bar worth its (celery) salt will offer a house Bloody Mary, with its particular proportions or some extra bells and whistles. Everything from basil to port have been used. Some bars, recognising that every Bloody Mary aficionado believes their particular twist on the drink most superior, has relinquished all responsibility and offered DIY Bloody Mary buffets. Smart move.
The following 10 are my favourite ways to drink this Breakfast of Champions, this Sophisticated Hair of the Dog.
The Puritan
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The Evolved Classic
As above, but replace salt with celery salt, throw in a spoon of horseradish sauce for a textured extra kick. Great with brunch. Stick in a celery stick to munch on, and you got two of your five a day.
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Red Snapper
Back in the day vodka wasn’t popular or easy to get your white-gloved mitts on; only the Eastern Europeans were knocking back the stuff. Therefore the logical substitute for those wishing to jump on the Bloody Mary Boat was to replace vodka with gin.
Gin lends a nice sweetish herbaceous quality that vodka never could. The name was thought up by Vincent Astor, of Astor hotels fame, who found ‘Bloody Mary’ a little too crude for the times. If you want to get really wild, muddle in some juniper berries and garnish with a bacon buttie smothered in ‘gin brown sauce’, as ‘Shakey’ Pete Jeery (now at Hawksmore) did a couple of years back to scoop 1st prize in the ‘Beefeater Twisted’ cocktail competition. Or go even more Mad Scientist as Rich Hunt (found at Quo Vadis) did and use the reduction from an actual red snapper to make a Red Red Snapper Snapper.
Bloody Maria
Down in good ole’ Mexico your bar isn’t worth a maraca if your shot of tequila isn’t served with a shot of good quality ‘Sangrita’, a combination of orange, lime, pomegranate, tomato and spices. So a Bloody Maria is a tasty twist with tequila replacing vodka, lime replacing lemon, a splash of OJ, dash pomegranate syrup, and let’s use a fruity Mexican hot sauce such as Cholula instead of Tabasco.
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Bloody Butrum
Admittedly not the most attractive of names, this is from Dale ‘King of Cocktails’ Degroff. Make as ‘The Evolved Classic’, replacing horseradish with some dill, and the tomato juice with Clamato juice. The King drinks his at sunrise whilst listening to ‘Rhapsody in Blue’. Why not? Works wonderfully with oysters.
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Bloody Bull
Hemingway, the Man’s Man, the Matador and Great Drinker loved ‘Bull Shots’ - basically a Bloody Mary with beef broth replacing tomato juice - presumably before stepping into the ring to teach a bull a lesson it’ll never forget. Call me a wimp, but it’s a little too much… it’s alcoholic liquid steak.
The Bloody Bull however, which softens the blow by combining a bit of broth with tomato juice is a great savoury way to enjoy your Mary.
The Vegetable Patch
The antithesis to the Bloody Bull, this is a good excuse to tear around your vegetable patch with a bottle of vodka. Replace the tomato with V8 juice which contains everything from carrot to beetroot to spinach, slap a few slices of cucumber in, some parsley and you’re in vitamin/mineral/fibre heaven.
Garnish liberally with all manner of crudités. Ironically the only vegetable I would suggest not crushing into the Bloody Mary is a tomato, as it can make the drink a bit watery.
Bloody Smoky
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Asian Mary
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Maria de Jerez
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