The Bloody Mary: Basics and Beyond
“It’s a bloody Mary morning,” Willie Nelson once crooned, describing his method for numbing a heartbreak: “something stronger to start the day.”
That probably worked out nicely for him, but the Bloody Mary is better known as this country’s go-to hangover cure, a designation it swiped from the Gin Fizz in the middle of the century.
Like most good classics, the origins of this cocktail are muddy at best. Some accounts say Ferdinand Petiot invented the Bloody Mary at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris in the 1920s, and then brought it to America after Prohibition was appealed (albeit, he made it with gin, since vodka didn’t really hit the U.S. market until the ‘40s). Others credit comedian George Jessel, who mixed a drink of half vodka and half tomato juice in the late 1930s. And still others note that a popular non-alcoholic cocktail of the ‘20s was made from tomato juice, lemon, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, salt and pepper — so it’s reasonable to assume that the mixture was being spiked with booze in a lot of places at once, even if booze was illegal during that time period.
Whenever it was actually invented, the drink didn’t really hit it big until World War II, when vodka rose to popularity and pushed corresponding vodka cocktails to the forefront. At that point, it became the hangover cure of choice, and it’s remained one of the most popular ways to stave off morning-after effects for more than 50 years. In that time, it has evolved from the classic version — vodka in tomato juice and garnished with a lemon and lime — into a drink so adaptable that it’s likely to differ immensely depending on where you order it; everything from the base spirit to the accoutrements to the garnishes are likely to vary, and anything that goes with tomato — including bacon fat, pickled peppers and chilled shrimp — is subject to end up in the mix.
By the way, no matter how you like your Bloody Mary, this cocktail shouldn’t be shaken or stirred. Rather, it should be transferred back and forth between two glasses (or rolled). If you shake it, it’ll foam. If you stir it, the ingredients won’t combine properly.
The Classic-ish Bloody Mary
There are many recipes floating around that claim to be the classic instructions for a bloody Mary. We’re using the version from BarSmarts here.
Ingredients:
1-1/2 ounces vodka
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
4 dashes Tabasco sauce
Pinch of salt and pepper
1/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
4 ounces tomato juice
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass. Roll mixture, transferring it gently to a Boston shaker then back to the rocks glass a few times. Strain over ice and garnish with a lemon and lime wedge…and maybe a little freshly grated horseradish…or a celery stalk…and pickled peppers…and green olives, if you choose.
The Bacon Bloody
There are a few bacon-flavored vodkas on the market, but for a silky, sexy, bacon-y Bloody Mary, you’re better off creating your own. Denver-based Colt & Gray bartender Kevin Burke recommends combining two ounces of bacon fat with 24 ounces of vodka, freezing it for four hours and then straining out the particles.
Ingredients:
1-1/2 ounces bacon-infused vodka
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
4 dashes Tabasco sauce
Pinch of salt, pepper and freshly grated horseradish
1/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
4 ounces tomato juice
Stick of bacon on a skewer plus desired pickled vegetables, celery stalk, etc. for garnish
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass. Roll mixture, transferring it gently to a Boston shaker then back to the rocks glass a few times. Strain over ice and garnish with the bacon skewer plus your choice of extra accoutrements.
The Spicy Bloody Maria
Many variations of the Bloody Mary switch out tequila — or whiskey or beer or just about any other alcohol you can think of — for the vodka. Using tequila is great when you need a little hair of the dog, and we like the extra dimension it gives the cocktail. This recipe also incorporates a little extra kick.
Ingredients:
A few slices of sliced fresh jalapeño
15 cilantro leaves
1-1/2 ounces silver tequila
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
4 dashes Tabasco sauce
Pinch of salt and pepper
4 ounces tomato juice
1/4 ounce fresh lime juice
Lime wedge for garnish
Directions:
Muddle the jalapeño slices and cilantro leaves in a mixing glass. Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the garnish. Roll mixture, transferring it gently to a Boston shaker then back to the rocks glass a few times. Strain over ice and garnish with a lime wedge (or accoutrements of your choosing). You can pep this up a bit more by adding a dash of Mexican lager to finish. Or make it smoky by using mezcal instead of tequila.