The Bloody Mary
Most classic cocktails evoke either a mood, a place, or an occasion. The Mint Julep will forever be synonymous with the Kentucky Derby. Martinis will always convey sophistication. The margarita has unfortunately been co-opted by tacky Mexican restaurants. No other cocktail has quite the same iconography as the bloody mary-typically enjoyed in the morning, frequently as a tonic for the indulgences of the night before. Like so many other cocktails, the bloody mary has been defiled by the proliferation of just add vodka mixes. The Prophet, however, is going to teach you about the history of the drink and then how to make them properly.
To the historian, "Bloody Mary" refers to Mary Tudor, Daughter of Henry VIII. She picked up the charming moniker "Bloody Mary" in reference to her hobby of slaughtering Protestants in the name of the Catholic Church. Despite her nickname, however, it's doubtful that she had anything to do with the creation of this drink other than give it a bit of a historical reference.
The cocktail likely originated much later, in the Roaring '20s. Though like most cocktails there are disputed histories and alternative versions of the facts surrounding their invention, the creator of the bloody mary is frequently cited as one Fernand Petiot. He was an American bartender at Harry's New York Bar in Paris, and was messing around with cocktails one day when he mixed up equal portions of tomato juice and vodka. Some guy at the bar said that the color of the concoction reminded him of the "Bucket of Blood" club in Chicago and, more specifically, a girl named "Mary" that he made the acquaintance of there. Thus the name "bloody mary" was allegedly coined. It was a catchy named, and worked for the drink, so Petiot stuck with it.
A decade later, Petiot returned to the United States and began to ply his honorable trade in the Big Apple. Tending bar at the St. Regis Hotel in the "King Cole Bar", the management didn't really like the connotation of "blood" and attempted to rename the drink the "red snapper". The name didn't stick, and the drink continued to be known as the "bloody mary". Petiot tweaked the drink for his more sophisticated Gotham clientele, adding touches like black pepper, red pepper, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, lemon, lime and Tabasco sauce. This spicier version of the drink is a direct antecedent of the drink that continues to this day.
THE DRINK
Like most cocktails, there is no "right" and "wrong" way to make it. A lot depends on personal taste. The only absolute wrong in Bloody Mary creation is using a mix. Though there are better mixes on the market for the Bloody Mary than any other cocktail, that's still no excuse. Make it the right way or don't make it at all. Use the best tomato juice you can find, fresh ground black pepper, and squeeze your own lemons. After that, use your imagination. Below there are several classic Bloody Mary recipes, one from none other than Ernest Hemingway, as well as the Prophet's own preferred mix from Perry's in San Francisco.
Hemingway's Bloody Mary
Add to a large pitcher (anything less is "worthless")
1 chunk ice-as large as will fit
1 pint vodka
1 pint chilled tomato juice
1 tbsp. Worchester sauce
1 jigger fresh lime juice
pinch celery salt
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch black pepper
several drops of Tabasco
-Keep on stirring and taste it to see how it is doing: If you get it too powerful weaken it with more tomato juice. If it lacks authority add more vodka.
--EH, letter to Bernard Peyton, 4/5/47
The Ultimate Bloody Mary
From the January, 2000 issue of Esquire
1 ½ oz. Premium vodka
2 dashes Tabasco (optional, but be a man)
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 pinch horseradish
1 dash each salt and pepper
½ oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
5 oz. Tomato juice
In a glass filled with ice cubes, combine all ingredients. Roll to mix, squeeze in a wedge of lemon, and garnish with a celery stalk.
Rules:
1) No mixes
2) You gotta have Worcester sauce
From Perry's in San Francisco
Place a generous amount of ice in a double old fashioned glass. Add a shake of regular salt, 3 or 4 shakes of black pepper, and five or six dashes of celery salt. Follow with one good dash of Tabasco and an equally generous dash of L & P Worcestershire sauce. Add two oz. Of vodka and fill with four oz. Of the best tomato juice you can find. Stir just enough to start the Worcestershire sauce swirling. Garnish with a lemon wedge; celery stalks are for salads.
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