Bloody Mary (cocktail)

Bloody Mary

IBA official cocktail
A Bloody Mary garnished with lemon, carrot, celery, and pitted manzanilla olives. Served with ice cubes and drinking straws in an Old Fashioned glass.
Type	Mixed drink
Base spirit	Vodka
Served	On the rocks: poured over ice
Standard garnish	Celery stalk or dill pickle spear
Standard drinkware	Highball glass
IBA specified ingredients†	45ml (3 parts) Vodka 90ml (6 parts) Tomato juice 15ml (1 part) Lemon juice
Preparation	Add dashes of Worcestershire Sauce, Tabasco, salt and pepper into highball glass, then pour all ingredients into highball with ice cubes. Stir gently. Garnish with celery stalk and lemon wedge (optional).
† Bloody Mary recipe at International Bartenders Association

A Bloody Mary is a popular cocktail containing vodka, tomato juice, and usually other spices or flavorings such as Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, piri piri sauce, beef consommé or bouillon, horseradish, celery, olive, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and celery salt. It has been called "the world's most complex cocktail."

History

The Bloody Mary's origin is unclear. Fernand Petiot claimed to have invented the drink in 1921 while working at the New York Bar in Paris, which later became Harry's New York Bar, a frequent Paris hangout for Ernest Hemingway and other American expatriates. Two other claims have some plausibility. The first is that it was invented in the 1930s at New York’s 21 Club by a bartender named Henry Zbikiewicz, who was charged with mixing Bloody Marys. A second claim attributes its invention to the comedian George Jessel, who frequented the 21 Club. 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."

Fernand Petiot seemed to corroborate Jessel's claim when the bartender spoke to The New Yorker magazine in July 1964, saying:

"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 name

The name "Bloody Mary" is associated with a number of historical figures — particularly Queen Mary I of England, who was nicknamed as such in Foxe's Book of Martyrs for attempting to re-establish the Catholic Church in Britain — and fictional women from folklore. Some drink aficionados believe the inspiration for the name was Hollywood star Mary Pickford. Others trace the name to a waitress named Mary who worked at a Chicago bar called the Bucket of Blood. However, another argument for the origin of “Bloody Mary”, that the name in English simply arose from “a failure to pronounce the Slav syllables of a drink called Vladimir” gains some credibility from the observation that the customer at Harry’s Bar in Paris for whom Fernand Petiot prepared the drink in 1920 was Vladimir Smirnov, of the Smirnoff vodka family.

Preparation and serving

In the United States, the Bloody Mary is a common "Hair of the dog" drink, erroneously reputed to cure hangovers; however, the alcohol only numbs the discomfort (only rest, water, and electrolyte replacement can cure a hangover). Its reputation as a restorative beverage contributes to the popularity of the Bloody Mary in the morning and early afternoon, especially with brunch.

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.

Variations

Variations in alcohol

• Bloody Beer: Beer, usually a light beer or lager, replacing vodka. Often served with Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, hot sauce, and/or lime.
• Bloody Bishop : Sherry in equal measure to vodka.
• Bloody Boyarsky : Grenadine, tabasco sauce, vodka.
• Bloody Cab: Cabernet Sauvignon replacing/in addition to the vodka.
• Bloody Derby : Bourbon replacing vodka.
• Bloody Fairy, Red Fairy : Absinthe replacing the vodka.
• Bloody Geisha, Bloody Ninja : Sake replacing vodka.
• Bloody Hillbilly: Moonshine replacing Vodka
• Bloody Hogger: Bacon Vodka replacing vodka.
• Bloody Jerry : Replace vodka with Madra Rua Irish Pub's Heady Veggie Vodka or any other veggie infused vodka and add 1 pull (approximately 1/2 ounce) of Guinness. A variation created by a long term customer of the Pub.
• Bloody Marghioala : Ţuică (Romania) replacing vodka.
• Bloody Maria : Tequila replacing vodka.
• Bloody Maro (Georgian: ბლადი მარო (სისხლიანი მარო), bladi maro (siskhliani maro)) : Chacha replacing vodka.
• Bloody Mary Jane : Green Dragon replacing vodka
• Bloody Maureen : Guinness replacing vodka.
• Bloody Molly : Irish whiskey replacing vodka.
• Bloody Murder : Gin replacing vodka, black vinegar replacing Worcestershire sauce, wasabi sauce replacing horseradish, served with a cherry tomato pierced with a plastic sword stirrer
• Bloody Pari : Arak (Aragh-e Sagi) replacing vodka
• Bloody Philip : Thailand Lao Khao (literally white liquor) 80 proof, rice distilled, replacing vodka in equal measure
• Bloody Pirate, Cubanito : Dark rum replacing vodka. The latter is commonly found on menus in Havana, Cuba.
• Bloody Sunshine : Pickle instead of celery, habenero sauce replacing tabasco. Originated in St. Louis, MO.
• Bloody Scotsman : Scotch replacing vodka.
• Bloody Skliva : Greek Tsipouro replacing vodka. Served with bars of cucumber.
• Brown Mary or Whiskey Mary : Whiskey replacing the vodka.
• Danish Mary or Bloody Dane : Akvavit replacing the vodka.
• Michelada Clementina (or simply "Chelada") : Mexican beer replacing vodka, usually flavored with a couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce and Maggi and Tabasco sauce. Usually made with Clamato (tomato juice with clam juice added). Usually the proportion of beer equals the tomato juice.
• Red Eye, Calgary Red Eye, or Saskatchewan Red Eye : Traditionally, beer replacing vodka; now frequently, in a 50/50 mixture with Clamato in place of the tomato juice.
• Red Hammer : Through the 1950s in the Northeastern U.S., while vodka was scarce, gin instead of vodka was known as a Bloody Mary; once vodka became readily available in those regions, the traditional vodka-based Bloody Mary was known as a Red Hammer for a time.
• Red Snapper, Bloody Margaret or Ruddy Mary : Gin replacing vodka

• Virgin Mary, Bloody Shame, Bloody Virgin, or Bloody Barbara : Without alcohol. Typically with an increased volume of tomato juice, the vodka simply being omitted with no substitute. "Virgin Mary" is commonly used in the USA, and "Bloody Shame" is commonly used in Australia. "Bloody Barbara" refers to Barbara Castle, the British Minister of Transport who introduced tougher drink-driving laws.

Variations in mixers

• Bloody Blackie: Served in a bar called Brunny Green in Melbourne, the staff claim it is made with dark matter taken from the universe via a liquor decanter, but it is commonly known to be made with coca-cola instead of tomato juice.
• Bloody Bull: Beef bouillon and tomato juice. The drink originated at Brennan's restaurant in New Orleans and is served at Commander's Palace as well as other Brennan Family Restaurants.
• Bloody Cary: Carrot juice replacing tomato juice, garnished with 'ants on a log' celery.
• Bloody Eight or Eight Ball: V8 replacing tomato juice, or a mixture, usually equal parts
• Bloody Greg: Traditional preparation, add extra horseradish, and extra olives.
• Bloody LeRoy: Barbecue sauce replacing tomato juice, garnish with rib bone. Invented by the Reverend Horton Heat and Gibby Haynes during the recording of The Full-Custom Gospel Sounds of the Reverend Horton Heat, which Haynes was producing.
• Bloody Mariyaki: Made with teriyaki sauce instead of Worcestershire sauce.
• Bull Shot: Beef bouillon or beef consommé in place of tomato juice. It may also contain salt, pepper, lemon juice, Tabasco sauce and Worcestershire sauce.
• Caesar, Bloody Caesar, Bloody Clam, Clam Digger, Red Wings or Clammy Mary: Clamato replacing tomato juice, much more popular in Canada than the traditional Bloody Mary.
• Commander White: Pineapple juice replacing tomato juice.

Variation in drink format

• Frozen Bloody Mary: Placed in a blender with ice.
• Bloody Margaret: Similar to a Frozen Bloody Mary, but including milk or cream and served like a margarita, with a celery stick and/or a shrimp. A Virgin Margaret is a summertime drink inspired by the Orange Julius.
• Flaming Bloody Mary: A small amount of 151 rum is floated on top and a string hangs outside the glass and is ignited for a cold weather drink.
• Flaming, Frozen Bloody Mary: A frozen Bloody Mary is topped with 151 rum and ignited. Also called "Bloody Fire and Ice". A ceramic mug is used to avoid shattered glass.
• Bloody Marynara: Same ingredients as a traditional Bloody Mary, only substituting generic, grocery store-bought marinara for tomato juice. Served as a shot
• Baja Style Bloody Mary, Bloody Maria: Another variation on the bloody mary contains vodka and/or tequila, lime juice, Clamato, hot sauce, worcestershire, salt, and vegetables. Vegetables used include onions, cilantro, olives, and celery,

Miscellaneous

• Bloodless Mary: Without tomato juice
• Screw Mary: Equal parts vodka, orange juice, and tomato juice or V8, spiced to taste.
• Bloody Mary-land, or Crabby Mary: Substitute 2 dashes Old Bay Seasoning for celery salt
• Slutty Mary: Garnish with a sausage or simply with extra vodka added.
• Bloody Charlie: Garnish with two olives, thus creating a Bloody Mary with balls. (Mentioned, if not created, by Jean Shepherd in In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash.)

In popular culture

• In the TV show Cheers a Bloody Mary contest takes place at the bar, with a rival using Black Cardamon as a secret ingredient.
• In the TV show The Smoking Room, Sally fashions a makeshift Bloody Mary using vodka and pasta sauce (the only mixer available) when she and her colleagues are snowed-in.
• In the film Mona Lisa, George's drink of choice is the Bloody Mary; he orders several in the film.
• In the film It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Alcoholic Millionaire Tyler Fitzgerald (played by Jim Backus) drinks several Bloody Marys in an attempt to cure his Hangover so that he can fly Dingy Bell (Played by Mickey Rooney) and Benjy Benjamin (Played by Buddy Hackett) to Santa Rosita.
• In the film The Royal Tenenbaums, the character Richie Tenenbaum is often seen with a Bloody Mary in his hand and even carries a personal pepper shaker to season his drink.
• The band Arctic Monkeys reference "that Bloody Mary's lacking a Tabasco" in the song "Fluorescent Adolescent".
• In the Family Guy episode "Wasted Talent" Peter Griffin drinks a Bloody Mary to ease the symptoms of a hangover. In the episode "I Never Met the Dead Man" TV anchor Tom Tucker burped up a Bloody Mary after having one too many.
• In the 14th episode of the second season of Glee, "Blame It on the Alcohol", Artie shares a Bloody Mary with his friends of the Glee club to get sober (quote from Artie: "It'll help your hangover").
• In episode 6 of How to Make It in America, David suggests Bloody Marys to Rachel as a hangover cure.
• In Back to the Future Part III, the bartender mixes up a Bloody Bull Shot (which he dubs "Wake-Up Juice") to revive an unconscious Emmett Brown in a hurry.
• In the TV show Archer, Sterling makes a habit of drinking Bloody Marys.
• In the webcomic Achewood, Ray often consumes a Bloody Mary before getting out of bed in the morning.
• In the film Flashbacks of a Fool, Daniel Craig orders Bloody Mary while meeting up with Mark Strong in a restaurant.
• In the film Johnny English, Rowan Atkinson orders a Bloody Mary "not too spicy" from a waiter at the unveiling of the crown jewels.
• In the film Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (film), Caroline Eliza "Caro" Bennett can be seen consuming Bloody Marys in numerous scenes.
• On the television series The Jeffersons, Mother Jefferson often drank Bloody Marys, sometimes to excess. In one episode, she claims it's "for the vitamins".
• On the television series The Mentalist, Patrick Jane drinks Bloody Marys on the anniversary of the murder of his wife and daughter. The following season, Bob Kirkland, a Red John suspect, is seen drinking a Bloody Mary too.
• On the anime television series School Rumble, in episode 24, Eri orders a Bloody Mary at the cafe where Yakumo works.

See also

• List of cocktails

References

Notes

External links

• Media related to Bloody Mary at Wikimedia Commons