Thirst-quenching, refreshing and, somehow, restorative – especially in its Virgin form – the Bloody Mary, Virgin or Not, is a Great Cocktail, a delight in a glass, provided you like tomatoes 😉 Here’s the recipe’s story…

For those unfamiliar with the world of mixology, here are few notes on the art of preparing mixed drinks, cocktails and mocktails.

What defines a mixed drink? Here we go:

• A mixed drink is an alcoholic drink made with two or more ingredients (Merriam-Webster).
  • Generally, it covers a couple of ingredients (shaken or stirred) with ice… as can be a “rum and soda” or a “gin tonic”.
• A cocktail is a drink, usually an alcoholic one, made by mixing two or more drinks together (Cambrige Dictionary):
  • a spirits (liquor);
  • a bitter (more or less liqueur-like bitter drink), and
  • a sugary element such as a syrup (the 1:1 water:sugar, is the base to start from).

• A mocktail is a cocktail without the alcohol part. The names of this type of concoction are usually paired with the noun “virgin“.

“A mixed drink has a minimum of two ingredients, but once you get to a third ingredient, it’s a cocktail”

Keith Meicher, head bartender at Sepia in Chicago | Amy Cavanaugh for Food & Wine

Returning to our Bloody Mary. It’s a typical brunch cocktail, when breakfast meet lunch, you know… especially during the weekend.

All considered, the shopping list, or the basic ingredients for this cocktail are already satisfying on their own, helping the potion to grow into an excellent drink on its own, with meals, as well as a popular remedy for hangover cure… January 1st is the Bloody Mary National Day, a perfect date for the cure, don’t you think?

The Bloody Mary Story

There are various hypotheses regarding the Bloody Mary story, its origins, and who first came up with the drink.

Its creation is often attributed to Fernand Petiot (a well-known international barman), while he was working at the St. Regis Hotel in New York toward the end of 1930s. However, it appears that Mr. Petiot simply enriched (spiced-up) an existing mixed drink made of vodka and tomato juice.

Every classic cocktail came from somewhere. The likely author of this savory mix was George Jessel, Hollywood star of the 1920s and 1950s, and, most likely was him who christened the drink “Bloody Mary”, his favorite.

In any case, there are some interesting entries in the cocktail history timeline.

• Towards the end of the 19th century there was an Oyster Cocktail, a sort of non-alcoholic drink, served warm, made of tomato juice, Tabasco, lemon juice and oysters… It’s the perfect condiment for eating raw oysters, by the way.
• At the beginning of the 20th century, it is said that the actor and comedian George Jessel ordered his first Bloody Mary, a recipe made of equal parts vodka and tomato juice, presumably designed to alleviate a strong hangover he was enduring.
• Sometime 1934, Fernand Petiot took on the role of head bartender at the St. Regis in Manhattan and perfected the formulation of the cocktail; a move instrumental to the success of the drink.
• Regarding the introduction of the celery stick. Story goes that it was sometimes 1950s and 1960s that an unknown customer asked for the now iconic celery stick to mix the drink. The rest is history.

“Savory and spicy while still being refreshing, the iconic drink is known for its restorative qualities, as well as for providing the opportunity to garnish with enthusiasm.”

from Bunny Mary on liquor.com

“George Jessel’s Pick-Me-Up” cocktail recipe

Wow, you’re still reading. Okay, check this out: published in “The World Famous Cotton Club: 1939 Book of Mixed Drinks”, there is a “George Jessel’s Pick-Me-Up” cocktail recipe that looks very much alike the one we’re using… The proof in in the pudding!

• 2 oz vodka
• 6 oz tomato juice (*)
• 2 dashes Tabasco red pepper sauce
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Shake together with ice and pour into a tall glass

Here we go, the original was shaken!!!

The 7 elements of Bloody Mary

Here’s the list with the 7 elements of Bloody Mary:

1. Vodka is the base spirits. It is the characterizing liqueur of the classic cocktail; some recommends using bottom-shelf bottle but it’s up to you.
2. The flavorful tomato juice is the hero ingredient, the non-negotiable one. The sweet and slightly tartness provide the base on which the rest of the ingredients are built. What if you cannot eat nor drink tomatoes? Keep reading (*)
3. Sapidity. From the classic Worcestershire sauce, to miso paste, or some form of consommé (make sure it’s gluten-free), get creative: the important thing is to add some umami flavour.
4. Spiciness. The recipe calls for black pepper, as well as herbs – such as oregano or basil – which pair very well with tomato.
5. For piquancy you’ll need horseradish! The root brings that distinctive spiciness that unmistakably clears the nasal tract while drinking, (something that the chili peppers are missing).
6. For acidity, the classic lemon juice always does the trick. How much of it lays in a proportion with the quantity of tomato juice used, and by the presence of Tabasco (the white vinegar in the sauce already adds acidity).
7. As aromatic garnishes, celery sticks stand as an iconic ingredients, after all, what would a Bloody Mary look like without the celery?

What’s in my Bloody Mary?

Beware that the ingredients list for this cocktail have many allergens – especially if you buy the ready mix.
However, since I’m not a health professional, I’ll only talk about the ones I cannot (or should not) have:

My concoction usually has:

• An Italian vodka, distilled from wine.
• (*) Tomato juice – Because I have a sensitivity to tomatoes, whenever I feel the desire to have some (usually every couple of months), I’m using fresh tomatoes from my parents’ garden, or my mom’s preserved ones: lucky me.
• Caperberries (with their brine), and a gluten-free Worcestershire sauce, for sapidity and umami.
• Fresh basil, horseradish cream, and white peppercorns (freshly ground), for spiciness and piquancy.
• Fresh squeezed lemon juice and Tabasco sauce (the green one), for a spicy acidity.
• Ice, lots of it; and
• a shaker, with a Collins-like glass for serving.

• NO gluten, I make sure that all the ingredients (pre-mixed or not) have some form of official markings on it.
• NO olives (and everything made with it) – Yes to caperberries instead.

A note about the shaker. I know that purists love this cocktail to be stirred, to keep the tomato juice viscosity… cheers to that, but I don’t! So, I do shake it, and love to sip it on the rocks.

I’ve also been looking for an alternative version, without tomatoes and whatnot, and I came-by an intriguing recipe that uses my beloved caperberries, and substitutes tomatoes with carrots… I feel healthy(ish) already!

ockstyle

Here’s the link to the Bunny Mary cocktail, created by bartender Rob Krueger, fund on liquor.com

For a Fall/Winter version

Just switch out half the tomato juice for red beet juice. It has a sweetish, vaguely earthy flavor that works really well to “warm up” and the mocktail and the cocktail.

The finishing touch is a layer of dried porcini mushroom, grated directly on the glass, which will give a deliciously “umami” warm feeling.

Can a Bloody Mary cure a hangover?

Can a Bloody Mary cure a hangover? It’s a very good question, but I don’t think so.

Most of the mixed concoctions made to counteract hangover headaches (the hair of the dog kind) include some form of alcohol, that apparently should ease the aftereffects… (the conditional tense is a must).

The Bloody Mary may have the ingredients, with the exception of vodka. Just opt for a Virgin Mary, the non-alcoholic version of this drink.
Thanks to its ingredients, it provides refreshing nutrients that can help: the 0% ABV options are to be preferred.

Thank you very much for visiting! Coming soon some recipes and variations on a theme…

The infos in this post are intended solely for an audience of legal drinking age. 

• Don’t drink if you’re not of legal age.
• Never drink and drive.

ockstyle

I’m an Italian gluten-free Gourmet Traveler+ and a passionate storyteller, writing in English and Italian. Fluently speaking (eating and dreaming) in Italian, English, French, and Russian. When I’m not writing, I cook and test recipes for special diets, and photograph (also on film). Not necessarily in that order. — / — Sono una viaggiatrice buongustaia (la Gourmet Traveler+) senza glutine, appassionata narratrice di storie. Scrivo in italiano e inglese, parlo (mangio e sogno) fluentemente in italiano, inglese, francese e russo. Quando non scrivo, cucino, testo ricette dolci e salate per diete speciali, fotografo (anche in pellicola). Non necessariamente in quest’ordine.