Recipe: Ready for the Bloody Mary?

So What’s So Great About Vodka and Tomato Juice?
When it comes to drink recipes, Bloody Mary is one you should always have on hand. Of all the vodka cocktails available, this is one of the classics. Whether you are thinking about stepping behind the bar professionally or you just want to be the life of the party, the Bloody Mary is a must-have in your repertoire of drinks.

The joy of the Bloody Mary is that it is so versatile. Generally, this drink contains tomato juice, vodka, and a third component. This component runs the gamut, from a dash of Worcestershire sauce to lemon juice to Tabasco sauce; the choice can depend on the bartender’s attitude and views on drinking, or simply the consumer’s personal taste. Learn more about this iconic drink, and make your own recipe choices with care!

The origins of the drink are disputed. Some mixologists claim that it was first created during the rule of England’s Queen Mary I, who purportedly was known as Bloody Mary because of her dislike for all religions other than her own. Given the fact that vodka was unknown in England at the time and tomatoes were considered poisonous, this is unlikely, though the Weekly World News made an interesting argument that the tomato juice represented the blood of the martyrs Mary had ordered to be killed. Tantalizing as that story may be, it has no basis in fact.

Instead, the most likely origin for this cocktail lies with a bartender named Fernand “Pete” Petiot, who tended bar at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris during the 1920’s. Petiot created this salty, strong and spicy drink to serve flappers, investors, and expats. Legend holds that the drink was called Bloody Mary after numerous drunken and failed attempts to pronounce the name Vladimir Smirnoff, for whom the drink might have been created. Given that Vladimir Smirnoff was at the time the heir to the Smirnoff vodka enterprise, this legend may well be true.

Petiot was probably the man who introduced the Bloody Mary to the United States after Prohibition ended; it became a popular brunch drink at the King Cole Bar in New York. Americans referred to the drink as the Red Snapper, apparently because they were so delicate as to reject a drink bearing a violent name like Bloody Mary. But the real name eventually came around, and asking for a Red Snapper at a bar today will garner nothing but a strange look.

The Bloody Mary has a reputation as a hangover cure, but unfortunately this is just an urban legend. The vodka it contains can provide a bit of relief for the immediate pain, but the truth is that it can only delaying the inevitable. The only real way to lessen the pain of a hangover is to drink water and ingest electrolytes and protein.

Below you’re going to find a great Bloody Mary recipe. We wouldn’t dare call it the best recipe because every bartender has his or her own variation sworn to be the perfect mix. The best advice is to make the recipe below a few times, then start experimenting with variations. A Bloody Mary is one of the most flexible drinks around. If it was a girlfriend, it would be the one who’s always up for adventure or trying things in a new way.

Recipe
Ingredients
* Celery salt
* Lemon wedge
* Pint glass
* Shaker
* 2 ounces Stolichnaya vodka
* 4 ounces tomato juice
* Worcestershire sauce
* Celery stalk

Pour a small amount of celery salt into a small dish.

Press the lemon wedge into the celery salt, coating both sides. Set aside.

Wet the rim of the pint glass and press it into the celery salt. Set aside.

Fill the shaker with ice.

Squeeze the salted lemon wedge into the shaker, then drop the squeezed wedge into the shaker.

Pour the Stolichnaya vodka, the tomato juice and a dash of Worcestershire sauce into the shaker.

Shake rhythmically for 10 slow seconds.

Strain the cocktail into the prepared glass.

Garnish with the celery stalk and serve.

When it comes to mixed drinks containing vodka, the Bloody Mary provides a lot of freedom to experiment. For example, pinches of real Hungarian paprika, horseradish, or black pepper can be used to amp up the spice; so can Tabasco or other hot sauces. Some people even use the juice from pickled hot peppers to create the spicy Bloody Mary of their dreams. And for those who prefer non-alcoholic drinks, simply replace the vodka with one-half ounce of lemon juice.

American cuisine has really embraced the Bloody Mary, so feel free to get crazy with the garnishes. One restaurant has taken the idea of Bloody Mary garnishes to its extreme, serving the drink with a full cheeseburger on a skewer. Others keep it more humble with things like pickles, roasted garlic, shrimp or crab strung onto a skewer. That sure does make the simple celery stalk look rather humble, doesn’t it?

Some great options for garnishes include olives, cherry tomatoes, strips of bacon, beef jerky, olives and pepperoni. Basically, if you can stick it on a skewer and dunk it in the drink, you are on the right track. In general, Bloody Mary garnishes are savory and salty. As long as you stick with that formula, you can get as wild as you like.

Make sure that the Bloody Mary cocktail is one you master when learning to mix drinks. This tasty daytime tipple is a perfect platform to develop your own style and your own fantastic recipe!

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