Cold tomato, a squeeze of lemon, the salty depth of Worcestershire and a slow build of pepper heat. The Bloody Mary is the one classic that behaves like food, and the fun lies in seasoning it exactly to your taste. Start with the IBA spec and adjust from there.
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Taste4.5
Balance4.4
Easy to make3.8
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Add vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, celery salt and pepper.
Stir gently, or roll between the glass and a shaker tin a few times.
Garnish with a celery stick and, if you like, a lemon wedge.
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Bloody Mary
Taste
Savoury, tangy and gently spicy, with umami from the Worcestershire and a clean vodka warmth. Medium-bodied and refreshing when well chilled.
History and origin
The origin of the Bloody Mary is disputed. The best-known claim comes from Fernand "Pete" Petiot, who said he first mixed vodka and tomato juice in the 1920s at Harry's New York Bar in Paris, then refined the seasoning in the 1930s at the King Cole Bar of the St. Regis Hotel in New York, where it was sold for a time as the Red Snapper. The entertainer George Jessel also claimed to have invented a simple vodka and tomato juice drink in the same era.
The name is often linked to Queen Mary I of England, but there is no firm evidence for that. What is certain is that the drink became the standard brunch cocktail of the twentieth century. The IBA lists it among its Contemporary Classics.
Bartender tips
Use a good, thick tomato juice and keep it in the fridge: warm juice melts the ice and thins the drink.
Taste before serving and adjust: more lemon for brightness, more Worcestershire for depth, more Tabasco for heat.
Do not shake hard; it makes the tomato juice frothy and watery.
