Anytime, Anywhere, Anyhow! The Bloody Mary is the world's most versatile mixed drink. By Nancy Ross Ryan	Photo by Laurie Proffitt

I can't imagine ordering a Martini for brunch, or, at 11 o'clock in the morning on a flight to Europe, much less at 2 p.m. on a sunny summer afternoon. But I can easily imagine -- and have indeed enjoyed -- a Bloody Mary on all those occasions. It gets my vote as the world's most versatile mixed drink. It's one of the few really popular cocktails that I can mix at home easily, with perfect confidence; I can vary it creatively and endlessly, and a Virgin Mary is the perfect non-alcoholic concoction to serve to friends and family who abstain from alcohol. I was doing just that -- mixing up Bloody and Virgin Marys -- last week at home for friends, when I suddenly wondered: Who invented this great drink? I wanted to thank him (or her). According to Joseph Scott and Donald Bain (The World's Best Bartenders' Guide, HP Books, 1998) and John Mariani (The Dictionary of American Food and Drink, Hearst Books, 1994), my thanks should go to one Fernand "Pete" Petiot, bartender at Harry's New York Bar in Paris, who invented the drink in 1921. When Prohibition ended in 1933, Petiot took his recipe and migrated to New York, where he became head bar man at the King Cole Bar in the St. Regis Hotel. But his fabulous drink -- so popular today -- was a flop. Although it was touted as a hangover cure, he called it the Red Snapper. Who wants to drink a dead fish -- especially if they happen to feel like one? But soon the drink began to be widely known as the Bloody Mary. And the rest, as they say, is history. But there's more. There's mystery -- where did that name come from? Scott & Bain offer two stories. Take your pick: It was named after Mary I of England who was nicknamed "Bloody Mary" because of her propensity to put people to death. Or, it was named after Bloody Mary (a character whose teeth were permanently stained red from chewing on betel nuts) in James Michener's Tales of the South Pacific. Mariani also cites Mary I of England as the drink's namesake, and he mentions that entertainer George Jessel named the drink after a friend of his, Mary Geraghty, in 1929. I pick Mary I of England, because it lends the drink a certain class. Besides, it was the British who renamed the Virgin Mary (America's alcohol-free version of the drink) the Bloody Shame, because devout Catholics in Great Britain objected to ordering a drink by that name. There's controversy: Some bartenders rim the glass with salt; some shudder at the thought. Some purists claim it's tacky to garnish a Bloody Mary with a stalk of celery instead of the traditional swizzle stick. And some (I'm one) think that any bartender who serves a Bloody Mary without the celery, should be, if not fined, at least severely reprimanded. I also favor celery sticks that have been peeled of all strings so they can be eaten with ease. Scott & Bain say the celery stick garnish was created at The Pump Room in Chicago by a customer whose Bloody Mary was swizzle-stickless. The customer looked around the bar, spotted a dish of celery sticks, nabbed one and tucked it in the drink. Mariani says that Butch McGuire's Bar in Chicago claims the honor of adding the celery stick. There's intrigue: The late Ernest Hemingway (according to Mariani) says that he introduced the Bloody Mary to Hong Kong in 1941, which, he claimed, "did more than any other single factor except the Japanese Army to precipitate the Fall of that Crown Colony." And there's danger -- really. Some people are very allergic to horseradish, one of the ingredients in a classic Bloody Mary. Hopefully, they know who they are, but if you're mixing up the classic version at home, best ask your guests first. The Bloody Mary really went mainstream in the sixties, and has held its place on the top pop charts ever since. So here, for your mixing, serving and drinking pleasure, is a recipe for the classic Bloody Mary along with several variations. (Yes, you can always start with a Bloody Mary mix, add vodka and garnish.)

CLASSIC BLOODY MARY 1-1/2 to 2-oz. vodka 4 to 6 oz. tomato juice 1/2 oz. (1 Tablespoon) fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish (liquid squeezed out) Dash Worcestershire Dash Tabasco Dash each of salt, pepper, celery salt Peeled celery rib and lime wedge for garnish In mixing glass with ice, add all ingredients except celery stalk and lime. Put top on glass and shake well. Strain over ice cubes in a tall glass. Garnish with celery rib and lime.

VARIATIONS Or you might create a self-serve Bloody Mary bar. Put out glasses, a bucket of ice, a pitcher of tomato juice on ice, seasoning ingredients for the classic Bloody Mary, and a couple of recipes (classic Bloody Mary, Bloody Maria, and Bloody Mary Peppar) and the required spirits (plain vodka, tequila, and pepper-flavored vodka). VIRGIN MARY: Omit vodka. BLOODY MARIA: Substitute tequila for vodka. BLOODY MARY PEPPAR: Substitute pepper-flavored Vodka for plain. DANISH MARY: Substitute Aquavit for vodka. CALCUTTA MARY: To classic bloody Mary add 1/2 teaspoon curry powder and a pinch of ground coriander. BULLY MARY: Use 3 oz. of tomato juice and 3 oz. canned beef consommé or broth. SEASIDE MARY: Use 3 oz. tomato juice and 3 oz. bottled clam juice. LONDON MARY: Substitute gin for vodka. BLOODY MOLLY: Substitute Irish whiskey for vodka. BLUEGRASS MARY: Substitute bourbon for vodka. BLOODY MARY QUITE CONTRARY: Substitute sake for vodka. CITRON MARY: Substitute lemon-flavored vodka for plain. CUBAN MARY: Substitute white or light rum for vodka. HIGHLAND MARY: Substitute blended Scotch whiskey (not smoky single malt) for vodka. ITALIAN BLOODY MARY: Substitute grappa for vodka. BLOODY MARIE: To the classic Bloody Mary add a dash of Pernod. GARNISHES: Of course you can stick to a plain swizzle stick, or you may opt for the popular celery rib -- but for heaven's sake peel off those strings. But here are a few more creative garnishes for a Bloody Mary to stir things up a bit. Carrot stick: Peel a long, firm, medium-circumference carrot. Trim both ends. Cut into quarters. Use one for garnish. Cucumber stick: Peel a firm, seedless English cucumber. Cut into 8-inch long sticks. Scallion stick: Trim both ends and outer leaves from thin scallions. Use for garnish.

GLASSES Traditional glasses for serving a Bloody Mary are the straight-sided 8-oz. to 10-oz. highball glass or the tall, straight-sided 10-oz. to 14-oz. Collins glass. But a Bloody Mary in an interesting glass creates more of a stir. Try some suggested below. All-purpose balloon glass: A 10-oz. to 14-oz. stemmed wine glass with a large bowl. Pilsner: Tall, slope-sided 10-oz. to 12-oz. beer glass. Hurricane glass: Tall hurricane lamp-shaped glass often used for tropical drinks. Beer mug: A 10-oz. to 12-oz. glass mug with handle.

LIQUID ASSETS - March 2000

BACK