Bloody Mary: The Drink That's a Meal

Bloody Mary is a tomato-based concoction that's often so lavishly garnished with vegetables and even seafood, that it can almost be considered a meal within itself. (Well, an appetizer anyway, at least.)

There are several stories about its creation, but all of them involve a man named Fernand Petiot, a bartender who worked in many bars, including Harry's New York Bar in Paris, where expatriats such as Ernest Hemingway were known to frequent. One legend says that he created the drink at this bar, and another says that he created the "Red Snapper" (another name for the Bloody Mary) at the King Cole Bar at the St. Regis hotel in New York City (which is still there, by the way, and very swanky).

Petiot himself said that the idea for the drink originated with a gentleman named George Jessel, who added vodka to tomato juice. Petiot claimed he merely added the spices.

However the drink originated, the most common recipe for the Bloody Mary is as follows:

-1 oz. to 1½ oz. (30-45 ml) vodka in a highball glass filled with ice.
-Fill glass with tomato juice
-1 dash celery salt
- 1 dash ground black pepper
-1 dash Tabasco sauce
-2-4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
-1/8 tsp. horseradish (pure, never creamed)
-Dash of lemon or lime juice

Garnish with celery stalk and shake vigorously, or stir lazily - whichever method suits your taste and your mood.

There are some variations on the Bloody Mary that you also might like to try:

Bloody Maria or Bloody Murray: Substitute the vodka with tequila
Bloody Margaret or Ruddy Mary: Substitute the vodka with gin
Bloody Molly: Substitute the vodka with Irish Whiskey
Bloody Pirate: Substitute the vodka with dark rum
Bloody Scotsman: Substitute the vodka with scotch
Michelada: Substitute the vodka with Mexican Beer (Author's note: If anyone has tried this I would love to hear about it, please leave me a comment!)
Bloody Bull: Add beef bouillon to the drink
Bloody Mariyaki: Substitute the Worcestershire sauce with teriyaki sauce

One more interesting fact about the Bloody Mary: In the 1950s, vodka was scarce so bartenders began making Bloody Marys with gin instead. Once vodka became widely available again, the traditional vodka-tomato drink was known as a "Red Hammer" for a while.