Bloody Mary Cocktail — Origin, preparation, and tips

Bloody Mary is a legend among cocktails. A classic that everyone knows, but not everyone likes. In addition, it has countless origin stories. Officially, the cocktail belongs to the “Corpse Revivers” or “Pick-me-ups”.

So, you can bounce back after a night of drinking or just keep on partying with a Bloody Mary: The high nutritional value and the many minerals in this spicy cocktail make this possible.

Interesting facts and the origin of the Bloody Mary

No bartender in the world really knows the exact origin of this classic. The connection to Queen Mary I of England seems rather coincidental. In the 16th century, the Catholic monarch waged a fierce war against the Protestants, which earned her the nickname “Bloody Mary”. But the creation of the cocktail was about 400 years later, which makes this theory rather debatable.

Much more likely is the story of the barmaid named Mary. In the sense of the British slang word, the inventor of the drink was also called “Bloody Mary”.

According to another legend, Hollywood actor George Jessel invented the popular hangover drink in 1927. After a night of drinking, he supposedly mixed a leftover bottle of vodka with tomato juice, Worcester sauce, and lemon juice. Shortly after, he allegedly spilled his drink all over his girlfriend Mary Brown Warburton’s white dress. This caused the sullied lady to then shout, “Now you can call me bloody Mary, George!”.

At some point, people tried to rename the cocktail “Red Snapper” because of the insinuating and bloodthirsty name. But this did not catch on.

More tips for preparing the perfect Bloody Mary

• You can play with the proportions and the seasoning of this spicy cocktail as much as you like.
• Since the creation of this cocktail, there have been several variations: Many purists mix the bloody Mary only with tomato juice and vodka.
• Add celery salt, sea salt, white pepper, or a Mediterranean herb blend to make this cocktail even more aromatic.
• The flavors come out particularly well when you “roll” the ingredients. To do this, you carefully pour them back and forth between the container used for mixing and the final glass.
• Traditionally, the cocktail was also prepared with gin. This happened especially when vodka was not as popular in the USA because the spirit was a Russian product. During that time, people also tried to rename the cocktail Red Snapper.
• If you want to mix a non-alcoholic version, just mix the usual ingredients for the “Virgin Mary” and leave out the vodka.

Frequently asked questions about the Bloody Mary

How many quantities of salt and pepper are added?

It depends on your preference and taste. If the tomato juice is already seasoned or salted, adding more seasonings may be unnecessary.

What is the perfect tomato juice for Bloody Mary?

Gourmets make themselves fresh tomato juice from their tomatoes, which takes a bit more effort but is definitely delicious as well.

Otherwise, packaged tomato juice is available in stores for healthy food and drugstores, with and without salt.

Tomato passata from the grocery store is often too sweet and thick for this delicious cocktail. Of course, it could also work if there are no other juice options. You could also pour the juice from a can of chunky tomatoes.