Bloody Mary

In 1921 Fernand 'Pete' Petiot of Harry's Bar, Paris, mixed tomato juice, vodka, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Although tomato and vodka was already a well known combination he named his spiced version a Bloody Mary, according to some accounts after Mary Pickford, the popular screen actress. In 1933 US Prohibition ended and the following year Petiot accepted an invitation from John Astor of the St. Regis Hotel, New York, to become head barman at its King Cole Grill. Astor felt some people would be offended by the name Bloody Mary, so Petiot introduced the drink as a Red Snapper. Prince Serge Obolensky asked him to 'spice it up a bit'. Tabasco sauce was added and the result was suddenly all the rage. Petiot later circulated the recipe under its original name.

Ingredients

2 measures of vodka
5 measures of tomato juice
1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice
2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
4 drops of Tabasco sauce
1 pinch of celery salt
1 small pinch of black pepper

Instructions

Shake and strain through a hawthorn strainer.

Garnish: short celery stem with leaves. If 1 measure of gold tequila is also added, this becomes a Deadly Mary. If tequila is used in place of vodka in a Bloody Mary, this is a Bloody Maria. If gin is used in place of vodka in a Bloody Mary, this is now known as a Red Snapper.