Monday, Bloody Monday

Well, today is a day to celebrate. Why, you ask? Because I've been informed it is the birth date of one of my very favorite cocktails...the Bloody Mary. There are many different versions of how this drink came about, but the story I've always  heard was that it was started in the 1930s by a bartender by the name of Petiot at Harry's New York Bar in Paris, and brought to the St. Regis in New York by John Jacob Astor. Legend has it that he named the libation after Queen Mary Tudor, or Bloody Mary, the Catholic daughter of Henry VIII, who, during her five-year reign, managed to kill off a large number of Protestants.  The recipe consisted of vodka, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne pepper. Astor fell in love with the Bloody at Harry's, and brought Petiot and his drink to The St. Regis, which the Astors owned. Word spread, and in no time at all, the Bloody became the standard hair of the dog, leading it to become at one time the third most popular cocktail in the country. The Astors, however, renamed it the Red Snapper fearful it would offend. It's still a great place to get the classic drink, but if you prefer not to spend the $17, you can use the below recipe via Bon Appetite,  and as most seem to do, revise yours to your own personal taste. My taste buds lean towards three green olives and a French green bean. 


INGReDIENTS
4 ounces tomato juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 dash lemon juice
2 drops Tabasco
1 dash pepper (to taste)
1 dash salt (to taste)
1 1/2 ounces vodka (I prefer Kettle One)
1 dash celery salt
smidgen of horseradish


PREPARATION

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake and pour into a tall glass filled one-third with ice, garnish with green olives.

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  Images via Flickr