Bloody Mary
A restorative savory highball of vodka, tomato juice, lemon, and spices.
The Bloody Mary is a foundational savory cocktail that pairs vodka with the umami density of tomato juice and a custom spice blend. Unlike sweet sours, it relies on Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, and hot sauce for a rich, culinary profile. Lemon juice provides necessary acid to cut through the heavy texture, making it a balanced restorative drink. It is the defining cocktail of American brunch culture, allowing for significant garnish variation while maintaining its core tomato-spice structure.
Ingredients
- • 2 oz vodka
- • 4 oz tomato juice
- • 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
- • 0.25 oz Worcestershire sauce
- • 2 dashes Tabasco sauce
- • 2 pinches celery salt
- • 1 pinch black pepper
Did you know?
“Fernand Petiot is widely credited with refining the modern Bloody Mary at the St. Regis Hotel in New York in the 1930s, adding the salt, pepper, and spices to the simpler tomato-vodka mix from Paris.”
Bartender's Note
Roll the drink between shakers rather than shaking hard to preserve the tomato juice's texture; adjust Tabasco to taste.
How to make the Bloody Mary
- 1Build all ingredients in a highball glass filled with ice
- 2Roll the drink back and forth into a shaker tin to mix without foaming
- 3Pour back into the highball glass
- 4Garnish with a celery stalk and lemon wedge
