Bloody Mary (cocktail)

A Bloody Mary is a cocktail containing vodka, tomato juice, and other spices and flavorings including Worcestershire sauce, hot sauces, garlic, herbs, horseradish, celery, olives, pickled vegetables, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, lime juice and celery salt. Some versions of the drink, such as the "surf 'n' turf" Bloody Mary, include shrimp and bacon as garnishes. In the United States, it is usually consumed in the morning or early afternoon, and is popular as a hangover cure.

The Bloody Mary was invented in the 1920s or 1930s. There are various theories as to the origin of the drink and its name. It has many variants, most notably the Red Snapper (made with gin), Bloody Maria (made with blanco tequila), and the Virgin Mary (made without alcohol).

History

The French bartender Fernand Petiot is claimed to have invented the Bloody Mary in 1921, well before any of the later claims, according to both his granddaughter and his employer at the time, the New York Bar in Paris which later became Harry's New York Bar, a frequent Paris hangout for Ernest Hemingway and other American expatriates. The cocktail is said to have been created on the spur of the moment, according to the bar's own traditions, consisting only of vodka and tomato juice. It was originally referred to as a "Bucket of Blood." Harry's Bar also claims to have created numerous other classic cocktails, including the White Lady and the Side Car.

New York's 21 Club has two claims associated with it.