Was it invented at The Hemingway Bar in Paris? Or Harry’s New York Bar? Perhaps it was the comedian George Jessel, who liked his half tomato juice/half vodka beverages at the 21 Club. Whatever the case, by the mid-20th century, bartenders, such as Fernand Petiot, then of the King Cole Bar in Midtown Manhattan, was quoted in a 1964 The New Yorker magazine as saying, “We serve a hundred to a hundred and fifty Bloody Marys a day here…”
The Bloody Mary has always been bloody good.
Fifty, sixty years later, it’s no different: Bloody Mary bars are hot, hot, hot. One look at the dazzling array of garnishes, various spirits, and imaginative glassware available and your guests will go gaga over the possibilities.
Looking to go over the top? Take the Bloody Mary bar to new heights with DIY drink checklists distributed to guests so they can select and/or skewer the accoutrements they desire, or compile conversation-starting skewers of candied bacon coupled with mini doughnuts, whole slices of pizza, or other full meal garnishes. Check out #bloodies or #lovesbloodymary on Instagram and you will get some great ideas. Note that beyond the Bloody bar, people generally just love to imbibe at brunch. Run a drink cart through your event with Ramos Gin Fizzes, or a maple syrup-enhanced cocktail with a waffle and bacon crumble, or deliver a swift knock-out with a delicious milk punch (another cocktail of the moment) incorporating everyone’s favorite brown spirit: bourbon.
Don’t want to hassle with big drinks? Consider the Bloody Mary shooter, with a dainty skewer placed across the top. A quarter ounce of spirit coupled with three ounces of mix, a salty rim, and a little garnish will be the “cutest thing ever” when your guests cast their eyes upon them.
Pitch the pint
Mix up your glassware too, as a shape outside the traditional shows ingenuity. Mason jars are still popular; use a traditional margarita glass to accommodate a large food garnish; for something really dramatic, batch your bloodies into a pitcher and garnish it with multiple skewers for multiple imbibers.
Check it off
Want to create a DIY Bloody Mary checklist for your guests?
Offer each component within its own category. For example, have them choose a spirit first, then a mixer. Have them decide how hot or tangy they wish to elevate that mixer. Next up: have them decide on a glass rimmer. Finally, list selections for what might go into the glass, and what will perch atop the glass. Here are some ideas:
Spirits: A selection of gin, vodka, flavored vodka, tequila, bourbon, aquavit, beer, n/a
Heat: Tabasco, worchestershire, Sriracha, horseradish, Cholula sauce, soy sauce, beef consommé, habanero sauce, thai chili, harissa, none
Mixer: House Bloody Mary Mix, V8, Clamato
Rim: Sea salt, celery salt, Kosher salt, cayenne/salt mix, crushed black pepper, finely grated cheese, any kind of flavored salt mix (lime/cilantro, rosemary/thyme arctic sea salt, etc.), Tajin, none
Inside: Pickled anything (asparagus, green bean, carrot, cucumber, pepperoncini), celery, olives (stuffed with blue cheese, almond, pimento, garlic), cheese cubes or curds, mozzarella pearls, sausage or beef stick
Outside: Cheese cubes or curds, mozzarella pearls, shrimp, lemon wedge, lime wedge, olives, oyster on the half shell, z-fold pickle plank, cherry tomato, bacon twist, candied bacon, basil, cilantro, quartered grilled cheese sandwich, prosciutto-wrapped pretzel
Make it crazy: Slice of pizza, bite size cheeseburger slider, mini doughnut, waffle wedge, crab claw, southern fried chicken drummie
And please…don’t forget the snit. It’s not just for those Midwestern types anymore.
Photos:
A tiny grilled cheese garnish perches perfectly, from Arthur’s Catering, Altamonte Springs, FL
Bloody Mary and oyster shooter whets the tastebuds, from Feast Your Eyes Catering, Philadelphia, PA
Looking for inspiration? Do a search on Instagram or Pinterest. You’ll find hundreds of photos and ideas.
Want to step outside the realm of tomato-based beverages but still offer that vibrant red hue? Consider the Virgin Razzy Mary, a fun twist on the classic and a new direction for juice (spirits option at the end of the recipe). Steal this recipe!
VIRGIN RAZZY MARY
Yield: Two 6 oz servings
Ingredients
2 cups raspberries, IQF, partially thawed
1 cup cucumber, peeled and quartered
1 stalk celery, trimmed
1 slice jalapeno, fresh, seeded
1 apple, granny smith, cored and quartered
2 tablespoons lemon, fresh, juice
1 pinch salt, kosher
3 grinds black pepper, cracked, fresh
1/2 cup water, chilled
4 sprigs basil, fresh, muddled or crushed
for garnish: 4 celery stalks with leaves and 4 basil sprigs
Method
1. Assemble juicer for processing.
2. Remove frozen raspberries from freezer and allow to partially thaw prior to processing, 10-15 minutes. Raspberries can be processed from frozen.
3. Juice raspberries, cucumber, celery, jalapeno and apple.
4. Add lemon juice, salt, black pepper and chilled water to the juice. (If juice is not served immediately, cover and refrigerate.)
5. Muddle basil stem in the bottom of 4 glasses or gently crush.
6. Stir or shake the juice and pour into glasses.
7. Garnish with frozen raspberries or celery stalk and basil sprig
With spirits option:
1. Add 1.5 oz vodka and cubed ice to highball glass.
2. Pour juice over the top and garnish.
Nutrition (per 6oz serving of Virgin Razzy Mary): 80 calories, 0 g fat, 18 g carbohydrate, 10 g sugar, 4 g fiber, 2 g protein, 170 mg sodium. Source: Mary Kimbrough RD and Chef Sharon Hage for National Processed Raspberry Council
Kathleen Stoehr is a member of the U.S. Bartenders Guild
