The Origins Of The Infamous Bloody Mary
Chant "Bloody Mary" three times while you're at the bar and hopefully a server will appear with a potent cocktail. Given its name, you might think that a Bloody Mary has real blood in it. In actuality, though, mixologists make Bloody Marys with vodka and tomato juice, plus citrus, garnish, and spices — nothing genuinely spooky.
Variations of this popular brunch cocktail in the U.S. run the gamut. As noted by VinePair, Bloody Marys in the Midwest usually include cheeses, meats, and pickles, plus snit — a beer chaser. In the West, the drink often introduces fresh produce, via VinePair. The Northeast adds in seafood, as does the Southeast while spicing it further with Old Bay seasoning. Even the base ingredients and the name have different variations depending on where you go.
The Bloody Pirate uses rum, the Brown Mary uses whiskey, and the Ruddy Mary uses gin, via Eater. There's also the Virgin Mary, which is just spiced-up tomato juice. Some versions aren't even bloody, like the Green Mary, which uses tomatillos. But where and when did the Bloody Mary originate?
A spicy backstory
Though the ingredients variate, Worcestershire sauce, vodka, tomato juice, tabasco, seasoning, lemon juice, and garnishings are the typical ingredients in a classic Bloody Mary, according to Liquor.com. Fernand Petiot is purported to have invented it, either in a Paris or New York bar, during the early 1900s, says BBC. It might even have been named after one of his patron's girlfriends, Mary, who worked at the "Bucket of Blood" cabaret. In 1935, the Bloody Mary was called the "Red Snapper," as documented by Difford's Guide.
Petiot's claim to fame is disputed, however. George Jessel, a 20th-century star, may actually be the actual creator of the Bloody Mary, says Bloody Drinks. Petiot later stated he "refined" Jessel's concoction, adding everything but the vodka and tomato juice. How did Jessel supposedly come up with the idea? Difford's Guide notes he combined vodka and tomato juice in equal parts to treat a hangover. When his friend Mary spilled it on herself upon trying it, the name became self-evident.
Rise to fame
Regardless of where it originated, the Bloody Mary has remained a popular drink choice. Its regionality makes it a source of local pride for some, and then there's the whole hair of the dog thing. Thrillist reports tomato juice has vitamin C and electrolytes, so there is some truth to that tale. Its strong taste is yet another reason why some looking to shock themselves awake are drawn to the cocktail. Those who often fly may especially prefer it since the dry cabin air makes sweet and salty flavors less pronounced, via Travel + Leisure. In 2021, as documented by PBS, people even congregated in Paris to celebrate Bloody Mary's 100th birthday.
There are other historical factors that play into this trend, as well. According to Thrillist, drinking tomato juice on its own for health purposes has a long history dating back to the 1800s. The invention of canned tomato juice in the early 1900s supported its popularity further.
How much of this is anybody likely to recall next time they're nursing a hangover? Just like the precise origin point of the true Bloody Mary, that's difficult to determine.