Cocktail: the bloody mary

To my mind, the bloody mary is the king of the cocktails. It was possibly invented by Fernand Petiot, bartender at the infamous Harry’s Bar in Paris, during the 1920s. Even he did not invent it, he certainly transformed it from a simple mix of vodka and tomato juice to a far more sophisticated drink, as his own description shows:

“I cover the bottom of the shaker with four large dashes of salt, two dashes of black pepper, two dashes of cayenne pepper, and a layer of Worcestershire sauce; I then add a dash of lemon juice and some cracked ice, put in two ounces of vodka and two ounces of thick tomato juice, shake, strain, and pour.”

Over the years, the recipe has changed very little, if at all, from Petiot's original. Start off with a healthy measure of vodka over ice, and topped up with tomato juice.  Pour into a cocktail shaker and add a dash of celery salt, pepper and Tabasco. A few dashes of Lea and Perrin’s Worcestershire sauce, some lemon juice and, if you like it spicy, some pure horseradish completes the ingredients. Shake well, and strain into a highball glass. Garnish with a stick of celery or a skewer of green olives. Adding a shrimp garnish can add an interesting twist to accompany a summer seafood barbeque.

Traditionally a hangover cure, this cocktail is a great lunchtime drink or pre-dinner aperitif.