One very clever bartender shares some tips and a few of his top-secret ingredients.
I’ve been on a quest for the perfect Bloody Mary for over a decade now – from Michelin starred restaurants to dive bars – and everywhere in between. No two serves of this classic have ever been the same as everyone has their own secret recipe. So, what’s yours?
Don’t have one yet? No sweat. Read on as we break down the ultimate brunch staple.
The Bloody Mary launched in the US around the early 1930s – vodka was starting to make itself known (outside Eastern Europe) and tomato juice had become a favourite health tonic during Prohibition. But who was the first to combine the two?
The history of the Bloody Mary is almost as murky as the cocktail, with two personalities vying for creative rights: George Jessel, a West Coast entertainer with a penchant for late nights and recovery parties, and Fernand ‘Pete’ Petiot, who popularised the serve at the King Cole Bar in New York's St Regis Hotel.
As for the name? The three most likely stories follow:
- During a brunch session, a socialite named Mary spilled her cocktail on her white dress, resulting in her exclaiming “Call me Bloody Mary!”
- It was named after a waitress at Chicago’s Bucket of Blood club (the club was named for the mop water after particularly wild nights)
- It was a tribute to Queen Mary I of England AKA Mary Tudor (responsible for burning 283 heretics)
No matter who first made it, or who it’s named for, this savoury symphony is the perfect balance of sweet, sour, spice, salt and umami – a cocktail firmly grounded in the culinary world. Before we start on your secret recipe, I’m going to let you in on mine, which you can use as a base.
Matt’s Bloody Mary ingredients
- 45mL vodka (something textural, like Haku)
- 10mL fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp sugar syrup
- 100mL shelf-stable tomato juice
- 5mL Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce
- 3 dashes Tabasco sauce
- Pinch of sea salt
- 3 cracks pepper
Method
- Add all ingredients to a mixing tin and stir to incorporate ingredients
- Add cubed ice and stir briefly to chill and slightly dilute
- Strain into a highball glass over fresh cubed ice
- Garnish with celery stick, lemon wedge and more cracked pepper
Vodka works well in the classic due to its neutral nature and complimentary texture, but over the years, I’ve seen numerous substitutes work in its place. Gin will give you a Red Snapper (choose something savoury, like Four Pillars Olive Leaf), tequila delivers a Bloody Maria (go for a flavour-forward blanco, like Fortaleza), but I’ve also used mezcal (Ilegal), raicilla (Estancia), peated whisky (Talisker 10yo), and fortified wine (sherry or vermouth) to great effect.
Pro tip: Don’t overlook the Mary Mix. Used in bars and restaurants around the world, The Mary Mix is a pre-batched (see batching here) combination of all your ingredients except your base spirit. It 1) lets you take care of all the work before your party (letting you play host rather than bartender), 2) ensures your secret recipe remains exactly that – secret, and 3) allows your guests to be flexible with their choice of base spirit. This is a great tool to accommodate any pals going non-alc, or to use up any old bottles in the home bar.
This hit of acidity brings a breath of life to your soupy cocktail. It’s best to keep it classic with lemon (or lime), and while tomato is best from a bottle, citrus is always best fresh.
Pro tip: Where we have sour, it’s always best to have a little sweet to balance it out. You won’t find it in 99% of recipes, but I’ll always pop a teaspoon of sugar syrup in my Bloody Marys. Now you know!
Tabasco has been a staple in the hot sauce aisle since 1868 – they pretty much invented the category – but you’ll now find a glut of options. After spicing my Mary Mix with Tabasco (go for green if you prefer less spicy), I’ll often provide a variety of hot sauces for my guests to customise their individual serves.
Pro tip: Steer away from using fresh chillies as it can be tricky to gauge dosage (not all chillies are created equally). When measuring out your sauce, always err on the side of caution (you can always add more spice in, but you can’t take it out).
Celery was first introduced as part of the Bloody Mary in the late 1970s, and from then it’s always been customary for this cocktail to be served with a little snack (cocktails with snacks are better – fact). You are only limited by your imagination for the Bloody Mary garnish, but here are some thought-starters:
- The Gilda: bring some Mediterranean summer into your life with a Gilda. Head to your nearest and dearest deli and go ham with anchovies, olives, onions and more, plus some lemons and skewers. Remember – if it fits on a stick, it’s a Gilda.
- The savoury snack: we’ve all seen reels of OTT Mary’s with hotdogs and burgers precariously perched atop and you can go wild here, but I’d be looking at fun, easy and nostalgic – think party pies, dim sims, chicken wings, mini pizzas, potato wedges with sweet chilli and sour cream…
- Something fancy: the Bloody Mary was born in the high end of town, so if you want to keep it posh, you’re well within your rights. Ensure your garnish remains bright, aesthetic and bold. Think devilled eggs, mini cucumber sandwiches (crusts cut off), sushi hand rolls with extra wasabi, caviar or crème fraiche on mini pikelets.
Has all this talk about the Bloody Mary got you thirsty? While you’re pondering what will set your Mary apart, here are a handful of bars around the country that make an especially good Bloody Mary. They should give you some more inspo.
- Melbourne: The Catfish
- Adelaide: Latteria
- Hobart: The Den Salamanca
- Sydney: Continental Bar & Deli
- Brisbane: Death and Taxes
- Perth: Mechanics Institute
- Darwin: Trader Bar
- Canberra: Akiba
