Bloody Mary Day celebrates the drinking of the Bloody Mary cocktail, which is described by some as the perfect hangover cure despite containing the very thing that made you hung over in the first place: alcohol! The Bloody Mary is most often made with vodka, tomato juice and some spices, served on the rocks with a celery stalk or a dill pickle.
History of Bloody Mary Day
The origin of Bloody Mary Day is as shrouded in mystery and intrigue as the history of the drink itself. Even the name is quite enigmatic, with various scholars suggesting it was named after Queen Mary I of England, Hollywood star Mary Pickford, or even a waitress named Mary who worked at the Bucket of Blood bar in Chicago all given as possible namesakes.
There are also three versions of the story of where the Bloody Mary drink was first made. Fernand Petiot, a bartender that was originally from France, claimed to have invented the Bloody Mary in 1921 when he was working at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris that was popular with Ernest Hemingway and other American expatriates at the time. Veterinarian-turned-writer James Rollins, on the other hand, claims) that the Bloody Mary was invented in the Hemingway Bar at The Ritz Paris. And an ocean away, New York’s 21 Club claims that the Bloody Mary was first made there, though they do have two versions of the story. One is that it was invented in the 1930s by a bartender named Henry Zbikiewicz, and another attributes its invention to the comedian George Jessel, who frequented the 21 Club.
How to celebrate Bloody Mary Day
The best and easiest way to celebrate Bloody Mary Day is by inviting some friends over to mix up and then enjoy a Bloody Mary or two. Or three. If you’ve never tried one before, and the idea of combining tomato juice with vodka just doesn’t sound particularly appetizing to you, this is the time to do it—there is a good reason why this is one of the most famous and popular drinks the world over, find out for yourself what it is!
Classic Bloody Mary recipe
(serves 2)
- 2 lime wedges
- 4 oz high quality vodka
- 8 oz Tomato juice
- 4 dashes Tabasco Sauce
- 4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
- 2 pinches celery salt
- 2 pinches ground black pepper
- 2 pinches smoked paprika
Put a little celery salt onto a small plate. Rub the juicy side of a lime wedge along the lip of a pint glass. Then, roll the outer edge of the glass in celery salt to coat it; repeat with the second glass. Put some ice cubes in both glasses and set aside. Put the lime wedges into a shaker and add the remaining ingredients. Shake gently several times, then strain into the prepared glasses. Garnish with a celery stalk and the leftover 2 lime wedges.
If you are looking for something to pair the drinks with, maybe try a platter of simple crackers with cubed cheeses or spicy salamis, as their flavor will complement the drink nicely. You could also put out some olives or pickles. Obviously, you should steer clear of anything sweet, like fruits, or heaven forbid, chocolates.
But the truth is that if there are enough Bloody Mary’s, nobody should care too much about what snacks there are!