It was suggested to me that I write about Bloody Marys so here you go.

All of us (over 21), at one time or another, have been in the need for some “hair of the dog”. A little worse for wear after a night on the town and for me the magical cure is a Bloody Mary. There is something alchemical about the tomato, spices and booze that just straightens me right out. (Moment of Truth – it probably has more to do with the tomato juice than the booze.)

There is some debate as to how, where and when the Mary was invented, and even some debate on whether the original spirit of choice is actually vodka. Some sources say the original spirit is gin – and the cocktail is good both ways. Here is what I DO know from research, the drink can be as individual as you are.

In an effort to learn as much as possible about this manna from heaven, I did a little research and invited some friends over to do a sampling and have a “round table” discussion about what makes a good cocktail, where to find it and what are the perfect garnishes. We did a blind (for them) tasting of Mr. & Mrs. T’s, Zing Zang, and Demitri’s Bloody Mary Seasoning, along with the classic Mr. Boston Bartender’s Guide version (although I DID add horseradish to the original). We tasted each base in its “virgin” state for comparison and then added vodka to our favorite. For all of the cocktails we used Ketel One Vodka. Here is what we learned:
• No one liked the “original”; it was too bland
• No one liked the smell of the Mr. & Mrs. T’s, although we did like the deep rich color
• Everyone liked Zing Zang, although I can’t drink it. It has MSG in it and I am allergic. It was, as advertised, zingy with a citrusy pucker to it.
• Demetri’s was the hands down winner; although we had to increase the ratio from 2 oz to 1 qt to 3 oz to 1 qt. (Demitri’s comes in a liquid form that you add to tomato juice.) We found the suggested blend too bland for us, but once it was increased we all agreed that was the winner and that was the only pitcher empty at the end of brunch.

Friend Dani suggested that the reason we didn’t like the original was that our tastes are more extreme than when the drink was first created. We enjoy more spice and seasoning now than we did in the early part of the 20th century, so what may have been a spicy sensation THEN is just boring now.

As for garnishes, the classic is a celery stalk, but we all agreed (except friend Lynn) that more is better! Friend Laurie loves olives with hers, and I tend to agree. Other options are large caper berries (my personal fave), pickled string beans, pickled okra, cornichons, pickled asparagus, pearl onions…basically make a salad out of it! While horseradish is NOT one of the original ingredients we all agreed that it is a requirement when mixing your own. Friend Lynn added it to all of the bases for consistency’s sake! The one thing I forgot on our “research” day was to rim the glasses – typically you use celery salt, but spicy salt or herb and spice blends are really popular and add a bit extra punch. Oh, and I also found pepperoni straws online – yes, really! They are like Slim Jims with a hole thru the center. Super good fun!

Once our drinks were assembled, we sat for brunch (a hash brown crusted scrambled egg pizza) and chatted about where to get a good Mary. Any good bartender or mixologist in Vegas can make you a decent Mary, but I was more interested in the off the wall places to get one. Friend Lill’s comments were added in abstentia since she couldn’t be there to aid in the research and she loves a good Mary.
• Rumor has it The Double Down makes them with bacon flavored vodka – no I am not kidding
• The Bunkhouse (one of the oldest free standing bars in Vegas) makes a respectable one on the cheap!
• While none of us like the food at Hash House A Go-Go, we all agreed the Mary there is a winner, and almost reason enough to go there just for that.
• Both Mon Ami Gabi and Simon at Palms Place have Bloody Mary Bars on Sunday brunch. They mix vodka and tomato juice for you and you season and garnish as you please. I prefer Simon’s because their variety of hot sauces is a vast array from mild to volcanic. The fact that it is all you can drink is a bonus. The only way Simon’s could be better is if they had caper berries in addition to the other garnishes.
• According to Seven Magazine (see page 36), the best Mary in Vegas is at Bar + Bistro (headed by friend Beni Velazquez). I can’t comment since I haven’t had it, but theirs is more of a Bloody Caesar. A Caesar is mixed with Clamato instead of tomato juice and apparently Beni’s has minced clams in it! (Tip from Sister Nancy – when making a Bloody Caesar rim the glass with Old Bay Seasoning.) More research? A resounding YES!
A Bloody Mary on board the Victoria Clipper – a traveling companion suggested this topic

Bloody Caesar and beer at Canoe brewing in Victoria

My esteemed panel – L- R Friends Lynn, Dani and Laurie (Dani is not a double fisted drinker – she is holding mine!)

Enjoy your week and remember to mix up a batch of these for your weekend. The web abounds with plenty of recipes, but if you find a premix you like, go with that. Feel free to leave comments with your fave ideas on Bloody Marys – where to get a good one, what you like to garnish with, etc. There may be more research needed 😉

Food Memories this week include recreating the fab fig and goat cheese flatbread pizza I enjoyed in Seattle, Friday brunch with friends for research, ripening peaches from my back yard and digging in the herb garden.
The fig and goat cheese pizza with prosciutto – delish!

Until next week, go out and make your OWN Food Memories!