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Bloody Mary

vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce

One of the most ubiquitous mixed drinks in the world, born of the rise of canned tomato juice in the 1920s as a hangover helper (see Tomato Juice Cocktail).

The Bloody Mary exists in endless variations (see also the Caesar) and is easy to personalize by substituting any of the ingredients, making spice additions, and/or creative garnishing. The following procedure is just a baseline:

Bloody Mary

Prepare a tall glass.

Roll with ice:

  • 1 1/2 oz vodka
  • 3 oz tomato juice
  • 1/2 oz lemon juice
  • 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 dashes Tabasco sauce

Strain into the prepared glass.

Garnish with celery, lemon, etc.

The editor recommends trying Aquavit in place of vodka.

Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails, p. 90–92; photo by Evan Swigart (CC-BY 2.0); barware icons courtesy of Haus Alpenz