Ah, the Bloody Mary: that spicy, savory, tomato juice-based, vodka-laced drink that is enjoyed with such relish (literal and figurative relish) during brunch, on a ski break or as a hangover remedy. Few “classic” cocktails have as colorful past as the Bloody Mary, which has been enjoyed for more than 80 years.
History of the Bloody Mary
The first iteration showed up in Paris at Harry’s New York Bar in the 1920s. This combination of vodka and canned tomato juice was known as a “Bucket of Blood.” When the drink was brought to the St. Regis Hotel in New York around 1933, it was lauded as a hangover cure and called the “Red Snapper” (you can still belly up to the bar there and order an original Red Snapper). It’s not certain when bars started calling the drink “Bloody Mary,” a reference to Queen Mary I of England and Ireland, who took it as her personal mission to rid the country of Protestants, but recipes for drinks named “Bloody Mary” can be found in print starting in 1946.
These days, anyone can enjoy a Bloody Mary for breakfast, lunch or whenever the mood strikes. While the original recipe is fairly simple (vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and Worcestershire sauce), bartenders and restaurants alike have taken the drink and made it their own, spicing it up with Sriracha or adding enough garnish to make the Bloody a meal in and of itself.
Perhaps one of the most refreshing places to enjoy a Bloody Mary is at a ski resort. There’s something about the combination of spice and veggie, cut with smooth and (sometimes flavored) vodka, which makes it a perfect beverage for a mid-morning ski break-especially if you partied a bit too hardy the night before. However, the restorative powers of the snack-bar selection of garnish are equally as pleasurable at après. Here are some of the most interesting–and tasty–Bloody Marys that are popping up at ski resorts around the country.
