A blood-red drink, whose origin has a direct connection with Russian emigrants. One of the best cocktails in the pick-me-up category, or, more simply, for a hangover. By the way, originally the cocktail was called Bucket of Blood, yes, "a bucket of blood".
The history of the mixed drink begins in 1920, when Russian emigrants who arrived in Paris brought vodka with them. At the same time, canned tomato juice began to come from America. There was nothing new about the combination of vodka and tomato juice, but the condiments and spices brought something new.
The history of the origin of the name is shrouded in mystery, and one can only speculate about the veracity of this or that version. Perhaps the cocktail was named after the "bloody" English queen Magu Tudor. The hatred of the people towards her was so great that not a single monument was erected for her in her homeland. Her name is associated with bloody massacres, and the day of her death was celebrated in the country as a national holiday.
However, there is an alternative version. The mixed drink could be named after Ernest Hemingway's fourth wife, Mary, who didn't like it when he returned home drunk. Bloody Magu hides the smell of alcohol better than other cocktails.
In 1934 (a year after the end of Prohibition in the United States), Parisian bartender Petiot accepted an invitation from John Astor of St. Regis Hotel, which is located in NY, to take the place of the main bartender. The name of the cocktail could have caused unpleasant associations in people, so the drink was launched under the name Red Snapper. And there was one more but. Vodka at that time was not so widespread in America (in France it was in abundance thanks to emigrants from Russia), so gin was the alcoholic basis of the Red Snapper cocktail, being a more common ingredient in the bar industry at that time. Over the years, vodka made its way onto the shelves of bartenders in the West, and the drink returned to its original recipe. However, the name Red Snapper did not catch on, and the drink became popular under its original name - Bloody Magu.
By the way, the appearance of the celery stalk in the drink dates back to 1960 and is attributed to the resourcefulness and ingenuity of the guest at The Pump Room in the Ambassador East Hostel. The guest was served Bloody Mary without a swish stick (stirring stick), then he selected a stick of celery from a nearby side dish and used it to stir the drink. The head waiter noticed this and later used a stick of celery to decorate the drink.
Should you eat it? Yes, if you are hungry. Otherwise, stir and set aside. Most bartenders choose not to use it.
Some people use unconventional ingredients like horseradish or mustard, but remember to keep the original recipe's core characteristics.
