My Bloody Mary Valentine

The Perfect Bloody Mary, the Best Bloody Mary, the Ultimate Bloody Mary.  What do these all have in common?  They’re all variations on a classic cocktail: the Bloody Mary.  What gives one one designation versus another?  Why, who makes it of course.

The Bloody Mary drink…errr cocktail, like many of the classic cocktails has a storied past.  But who you ask will determine the origins of the drink that you’ll be told.

Fernand Petiot, was an American bartender at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, and is credited as the creator of the first Bloody Mary back in the 1920′s.  If the name of the bar sounds familiar, it’s because this bar not only attracted some worldly glitterati, but was also the birthplace of many of the classic drinks that have been making a huge comeback as of late: the Sidecar, the French 75 and the Monkey Gland.  Fernand’s original Bloody Mary drink was equal parts tomato juice and vodka.  The name, Bloody Mary, was suggested by a customer who stated the the drink reminded him of a place in Chicago called the Bucket of Blood and a girl from the club named Mary.

In 1934, Fernand Petiot shifted continents and relocated to the King Cole Bar at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City, and of course brought his Bloody Mary recipe with him.

New Yorkers who frequented the King Cole Bar were less than impressed with bland tomato juice and vodka bomb that was so popular in Paris.  They thought it needed some serious improvement, by way of (to use a more modern catch phrase) kicking it up a notch.  To please his spicy loving patrons, Petiot added cayenne and black peppers, Worcestershire sauce, lemon and a dash of Tabasco sauce.  The verdict is still out on when the horseradish was added, as well as the ubiquitous celery stick found in most glasses of the classic cocktail.

I’m here to throw another curve ball into the world of classic cocktails and turn the best Bloody Mary into the best Bloody Mary jello shot recipe for Valentine’s Day.  How could I resist the combination of spicy red liquid, red hearts and a spicy holiday?

One of the coolest things about this jello shot recipe is the fact that you can turn your favorite Bloody Mary recipe into these cute heart shaped classic cocktails very easily.  I’ll give you my Bloody Mary recipe, but feel free to use your favorite combination.  The only thing you need to remember is the ratio of Knox gelatin to liquid, and that ratio is 1 packet of gelatin to 1 cup of liquid.

I realize that it’s not Valentine’s Day just yet, but since it falls on Monday I thought you might be planning something special for the weekend.  Like I said earlier in the week, this has not been the best week for me.  My relationship advice for you today is really straight forward and simple.  You don’t have to perform over the top gestures (like sky writing to proclaim your love), buy expensive items or create the ultimate dinner for your loved one(s).  Just look them in the eyes and tell them how you feel about them.  If you really want to give them something, write them a heartfelt note.

Tags: best bloody mary, bloody mary drink, bloody mary recipe, classic cocktail, classic cocktails, classic drinks, jello shot recipe, Relationship Advice