Happy Bloody Mary Day!
This was an interesting announcement to report which quickly turned into botched publicity stunt, however, we here at GPC will still celebrate any excuse to have a cocktail. The NY Post proclaimed Happy Birthday for the Bloody Mary by interviewing a relative of Fernand Petiot, the proclaimed inventor (in the story) of the Mary.
Not a surprise that the Post did any proper research, where Barry Popik, has offered up his correction based on real support. This according to Barry:
The old myth was that French bartender Ferdinand “Pete” Petiot invented the “Bloody Mary” (or a similar drink with a different name) at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris in the 1920s, and that he brought the recipe over with him to New York City and the King Cole Bar of the St. Regis Hotel in 1933 (where it was called the “Red Snapper”). One problem here is that Harry’s New York Bar published drink books in the 1920s and nothing like the “Bloody Mary” was printed in them. Also, tomato juice wasn’t produced in cans until about 1928.
Ferdinand Petiot admitted — much later, in The New Yorker of 1964 — that George Jessel, born in New York City invented the “Bloody Mary” drink of vodka and tomato juice, but that he added to it the essential ingredients of Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, lemon juice, celery salt, etc. Such ingredients appeared in oyster cocktails at least as early as 1922.
Petiot may not have initially invented the Bloody Mary but in fact improved upon the original incarnation of the drink and promoted it as the “hangover cure” we utilize today. Review Barry’s research on this here.
In honor of the cocktail’s anniversary, the Times Square TGI Friday’s location at 1552 Broadway in New York City will sell Bloody Marys today at “1933 prices” for 99 cents (which technically is 74 cents over priced of real 1933’s prices for drinks). Regardless, get down to your favorite spot for some Bloodies! Our favorites include: Pravda, Cupping Room, Jane, Prune,7A, and Five Points are some favorites.