For all those who celebrated more than they should have, National Bloody Mary Day serves up one of the world’s most popular hangover cures on January 1st.
- 14th Century – Vodka is one of the most important ingredients in a Bloody Mary. Without it, the drink is simply a Virgin Mary! While some think that vodka has been present in Poland and Russia since perhaps the 8th or 9th century, there is no record of it until this time
- 1553 – Some attribute the name to the notorious Queen Mary Tudor, who executed hundreds of Protestants in the name of Catholicism during her short five-year reign from 1553 to 1558.
- 1892—The Bloody Mary begins life as the Oyster Cocktail, a recipe for a warm, nonalcoholic drink containing tomato juice, Tabasco, lemon juice, and oysters.
- 1917 – Because of a lack of access to oranges when guests want orange juice, a creative business owner in French Lick Resort in Indiana simply juices what he has–tomatoes! It becomes a sensation and quickly leads to the creation of mixed drinks.
- 1920s — The tomato juice cocktail gained popularity in the United States. It still contains no alcohol but is often seasoned with Tabasco, lemon, or Worcestershire.
- 1921 – While working at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris, Fernand Petiot mixes the tomato concoction for the first time.
- 1927 – Actor and comedian George Jessel orders the first Bloody Mary—a half-vodka, half-tomato juice recipe supposedly concocted to help with a tough hangover from the night before.
- 1934 – Fernand Petiot takes up his role as head bartender at the St. Regis in Manhattan. Whether he creates the drink of his own accord or based on Jessel’s influence is unclear, but Petiot perfects the formula and propels the Bloody Mary to classic status.
- 1960s – The idea of adding a celery stick to garnish a Bloody Mary originates at Chicago’s Ambassador East Hotel by accident — a customer didn’t receive a straw, so he winds up with a celery stick to mix it.
- 1960s – Herb and June Taylor release Mr. and Mrs. T Bloody Mary mix and the ingredients used in a Bloody Mary are cemented in the collective consciousness.
- 1960s – Using a celery stick to garnish a Bloody Mary originated in the 1960s at Chicago’s Ambassador East Hotel. A customer received their Bloody Mary without a swizzle stick. They grabbed a stalk of celery from the relish tray to stir his Bloody Mary and history was made.
- 1976 – The McIlhenny Company introduces TABASCO Bloody Mary Mix.
- 2016 – Celebrations for National Bloody Mary Day, recognized on January 1st, began in 2016 but the drink itself has deep roots in brunch culture dating back to the mid-20th century. Originally seen as a hangover remedy, it evolved into a festive brunch staple, with creative garnishes and variations becoming a fun way to enhance the drink.
- 2018 – The Ontario Plowmen’s Association in Canada makes the largest Bloody Mary cocktail, totaling about 155 gallons.
- 2020 – Bloody Marys come in all shapes and sizes and have been popularized all around the United States and around the world. Bloody Marys now include garnishes such as olives, carrots, cilantro, bacon, or even full cheeseburgers.
- In the United States, the Bloody Mary is a common hangover remedy. It is thought to cure hangovers due to its combination of a heavy vegetable base (to settle the stomach), salt (to replenish lost electrolytes) and alcohol (to relieve head and body aches).
- The Bloody Mary is the US’s most popular alcoholic drink for brunch.
- This bloody mary has been called “The world’s most complex cocktail.”
- Four Women Possibly behind the name “Bloody Mary”
- Queen Mary I of England – The first Queen Mary was nicknamed Bloody Mary because of the way she tried to bring back the Catholic church to England — by executing Protestants.
- Film star Mary Pickford – A Canadian-born actress and filmmaker during the age of silent pictures, she was known as “America’s Sweetheart.”
- A waitress named Mary – She supposedly worked at the Bucket of Blood bar in Chicago.
- A customer’s girlfriend named Mary – Some say the name came about when a bar patron said the cocktail looked like his girlfriend Mary — whom he met at the Bucket of Blood cabaret
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