A great Bloody Mary is something glorious – to taste, to behold, to clasp against one’s forehead after a long night of drinking.  At the outset of WWII, columnist Lucius Beebe reported that comedian George Jessel could be seen drinking his “newest pick-me-up… called a Bloody Mary: half tomato juice, half vodka.”  Later, it was recounted in The New Yorker, that Fernand Petiot (formerly the bartender at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris) took Jessel’s vodka/tomato juice, and went to town, serving upwards of 150 Bloody Marys each day in the King Cole Room at the St. Regis by taking Jessel’s basic drink, after which he would “cover the bottom of the shaker with four large dashes of salt, two dashes of black pepper, two dashes of cayenne pepper, and a layer of Worcestershire sauce; then add a dash of lemon juice and some cracked ice, put in two ounces of vodka and two ounces of thick tomato juice, shake, strain, and pour."

Now, there are always variations to be had – certainly over the better part of a century.  Some are fantastic, while some are downright vile.  Some can make the sun shine bright, while some make you want to curl-up on the bathroom floor.  Fortunately for Las Vegans, I’ve found a few that sipping upon will make the drinker wanna jump-down, turn around and pick a bale o’ cotton.

SOCIETY CAFÉ ENCORE - Wynn Las Vegas

Bloody Mary Cart – Society Café Encore (Wynn Las Vegas)

It’s not the least bit ironic (except maybe to Alanis Morissette), that one of the city’s most exemplary Bloody Mary preparations is to be found at the restaurant whose name can also be traced back to Lucius Beebe – the man responsible for coining the expression “Café Society” in his column This New York.  As part of the restaurant’s Sunday Brunch, Chef Kim Canteenwalla and John Merrill collaborated on the Society Bloody Mary Mix that contains fresh cilantro, jalapeno, scallions, and other secret ingredients. Furthermore, guests can perk-up their drinks with such flavorful additions as fresh-grated horseradish, sticks of Slim Jim beef jerky, Tiger shrimp dusted with Cajun spices, pickled okra, celery, scallions, beef broth, Clamato juice, regular olives, olives stuffed with Bleu Cheese, as well as a choice of vodkas including Absolut Peppar, Skyy Vodka, and premium vodkas like Ketel One and Grey Goose.  Swanky guests are even able to opt for a Blood Orange Mimosa.  Now that’s posh!

SIMON RESTAURANT|LOUNGE - Palms Place

Simon Bloody Mary – Simon Restaurant | Lounge (Palms Place)

Chef Kerry Simon and his partner, Elizabeth Blau envisioned the perfect accompaniment to their Simon Sunday Brunch as a hangover remedy (necessary after a night of partying hard at Palms), complete with IV “bags” of vodka, that would be hanging down over the bar, with “naughty nurses” (aka sultry bartenders Christian Savage and Jessica Strickland) preparing the drinks.  Once the basic drink is prepared, guests take the cocktail over to the Bloody Mary Buffet and individualize them to suit their own tastes.  Accoutrements include over 40 hot sauces, gherkins, pickled asparagus, pickled green beans, cocktail onions, pepperoncinis, sweet red peppers, fresh horseradish, lemons, limes, queen olives stuffed with natural pimento, and giant Slim Jims.

I LOVE BURGERS - The Shoppes at the Palazzo

Bloody Mary – i love burgers (The Shoppes at the Palazzo)

As chief mixologist at i love burgers, Myke Ramos loves infusing his vodkas with natural flavors.  He steeps a base of Opulent Vodka with roasted black garlic, scallions, lemon peel and dried chipotle.  He also uses vegan vodka for a concoction he calls the Holy Mary which he blends with stuffed tomatoes, olive tapenade and avocado.  But, back to the main event...

For his Bloody Mary Mix, Myke uses roasted tomatoes, tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, kosher dill pickles, banana peppers, some citrus, and fresh cracked black pepper; rimming each glass with a bacon salt he makes in-house, with salt, sugar, fennel and other spices.

Sprechen sie "Yummy?"

LA CAVE - Wynn Las Vegas

La Cave Bloody Mary – La Cave Wine & Food Hideaway (Wynn Las Vegas)

What really makes the La Cave Bloody Mary special to me is the way in which the restaurant has turned the well-known cocktail into a charcuterie in a glass.

The vodka, tomato juice and Worcestershire Sauce are blended with the Tabasco, kosher salt, black pepper, fresh lemon juice and fresh horseradish; after which, the drink is then rolled with ice and strained into a tall glass with fresh ice.

But it’s the gourmet garnish trio that really La Caves it up: one fried basil leaf, one slice of fried Felino Salame, and one piece of the mild-flavored medium-firm French sheep's milk cheese, known as P’tit Basque.  When all is said and done, this posh beverage is ideal for sipping, while seated on Cave’s swanky patio, as the sun sets over the Wynn Pool.  Talk about drinking it all in!

Tequila Avión Silver

The Morning After aka Bloody Maria – Spago (or Chez You)

Recently, while dining with the president of Tequila Avión, I found myself asking if she had a tequila-tipped Bloody Mary arrow in her quiver of recipes.  Sure enough, she did, and it can be made (per Tequila Avión specs) right here in Las Vegas at Spago in the Forum Shops at Caesars – or in the comfort of your own kitchen.

Here’s the recipe:

1 ounce of Tequila Avión Silver
1½ ounces of Sacramento tomato juice
1 ounce of lemon juice
1 ounce of lime juice
2 tablespoons of horseradish
1 ounce of Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon of salt
.08 ounce (a “dash” or dry measure) of smoked paprika
.15 ounce (“two dashes”) of celery salt
.15 ounce (“two dashes”) of ground or cracked black pepper
1 celery stick

Add all ingredients or divide into small batches. 
Do not shake with ice.
Roll the mixture back and forth in a Boston shaker then pour over fresh ice (this will keep it from getting watery).
Serve in a tall glass with celery stick and add a lemon wheel as garnish.

IGOR'S - New Orleans

As with most things in life, there’s just something inherently wonderful about things that are made-to-order; something that just makes them sit right.  Of course, if you have faith in your bartender, then by all means, have him mix-up whatever it is for which he’s known.  Case in point: I call your attention to Jerry, the longtime bartender at Igor’s Lounge & Game Room on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans, whose Jerry Mary is a staple of any Tulane student’s diet, and the tastiest cocktail ever served in a Laundromat.  After all – why mess with perfection?

The Best Bloody Mary

Get into it!