The Very Best Bloody Marys
America's Brunch Beverage
GUY'S VEGGIE MARY THE LINQ HOTEL & CASINO
Whether it was named after Hollywood actress Mary Pickford, Queen Mary of England—or a waitress named Mary who worked at a Chicago bar called the Bucket of Blood—is still up for debate. But whatever the origin, one thing is clear: The Bloody Mary has become the restorative cocktail of over-indulgers.
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BARBECUE BLOODY MARY
THE LINQ HOTEL & CASINO
“I WROTE A BOOK ABOUT HANGOVER CURES TO ASK FORGIVENESS FROM ALL MY GOOD FRIENDS WHOM I GAVE FAR TOO MUCH OF A GOOD TIME THE NIGHT BEFORE.” —SALVATORE CALABRESE
The ultimate go-to hangover beverage of choice for many, the drink has acquired a cult-like following and is now accompanied with everything from bacon to shrimp. So how did that signature celery stalk make it into the glass in the first place? The credit goes to an impatient drinker at the Ambassador East Hotel in 1960s Chicago, who, lacking a swizzle stick, grabbed a nearby stalk to stir the drink. But do you eat it? “Yes, if you’re hungry,” says Salvatore Calabrese, mixologist at Bound in The Cromwell. “Otherwise, stir and put to one side.”
ANOTHER ROUND, PLEASE
SALVATORE CALABRESE’S Bloody Mary
1 2/3 ounces vodka
5 ounces tomato juice
2/3 ounce lemon juice
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of celery salt
1–2 dashes Tabasco sauce
Black pepper to taste
TO BUILD: Pour the tomato and lemon juice over ice in a highball glass and add the vodka. Add spices and stir. To aerate, rather than shake, gently roll the mixture from one shaker to another (without ice) several times. Strain into the glass over fresh ice. Add black pepper and garnish with a wedge of lime and celery stick.
Recipe courtesy of Classic Cocktails by Salvatore Calabrese
Salvatore Calabrese, the inventor of another iconic morning starter, the Breakfast Martini served at Bound in The Cromwell, says of the brunch beverage. “A Bloody Mary for me is always like cooking a steak; there are always questions to ask. Don’t assume that everyone wants it spicy,” he says before explaining the drink’s hourly evolution. “The Bloody Mary changes throughout the day. First thing in the morning, it’s almost like a pick-me-up, so it’s richer, stronger, has less citrus and is more peppery. In the middle of the afternoon, it becomes lighter; and by evening, it’s a long, refreshing drink—the citrus comes up more vividly, and the spiciness is less.”
SEEING RED
TOP VEGAS DESTINATIONS FOR BLOODY MARYS
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The LINQ Hotel & Casino
This infusion bar packs a punch and so does its Barbecue Bloody Mary. A smoky BBQ sauce brings bite and maple bacon adds a kick.
Catalyst
The LINQ Hotel & Casino
The spicy Memphis BBQ combines your choice of vodka with BBQ and Worcestershire sauces, liquid smoke, secret spices and Frank’s RedHot.
Le Central
Paris Las Vegas
The Bourbon Bloody Mary mixes Woodford Reserve Bourbon—infused with cloves, cinnamon and citrus—with tomato juice and fresh basil.
Mon Ami Gabi
Paris Las Vegas
Make your own zesty day-starter at brunch hotspot, Mon Ami Gabi, which has a do-it-yourself Bloody Mary bar.
Guy Fieri’s Vegas Kitchen & Bar
The LINQ Hotel & Casino
Fieri rolls out a Bloody Mary menu for those nursing bloodshot eyes. Customize yours with veggies or top with candied bacon, chicken-apple sausage, pepperoni or shrimp. Available in a 52-ounce punch bowl, “this is exactly what you need after a rough night in Vegas,” Fieri says.
