Papa’s got a brand new mix!

Ernest Hemingway Bloody Mary Recipe -Where it all began

The Ernest Hemingway bloody Mary mix is a cocktail classic. It was my first real experience with crafting a better bloody Mary recipe. It’s not that I hadn’t had plenty of Bloody Mary recipes. I had. The fact is, I had never really put too much thought into what makes a perfect bloody Mary.

Ernest Hemingway broke down the essential elements of the bloody Mary.  The way he mixed the drink reflected the way he lived- LARGE! rather than get overly creative with ingredients like pickle juice, tiger sauce, port wine, or whatever the flavor of the month is, Hemingway kept it simple.  Like his writing style, the Ernest Hemingway bloody Mary recipe is lean and athletic.

Ernest Hemingway, in my view,  personified the spirit of this website. By prescribing no amount less than a pitcher, he made a statement.

Hemingway Bloody Mary Recipe
Recipe:
To a large pitcher (anything smaller is “worthless”) add:
1 chunk of ice (the biggest that will fit)
1 pint of vodka
1 pint chilled tomato juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 jigger fresh lime juice
Pinch celery salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
Pinch black pepper
Several drops of Tabasco

“Keep on stirring and taste it to see how it is doing. If you gets it too powerful weaken with more tomato juice. If it lacks authority add more vodka.”

From a letter to Bernard Peyton signed
April 5, 1947 by Ernest Hemingway

-Greg Tooke My short bio