One finds a saying which states, "Whenever we consume alcohol, we are borrowing happiness from tomorrow." It has always seemed like a especially reassuring idea whenever I'm suffering from a especially awful hangover. Curiously, up until recently, I mistakenly credited this saying to the famous physicist, simply because I saw it in italic text over a black-and-white photo of a famous person. How awkward! I have even heard it shared by James Corden, so who actually said it first? That's anyone's guess.
Anyway, now that the warm season is over, most of us think that the year's major alcohol consumption is securely behind us. Fall is akin to the morning after of the calendar year. Spring is the pre-drinks, summer the big blow-out, and the cold season the enormous, restorative comfort food. And, whenever I think about hangovers, I often recall the bloody mary. It's one of those beverages whose origins are not entirely clear, but the widely believed story is that it was invented by Fernand Petiot in the Roaring Twenties, while he was working at Harry's New York Bar in the French capital.
The Traditional Bloody Mary Formula
As per the International Bartenders Association, the drink is recognised as a blend of clear spirit, red juice, citrus, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, celery salt, and spice. That is how stickler devotees would prefer it—and I count myself as one of them. When preparing a bloody mary from the beginning, you are told to mix all these ingredients over ice, then transfer them into a highball loaded with new cubes. That means it's chilled by ice twice before consuming, but I like my tomato cocktails for their, ahem, blood-like viscosity, so I stir only minimally.
Beyond Traditional Spirits: The Emergence of Tequila Variations
Bloody mary traditionalists, look away at this point: I have also noticed a increase of popularity in bloody marias, or bloody marys using tequila, smoky liquor, or other Mexican alcohol. So I asked a beverage expert why this is happening: "High-grade agave spirits inherently have differing bright and vegetal flavors that complement the main ingredient," he says. "Mezcal, in particular, catches the current trend for smoky tastes and, with the continued 'premiumisation' in liquors, those with provenance are eroding the clear spirit market, which is probably why we're seeing this change."
And, should your body doesn't mind additional challenge, getting back on the proverbial saddle with a few these cocktails could be as good a remedy as anything else—though I'm not completely certain of the science supporting this claim, sorry.
Four Bloody Mary Premixes for Hangovers
- A brand classic bloody mary – £3.50 (Single serve), Moderate ABV. One single serve container of a consistently excellent cocktail. A touch of umami flavor truly makes this.
- Another brand bloody mary preparation – Reasonable cost (750ml), 0%. Add your liquor of preference, or serve as is over cubes for a virgin mary.
- A third option horseradish and wasabi cocktail – £14.92 (500ml), 10%. Standard hot sauce not hot enough for you? Try this on for a test.
- The brand standard tequila variation – Value pack (6 x 250ml), 6.1%. Not suitable for traditionalists, but certainly one for mezcal-lovers, with the inclusion of jalepeño-infused pickle juice.
