Bloody Mary

There are as many variations of this drink as there are stories of its origins. As one of the original "restorative" cocktails (morning-after drinks), this drink has been popular for years.

Blood Mary History
There does not appear to be any one definitive answer to the Bloody Mary's origin so we offer the following five theories.

1. The "Bucket of Blood" theory: It was a popular bar in Chicago for the newspaper crowd in the 1920s. This drink was the house specialty and the name stuck.

2. Scottish Queen theory: The drink is named after a nasty Scottish queen named Mary who was known to spill a lot of blood as she pursued vengeance on those that betrayed her.

3. Was Bloody Mary a character from the musical South Pacific?

	Bloody Mary recipe Try the same drink with Rum: Rum Bloody Mary Try the same basic recipe with tequila and you would be trying a "Tequila Maria" or a "Mexicala Mary." Use Irish whisky and you have a Shamrock Mary; with Sake, a Sake Mary, and so on and so on. Our favorite Bloody Mary name: Mel Torme's Bloody Mary. The background on this name still eludes us, though Judge Harry Stone from Night Court would love it. (Editor's note: some of our contributors clearly spent far too much time in front of the TV.)

4. Harry's bar theory #1: Did a bartender from Harry's New York bar in Paris really name this drink after his girlfriend Mary, who always kept him waiting: "Damn that Bloody Mary."

5. Harry's bar theory #2: Bartender Fernand "Pete" Petoit added spices and Worcestershire to the already popular combination of vodka and tomato juice and named this new drink after his favorite actress -- Mary Pickford.

Bonus Trivia: When the recipe for the Bloody Mary traveled to New York City with "Pete" Petoit his new bar felt the name would be offensive and so the Bloody Mary became known as the the Red Snapper for many years.

Voodoo Caesar

With a great name for a Halloween-time Caesar, this spicy version of a traditional Caesar can be made as spicy as you and your guests desire.

Voodoo Caesar recipe>>

Caesar History
Tomato clam juice is the integral ingredient in the Caesar Cocktail, a Canadian invention. It was developed in Calgary, Alberta, in 1969 by bartender Walter Chell to mark the opening of a new restaurant named Marco's.

Caesar Trivia
The Caesar is Canada's #1 selling cocktail. In fact, more than 250 million Caesars are sold every year.

We have lots of great Caesar recipes: Caesar Recipe Guide

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Related links:

• All about the Caesar
• Halloween cocktails and drinks
• Hangover cures?