One finds a saying that states, "Whenever we drink alcohol, we take out a loan on happiness from tomorrow." It has always felt like a especially reassuring idea whenever I'm dealing with a particularly bad hangover. Curiously, up until not long ago, I mistakenly attributed this quote to Albert Einstein, just because I read it in italic writing over a monochrome photo of a well-known person. How awkward! I have even heard it shared by James Corden, so which one of them actually uttered it originally? It's up for debate.
Anyway, since summer is over, most of us think that the annual big drinking is safely in the past. Fall is like the hangover of the calendar year. The spring season is the warm-up, summer the major celebration, and the cold season the huge, healing comfort food. And, whenever I consider hangovers, I often think of the tomato-based cocktail. It's one of those beverages whose beginnings are not entirely clear, but the widely believed story is that it was invented by Fernand Petiot in the Roaring Twenties, while he was employed at Harry's New York Bar in Paris.
The Traditional Bloody Mary Recipe
As per the International Bartenders Association, the cocktail is defined as a blend of vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, savory sauce, hot sauce, seasoning, and spice. This is how stickler fans would prefer it—and I am one of them. If you're making a bloody mary from scratch, you are instructed to stir all these ingredients over ice, then pour them into a tall glass filled with new cubes. That means it's passed through ice twice before consuming, but I like my bloody marys for their, ahem, thick consistency, so I mix only very sparingly.
Apart From Traditional Spirits: The Emergence of Tequila Variations
Bloody mary purists, avert your eyes at this point: I've also been seeing a rise of popularity in bloody marias, or bloody marys made with tequila, mezcal, or another agave spirit. So I asked a creative director the reason this is happening: "Good quality tequila and mezcal naturally have contrasting bright and vegetal flavors that pair well with tomato juice," he explained. "This spirit, especially, touches on the current trend for smoke-infused flavors and, with the ongoing 'premiumisation' in spirits, those from specific origins are taking share from the clear spirit market, that's probably why we're observing this change."
And, if your body doesn't mind additional assault, getting back on the figurative horse with a few bloody marys may be as effective a remedy as any—although I'm not entirely certain of the medical reasoning behind this claim, apologies.
Four Tomato Cocktail Ready-to-Drink Options for Hangovers
- A brand traditional tomato cocktail – Affordable price (250ml), 6.3%. A single serve can of a reliably excellent bloody mary. The dash of soy sauce really enhances it.
- Another brand tomato mix – Reasonable cost (750ml), Non-alcoholic. Mix in your liquor of choice, or serve as is over cubes for a virgin mary.
- A third option horseradish and wasabi cocktail – £14.92 (Medium bottle), 10%. Tabasco not spicy enough for you? Give this on for size.
- The brand standard bloody maria – £26 (Six cans), Similar strength. Not suitable for traditionalists, but definitely one for fans of smoky spirits, with the inclusion of jalepeño-infused pickle juice.
