How to Make 4 Not-So-Average Bloody Mary Cocktails

In the world of cocktails, there might not be a more easily recognizable (by sight or taste) drink than a Bloody Mary. The savory, spicy, vodka-spiked, tomato juice–based hair of the dog is a brunch staple with a history as murky as the hue of the drink itself. Conflicting reports regarding its provenance and creator run the gamut, but its physical form has been much more durable. Until now.

Bartenders from the South of France to Las Vegas are transforming the Bloody Mary into unrecognizable iterations: Some don’t look anything like the tall glass of red liquid with celery stalks shooting out of it. And others are even making the move from brunchtime to nighttime. Is the Bloody Mary more versatile than we originally thought?

At Bar Galerie du Fouquet’s in Cannes, France, bar manager Emanuele Balestra says it is the Bloody Mary’s complexity in recipe and flavor that makes it a great candidate for reinvention. But to create a version of it that makes sense for, say, a pre-dinner cocktail, he needed to lighten the recipe. (He says the original is as heavy as “a very light meal.”) His Bloody Majestic’s juice is from yellow tomatoes, less acidic and smoother than red tomatoes, and to add savory depth, Gold Dragon sake from central Japan’s Gunma prefecture imparts salinity and rich floral notes. A rye vodka from Poland brings a bit of spice and a touch of honey.

At The St. Regis Venice, the Santa Maria, served in a handmade Murano coupe, might inspire a double take and a verbal confirmation from your bartender that you’re indeed drinking their version of the Bloody Mary: The cocktail is crystal-clear! But make no mistake –– there is tomato juice in there; it’s just been clarified and then mixed with horseradish-infused vodka and a housemade tincture made from cayenne and black pepper. To strengthen the Italian connection, verjus is used in place of lemon and a grappa is added as a finishing spritz.

As a hotel brand, St. Regis serves a local twist on the Bloody Mary to honor one of the cocktail’s origin stories: Legend has it that the recipe was perfected in the New York hotel’s King Cole Bar in 1934. But in Venice, director of bars and restaurants Facundo Gallegos was committed to making his mark. “The initial idea was to create a very different Bloody Mary from any other we could find in the St. Regis Hotels,” he explains. “I wanted a lighter cocktail that could be enjoyed even as an aperitivo before dinner.”

Read on for four of our favorite creative takes on the classic Bloody Mary.