Just make it bloody good

Don't get too cute with your Bloody MaryI didn't always like bloody marys. I blame an early childhood incident in which we coated our collie with tomato juice after a run-in with a skunk. (The juice was supposed to make the stench go away.) But my mother, who considered the viscous vermilion swill a tonic for nearly any affliction, loved them. So I was more than happy to make them for her now and then: All it took was a good slug of Smirnoff (the only vodka we had in the house, and one I still like), a can of tomato juice (or, as my mother sometimes preferred, Clamato), a shake of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce, a heaping teaspoon of grated horseradish, a few shakes of black pepper, a good stir with ice, a lemon wedge for garnish, and that was that.The bloody mary's origins remain shrouded in a black-pepper-and-celery-salt cloud. Some say it was born at the hands of a barman in Paris around 1921. Another theory -- with a pleasurable dash of irony -- is that it is an adaptation of an alcohol-free, Prohibition-era drink promoted by the tomato-juice industry. All that's certain is that ever since, it has been subjected to oodles of sadistic ministrations. (Perhaps you've seen the photo of the bloody mary garnished with a small cheeseburger?) Some bartenders and civilians apply lip-numbing spice mixes to the rim of the glass. Thick strips of bacon stand at attention where a modest celery stick once casually leaned. Anything that can be pickled and impaled with a toothpick has had its moment.But like many classic cocktails, a bloody mary depends most heavily on a harmonious balance of flavors. And I think this is a special case in which freshest does not necessarily mean best. Does fresh tomato juice make a bloody mary taste fresher? Sure, but juice from a can could spare you from drinking down what tastes like a glass of spiked salsa. (Where horseradish is concerned, though, only the freshly grated stuff will do.)Lately, many bars have been offering a make-your-own version: They mix the basic drink; you choose the garnishes. This may be gimmicky, sure, but most of us, given the choice, wouldn't mind having some say in how we top off our bloodys. The key is to keep the drink itself straightforward -- an overabundance of hot sauce or Worcestershire or celery salt ruins it -- so that the garnishes can shine a little. Decades after making bloody marys for my mother, I found that the garnishes helped me come around to how bracing and fortifying the drink can be. I'll take a poached shrimp, a celery stick, a wedge of lemon and a big, frilly fennel frond. You can have the slider.While this recipe is adapted from my years as a lady who brunched, the bloody mary should not be confined to the early afternoon. I honor the quietly rebellious sort who bellies up to a bar, alone, well after the sun has set and orders a bloody mary. Because why not have one at midnight too?+++Lu's Bloody MaryMy friend Lu Ratunil was the man behind the bar on Sundays at Good World, my favorite brunch spotwhen I was still the sort of person who went out to brunch. He considers himself a bit of a purist when it comes to bloody marys, explaining that ''since the drink has so many ingredients, the key is to balance them.''IngredientsLemon wedgeLime wedge4 oz. tomatojuice2 dashes Tabasco2 dashes WorcestershiresaucePinch of sea saltPinch of celery saltPinch of coarselyground pepper(pepper too finelyground will bringmore heat andless flavor)1/4 teaspoon peeledand freshlyshreddedhorseradish(avoid usingpreparedhorseradishfrom a jar)2 oz. vodka(not flavored)GarnishSlice of seedlesscucumberPitted green oliveLemon wedgePepper1. Squeeze lemon and limewedges into a shaker. Add all other ingredients except vodka, andstir. Taste the mix, and adjust the seasoning if needed. Put the mixin the fridge, and let it sit overnight.2. Pour vodka into the shaker. Addice cubes, and shake.3. Fill an 8-ounce glass about halfway with ice, and strain the shaker contents over it.4. For garnish, I prefer a slice of seedless cucumber, also knownas a hothouse or English cucumber, rather than celery. (This isn't a deal breaker, though.) Cut a ½-inch-thick slice of cucumber on the bias.Cut a slit in the slice, and place on the rim of the glass. Spear thepitted green olive with a toothpick, and stick it through the rind ofthe lemon wedge. Place the wedge on the rim of the glass. Crack alittle freshly ground pepper on top.Yield: 1 drink. © 2014 The New York TimesPhoto source: Thinkstock