Vodka: Russian Standard

VODKA, Tabasco sauce, Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce, tomato juice, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and a stick of celery – the Bloody Mary probably has one of the strangest sets of ingredients ever for a cocktail. In fact, it sounds more like a smoothie (albeit one with vodka) than a cocktail.

However, when you shake all these seemingly un-cocktail-like ingredients together with ice and strain it into a glass, the result is a surprisingly yummy myriad of fresh and rich flavours.

Its creation is generally credited to renowned 1920s bartender Fernand Petiot (Cocktails Made Easy, Simon Difford), though exactly how, where and when he created the drink is not confirmed, nor is the reason he called it a Bloody Mary.

While the Bloody Mary can be an acquired taste for some (the spiciness of the Tabasco and the meat flavours of the Worcestershire sauce certainly take some getting used to), it’s one of the most unique and iconic cocktails ever invented, one you can drink anytime – whether in the night (just add more vodka) or in the morning as a hangover cure.

Ng’s use of Russian Standard, a smoother vodka which has a lot more character than most other vodkas, helped to make the drink smoother and more velvety, proving that even in a flavourful drink like this, the vodka is not just there to increase the alcohol level.

“I used Russian Standard to get that nice typical Russian vodka edge to the drink. It helps to add some spiciness to the drink as well,” he said.

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