The St. Regis Hotels claims the Bloody Mary as their creation. Every member of the international chain has its own signature take on the original. At the St. Regis Monarch Beach in California, it’s the Agave Maria.
Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Fernand Petiot was the bartender at The St. Regis New York’s King Cole Bar in 1934. He created the traditional recipe for the vodka and tomato juice cocktail, and — though the name changed from Bloody Mary to Red Snapper and back again – Petiot’s work became a mixology fixture around the world.
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Organic, native California ingredients make up the St. Regis Monarch Beach variation, such as fresh limes and native garlic. But, it’s the change up to the drink’s primary alcohol that makes the drink. The Agave Maria swaps in tequila for vodka, while also amping up the heat with additional spice.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces anejo tequila
- 1 1/2 ounces fresh lime juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 chopped cucumber
- 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 5 dashes hot sauce
- 8 ice cubes
- 5 ounces tomato juice
- 1 lime wedge lime
- 1 small celery stalk
Directions
Combine tequila, lime juice, garlic, cucumber, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Blend until cucumber is puréed.
Fill an 8-ounce glass with ice and pour in blended mixture. Add tomato juice and stir. Squeeze lime into drink until fully juiced. Garnish with celery stalk and serve.
The resulting drink has the texture of the Bloody Mary, but the tequila makes the experience richer and fuller. But, if you order one, you’d best enjoy heat because it’s a notch spicier than the standard Bloody Mary.
