Ask For Gin In Your Bloody Mary For A Whole New Cocktail Experience

Everyone is familiar with the Bloody Mary, the age-old hangover cure that fends off the after-effects of alcohol with even more alcohol in a healthy helping of tomato juice. But what if there was another way to mix up this drink that might make it an even more flavorful experience? Meet the Red Snapper, a twist on the Bloody Mary that substitutes the drink's usual vodka infusion with gin.

While there is no universal recipe for a Bloody Mary as virtually everyone prefers different ratios of ingredients and various garnishes, tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, tabasco sauce, salt, pepper, and vodka are typically featured, as is a celery garnish. While many people add other seasonings or possibly mix up the tomato juice by using a tomato-based juice like V8, most would not think to switch out the alcoholic component of the drink. However, a Red Snapper is virtually the exact same drink with gin instead of vodka, a change that tends to make it feel a bit more sophisticated.

While vodka is largely flavorless apart from the taste of alcohol, gin has a very distinct citrus-pine flavor that contrasts well with the spices of a Bloody Mary. The flavorful gin also makes the drink feel less watered-down.

Interestingly, while vodka is the go-to alcohol for this boozy brunch staple, it's likely that the first Bloody Marys served in the U.S. were actually Red Snappers — both in name and in ingredients. The Bloody Mary was first invented in Paris in the 1920s by bartender Fernand Petiot at an American-style bar. At the time, vodka was becoming popular in France as many Russians fleeing the revolution had settled in Paris. Since Prohibition was in full force in the U.S., canned "tomato juice cocktails" with various seasonings had become a popular drink, and it didn't take Petiot long to combine the two with some extra lemon and spices into a drink he called a Bloody Mary.

When Prohibition ended, Petiot went to New York and began working as the bartender at the St. Regis hotel, however, vodka was still not common or popular in the states, though gin was. The logical substitution was made, and the management at the hotel allegedly re-dubbed the drink a Red Snapper to avoid the use of the word "bloody" on the menu. While it didn't take long for vodka to find its way to America and into everyone's favorite tomato-based cocktail, there are some who still prefer the more robust taste of Snapper.