Three People Claim to Have Made the First Bloody Mary
The story of the Bloody Mary is exactly as messy as the drink itself. At least three people — and two continents — have laid claim to its invention, and none of them can fully prove it. Here is what we know.
Fernand Petiot, Harry's New York Bar, Paris, 1921
The most widely cited origin places the Bloody Mary at Harry's New York Bar in Paris in 1921. Fernand Petiot, a French bartender working for an American clientele, claims he was the first to mix vodka with tomato juice. He later brought the recipe to the St. Regis Hotel in New York in 1934, where he added the Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and Tabasco that we recognize today.
George Jessel, New York, 1939
American comedian and entertainer George Jessel claimed in multiple interviews that he invented the Bloody Mary in the late 1930s after mixing vodka with tomato juice at a party in Palm Beach. Some accounts suggest it was named after a woman named Mary who was present. Petiot dismissed this entirely.
Hemingway Gets Involved, Because of Course He Does
Ernest Hemingway allegedly introduced the drink to the Ritz Bar in Paris, claiming it didn't smell like he was drinking. Whether this is invention or just enthusiastic promotion remains unclear, but it is very on-brand for Hemingway.
The Name: Bloody Mary I of England
Regardless of who made the drink, the name almost certainly references Mary Tudor, Queen of England from 1553 to 1558, who executed hundreds of Protestants during her reign and earned the nickname 'Bloody Mary.' The cocktail's color sealed the connection.
Why Does Any of This Matter for a Drinks Brand?
History sells. When a customer picks up a Bloody Mary mix, they are not just buying tomato juice and spice. They are buying into a century of culture, a trans-Atlantic story, and a drink that has survived two world wars, Prohibition, and the rise of the mimosa. Manny's Ultimate Mixes carries that legacy in every bottle.