Red Snapper
A savory and sour gin cocktail ∙ Roll ∙ 3 min ∙ 9.9% ABV ∙
The Red Snapper is gin's answer to the Bloody Mary: London dry gin rolled with tomato juice, lemon and savory spices in a celery-salt-rimmed glass.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Rim the glass with celery salt and cracked black pepper (moisten the outside edge with lemon juice and dip into the mix)
- Roll all ingredients with ice: London dry gin 60 mlTomato juice 120 mlLemon juice 15 mlSugar syrup 10 mlWorcestershire sauce 4 dashes (opt.)Tabasco sauce 2 dashesBlack pepper 2 grindsCelery salt 2 pinches
- Strain into the ice-filled glass
- Garnish with a celery slice and pickles
Tips
- Roll the mix gently between two shakers so the tomato juice stays smooth and doesn't turn frothy.
History
The Red Snapper is best known today as the gin-based sibling of the Bloody Mary, swapping vodka's neutral base for gin's juniper-forward botanicals. The name is usually traced to the King Cole Bar in New York's St. Regis Hotel in 1934, where French bartender Fernand Petiot had brought over the tomato-juice drink he had developed at Harry's New York Bar in Paris. Petiot's cocktail was originally called the Bloody Mary, but the hotel's management judged that name too coarse for its genteel clientele and rechristened it Red Snapper. Over time the name settled on the gin version, while vodka versions kept the Bloody Mary name.
FAQ
What is a Red Snapper cocktail?
A Bloody Mary made with gin instead of vodka. London dry gin is rolled with ice, tomato juice, lemon juice, sugar syrup, Tabasco, black pepper and celery salt, with Worcestershire optional. It is served in a highball glass rimmed with celery salt and pepper.
Why is a gin Bloody Mary called a Red Snapper?
The name is generally traced to the King Cole Bar at New York's St. Regis Hotel, where management reportedly renamed the Bloody Mary to suit its genteel clientele. Over time Red Snapper stuck as the term for the gin-based recipe.
