The Bloody Mary has for decades been a staple for diners at the Mandarin Grill. So when the restaurant recently lifted the curtain on its smart Terence Conran redesign, it also unveiled a similarly impressive list of Marys - the most comprehensive in town, if not the world.
No lesser talent than Angus Winchester, the world's No 1 name in mixology, was called in to create the menu, which features more than 20 Marys, and he spent two months training staff how to make them. Winchester has turned the traditional Mary on its head; sometimes using aged tequila, malt whisky or gin as a base instead of vodka, and substituting tomato juice with muddled red pepper, green tomato or cucumber for a mouthwatering variety of fresh, zingy cocktails.
Winchester's exact recipes are a closely guarded secret, although restaurant manager Marco Rosado is happy to reveal the basics, saying it's the subtle weighting of the traditional ingredients - or the cocktail guru's 'secret formula' - that makes the perfect Mary. But any connoisseur
can juggle the ingredients at home and find the measurements that best suit their taste.
'The original Mary [created in Paris] was made with a dash of sherry for sweetness,' says Rosado, explaining that the Grill uses red wine for similar effect. 'It was something to drink after a night when you had consumed a little too much spirit. It cleans the stomach and helps the digestive system.'
Despite the number of Marys on the Grill's menu, Rosado cautions against indulging in too many.
'Tomato juice is very rich. It's almost like having gazpacho,' he says.
