Wendy WilliamsHOW nice to read that at least one company in the world is focusing its research activities on important matters that materially affect the general public at large and me in particular.
I refer, of course, to International Flavors and Fragrances Inc (IFF) of New Jersey, USA, which has invested its entire research budget in proving that the perfect Bloody Mary cocktail can be made without using premium brand vodka.
It is perhaps a pity that nobody in the company bothered to check the spelling of the word “Flavors” – there is a statutory “u” somewhere towards the end – but, if the Nobel Prize committee is short of a candidate for the physics gong they need look no further!
In the Bartie household the Bloody Mary is Sunday breakfast.
Never mind what happened on Saturday night; after breakfast on Sunday morning God is in His Heaven and all is well with the world.
This is such an effective heart starter that I am surprised it is not more frequently prescribed by family doctors as a cure for depression, hangover, acid reflux and amoebic dysentery.
Actually I am not entirely certain that a Bloody Mary will cure amoebic dysentery but I have no doubt that ingesting enough of them will reduce the status of the affliction to that of a minor irritant.
Traditionally, a Bloody Mary is concocted by mixing a decent shot of vodka with fresh tomato juice in the ratio 1:2 over ice.
In the Bartie camp this ratio is reversed.
Lemon juice, Worcester sauce and a dash of Tabasco are essential additions but, personally, I wouldn’t waste the energy on dressing the glass with sticks of celery, though a wedge of lime is perfectly acceptable.
What the good chaps at IFF have achieved is proof that one can confidently use inexpensive vodkas as the flavour compounds from the other ingredients effectively disguise any shortcomings that would otherwise be evident.
Despite IFF’s findings, I still prefer Kauffman Luxury Vintage vodka in my Bloody Mary.
If the boffins had consulted me I would have recommended they add a shot of sherry just before serving.
Done properly this extends the effect of the breakfast Bloody Mary right through lunch and well into the afternoon siesta.
