The Best Bloody Mary I've Ever Had

Photo Via http://www.sodiumgirl.com

The Best Bloody Mary I've Ever Had

I remember waiting at the lights, feeling sick, awaiting the sweet hair of the dog cure I knew the Bloody Mary would provide for me.

Many memories are formed with aid of our senses; the smell of a chlorine-filled pool may evoke the memory of early morning sun-soaked swimming lessons your parents had you take as a child, how small your footprints were and how quickly they dried on the hot cement as you watched them evaporate, comfortably wrapped in your towel, exhausted on a lawn chair. Then there's always the song regurgitated from the shuffle setting on iTunes that reminds you of a person you used to date, and maybe, if you're like me, Alanis Moresette's Isn't it Ironic reminds you of a cherry-colored Dodge minivan, and shin guards.

When I was in Barcelona, a good friend of mine had her father come visit. He came out to the bar with us, ordered a Pilsner Urquel, and told me a really engaging story about how every time he drinks that particular beer it reminded him of a girl he fell in love with in the Czech Republic in the 80s. Being significantly younger than he, I was happy to learn that these memories seem to last. I knew which ones I would remember and for whatever reason. I was comforted. My (shall we say) beverage induced memory didn't revolve around a beer, but a very particular fan favorite and classic mixed drink: The Bloody Mary.

Ithaca College Circle Apartments

I was still in college, a senior, and my friend Adam Berry was coming back up to visit us. It had been about a year since we had seen him, and we were all eager to catch up and listen to some music and drink! So naturally, we decided to throw a party where he would be the DJ of honor (Adam AKA Beebs is a nasty DJ where-in nasty is a compliment). We were living in the circle apartments on the north side of campus, that were a little more nature-y. There was a little pond in the back. It was loaded with objects not naturally found in ponds. Somethings, I suppose, found themselves there accidentally, like sporting equipment or papers I imagine the wind got a hold of. Other things I suspect got themselves there more deliberately: a broken chair, a plethora of bottles and cans, and the occasional broken bike.

Beebs, Pre-Beard. Drunk. (It was a costume party)

We had a great night, Beebs was spinning some tunes, everyone drinking a little too much.
   
I awoke in the morning at an ungodly hour. Well, ungodly for a hungover college kid. It was that "you-need-to-wake-up-and-get-some-water" kind of auto-pilot rescue your body pulls on you. So like a zombie I obeyed, and after filling a glass of the most refreshing ice-water I noticed Adam was awake.

A Random Party Casualty

We both felt like shit. We were young but still beyond the age when drinking wouldn't take a toll. (remember that?) I recall smells of stale beer and gagging. Adam was in the same boat.
"EVERYONE WAKE UP IT'S 8AM."  I shouted at my room mates loud enough to pierce through every closed door in the apartment.
"ADAM'S GOTTA LEAVE LATER, WAKE UP YOU, F&*!S."
Only groans.
I took another sip of my water, shouting in this condition was draining.
"What do you wanna do man? These guys may be sleeping for another four hours" I asked Adam.
"Wegmans. Let's go. I need a Bloody Mary."

We hopped in the S60R and drove down to Wegmans. That store is awesome, but I'll save that for another write-up. I remember waiting at the lights, feeling sick, awaiting the sweet hair of the dog cure I knew the Bloody Mary would provide for me.

Wegmans. Photo Via http://egocollatisviribus.tumblr.com

We gathered up the ingredients, having trouble with the Worcestershire sauce... We couldn't find it anywhere; we must have been looking for it for twenty minutes. We asked several people and they didn't know. Eventually someone led us to it; it was next to the yogurt, which seemed strange to me having never bought Worcestershire before. With everything we needed, we loaded up the car and drove back up to the apartment.

Everyone was still asleep, but we cleared the kitchen and cleaned it up as best we could short of hiring a fumigator, and Adam proceeded to make his Bloody Mary. Leaving Adam to do his thing, I grabbed a bunch of Solo Cups and walked outside to set up our back yard with the mangled lawn chairs and plastic furniture. I sat down. I started to perspire in the hot, and now risen sun. I heard the blender, and suspected that is what got my room mates out of bed, who started to fill the empty seats beside me. We started to recount the previous night, as we usually did.

Adam came out with the Bloody Mary and filled cups and passed them out. My room mate spoke first.
"Man, we're all gonna have to leave this place soon."
We were all gazing out at the pond, inspecting for new additions of items that accumulated since last night while we drank our Bloody Marys out of solo cups. Thick, spicy liquid slowly brought me back to life. I was drinking myself back toward sobriety.
"Yeeap..."

Post Graduation, Circle Apartment Crew. (L to R) Patrick, Chris, Andrew, and Paul.

It was the best Bloody Mary I've ever had in my life.

- Patrick from Tipped Mixology