The Bloody Mary invented

Fernand Petiot, a bartender at Harry's New York Bar in Paris, claimed to have invented the Bloody Mary in 1921, originally calling it a "Bucket of Blood" and consisting of just vodka and tomato juice. Later, in 1934, at the King Cole Room in New York’s St. Regis Hotel, he refined it by adding spices, as part of an evolution of George Jessel’s earlier version. The drink’s name, recipe, and popularity evolved over the years, with claims from both the 21 Club and Harry's Bar as contributors to its development.

New York's 21 Club has two noted claims to the invention of the Bloody Mary cocktail. One story credits bartender Henry Zbikiewicz with creating the drink in the 1930s, while another attributes it to comedian George Jessel, a regular at the club. In 1939, columnist Lucius Beebe referenced Jessel’s Bloody Mary, describing the recipe as a simple mix of half tomato juice and half vodka, marking one of the earliest mentions of the drink in the United States.