The Red Snapper at King Cole Bar is recognizably a Bloody Mary, but the name and proportions tell a more specific story. It is the St. Regis New York’s signature tomato cocktail, linked to bartender Fernand Petiot and the hotel since 1934. The bar still serves it beneath Maxfield Parrish’s Old King Cole mural.
This version follows a recipe published for the drink’s 90th anniversary: one ounce of vodka with 11 ounces of the seasoned house-style tomato mix. That is much lighter and longer than the average modern brunch Bloody Mary. It also makes the seasoning, not the vodka, the main event.
What King Cole Bar Actually Serves
The St. Regis currently describes the Red Snapper with vodka, tomato juice, lemon, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Its official dining page calls the drink a King Cole Bar signature and encourages guests to order it. The page does not list the current price or measured recipe.
For the drink’s 90th birthday in 2024, a published St. Regis recipe specified one ounce of vodka and 11 ounces of signature mix. The batch behind that mix included tomato juice, lemon, Worcestershire, Tabasco, ground and whole black pepper, cayenne and celery salt. This home version scales those same flavors into a single glass without requiring a restaurant-size batch.
Recent independent reports place the drink from roughly $25 to $32, but those figures conflict and may reflect different dates. With no price on the hotel’s current public page, it is best to confirm directly.
The 1934 Story, With Context
The St. Regis says Petiot introduced the Red Snapper at the hotel in 1934 after a guest, Serge Obolensky, requested the vodka-and-tomato drink he knew from Paris. Petiot seasoned it with salt, pepper, lemon and Worcestershire. According to the hotel, the Bloody Mary name sounded too vulgar for the refined room, so Red Snapper became the local name.
That history does not settle the full origin of the Bloody Mary. Harry’s New York Bar in Paris claims Petiot created an earlier version in 1921, while George Jessel was connected in print to a simpler half-vodka, half-tomato mixture by 1939. Petiot later distinguished that basic drink from the seasoned formula he developed. King Cole Bar can confidently claim a defining New York version, even if one sole inventor remains disputed.
Why Typical Copycats Miss
Most home Bloody Mary recipes begin with two ounces of vodka and four ounces of tomato juice. That can be excellent, but it is not the long anniversary formula associated with this Red Snapper. Doubling the vodka changes both the strength and the balance.
The next error is seasoning by instinct until every flavor shouts. Worcestershire, Tabasco, celery salt, cayenne and black pepper build quickly. Measure the sauce, use a small pinch of cayenne and let guests add heat at the table.
Finally, skip the tower of bacon, shrimp, cheese and pickles. The reported hotel recipe calls for a lemon wedge. A simple garnish keeps attention on a historic cocktail rather than turning the rim into a buffet.
The Key Technique: Season Before Chilling
Stir all of the seasoning into the tomato juice before vodka or ice enters the shaker. This disperses dry celery salt and cayenne and prevents concentrated pockets of Worcestershire at the bottom.
The anniversary instructions call for shaking and straining over fresh ice. Use a large shaker because the drink contains about 12 ounces before ice. Ten seconds is enough to chill it. A prolonged hard shake can aerate tomato juice into a pale, foamy texture.
Taste the seasoned mix before shaking. Tomato juice brands vary greatly in sodium, so the measured celery salt may need a slight reduction. The finished drink should be savory and peppery, with lemon lifting the tomato and a low, steady chile warmth.
Make the Mix Ahead for Brunch
For eight Red Snappers, combine 82 oz (2.43 L) tomato juice, 4 oz (120 ml) fresh lemon juice, 2 oz (60 ml) Worcestershire, 16 dashes Tabasco, 1 teaspoon celery salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne. Refrigerate the sealed mix for up to one day.
Stir very well before service because the pepper settles. For each drink, shake 11 oz (325 ml) mix with 1 oz (30 ml) vodka and ice, then strain over fresh ice. This is a large batch, so confirm that your pitcher and refrigerator have enough room before starting.
The Little King Mocktail
Tomato-based cocktails adapt naturally to zero proof, but simply omitting vodka can make the finish feel soft. Chilled lapsang souchong tea adds tannin and a trace of smoke without sweetness. Use only one ounce so it supports rather than dominates the tomato.
Choose an alcohol-free Worcestershire and hot sauce when strict avoidance matters. Standard Worcestershire commonly contains anchovy, so a labeled vegan alternative is also useful for guests who avoid fish.
The Red Snapper’s appeal is restraint: a light vodka pour, a generously seasoned tomato base and one lemon wedge. Its history is complicated, but the St. Regis connection and the drink’s current place at King Cole Bar are not.
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