A Drinker's Notebook No. 8: Titrating a Bloody at 7452 Feet

The Bloody Mary, perhaps the world's best savory cocktail, was reportedly invented in the 1930s at the King Cole Bar at the St. Regis hotel in New York City. Since then, each new St. Regis location has come up with its own version of the classic Bloody Mary. So when I was finished with a tour of Main Street in Park City, Utah, recently, my host from the Chamber of Commerce, Amy Kersey, asked me what I wanted to do next, as we were way early for our planned lunch at the Montage Deer Valley. In no time we were on the funicular up the mountain to the St. Regis Deer Park. It was 11:29 - perfect timing, as most bars in Utah open at 11:30. We were seated on a rooftop terrace overlooking the mountain where bikers were criss-crossing the slopes on their way to the top and where workers with chain saws were cutting a new ski run high above us. Amy opted out of a real drink - we both were working, but to different drummers - and soon I had the "7452 Mary," named for the altitude, placed before me. If featured St. Regis' base Bloody Mary mix, its house vodka, a dash of cayenne and a rim of black lava salt served in a squat glass. The kicker was a small pipette planted in the middle of the glass and filled with an espuma of wasabi and celery. I could titrate as little or a much as I wanted. Fearing an overdose, I went to the low side - injecting just a couple of drops. The drink was magnificent as was the conversation, between sips, with Amy. As we rode back down the incline, I decided that, in this case, the view was definitely worth the climb.