The Energizing Elixir
A savory cure-all cocktail gets a Cajun kick at Uncle T’s Oyster Bar in Scott
There’s something about a toothpick that starts the creative bloody mary juices flowing. Over the years, the spicy tomato-vodka-citrus concoction has risen from a curiosity at Harry’s Bar in Paris to a social media phenomena of outlandish garnishes.
“You don’t know what to expect next,” says Brian Bartels, author of “The Bloody Mary.”
“It’s the Madonna of cocktails,” notes cocktail historian Jack McGarry, co-founder of New York’s world-renowned Dead Rabbit bar.
Considered the healthiest classic cocktail, the bloody mary’s main element, tomato juice, is packed with nutrients including lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. Worcestershire sauce (included in Old Bay mixes) provides immunity-boosting vitamin B6.
Like Acadiana’s most iconic dish, the drink invites unbridled interpretation.
“It’s like gumbo,” says Anthony Hebert, owner of Uncle T’s Oyster Bar (named Best Bar with the Best Bloody Mary by the 2023 Best of Acadiana Community Choice Awards). “Everybody has a favorite way to make bloody marys.”
The cocktail’s debut as a viral sensation is attributed to Sobelman’s Pub in Milwaukee, when Facebook posts began appearing with outlandish garnishes in 2012, from cheeseburgers to a four-pound fried chicken.
Armed with toothpicks and skewers, bartenders began the national garnish wars, piling on everything from lamb chops to lobsters, bagels to tater tots. Acadiana’s flamboyance included boiled crawfish draped over rims and soft-shell crabs peering with lemon smiles.
“The secret to our Smoked Cajun Mary is a drop of liquid smoke, glasses rimmed with Uncle T’s boil seasoning and Filthy’s fiery stuffed olives,” says Hebert. “It surprises everyone. They’re really hot!”
“I’ve been accused of attempted murder with those olives,” Hebert jokes. “We almost called Acadiana Ambulance for some little old ladies from the nursing home after they had our Smoked Cajun Marys.”
HOME BAR | Smoked Cajun Mary
Rim a pint glass with Uncle T’s boil seasoning (or your favorite seafood boil) and fill with ice. Add JT Meleck vodka, 1 ounce lime juice, a dash of liquid smoke and a pinch of Uncle T’s boil seasoning. Top with 6 ounces Old Bay bloody mary mix. Gently stir and garnish with boiled shrimp (16-20 count), spicy pickled okra and green beans skewered with Filthy Pepper stuffed olives.
Uncle T’s Oyster Bar
1001 St. Mary St.
Scott
uncletsoysterbar.com
