The Red snapper recipe
for your table
Moisten the rim of a tall glass with a lemon wedge and dip it in celery salt. Then fill the glass to the top with ice cubes.
Put the tomato juice and lemon juice in a second glass, add the Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, salt, and pepper, and stir until everything has dissolved.
Add the gin and roll the mixture back and forth between the two glasses four or five times, so everything mixes without creating foam. Do not shake.
Pour the mixture over the ice in the prepared glass and garnish with a celery stalk and a lemon slice.
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The story
There is a widely repeated explanation for its origin: the red snapper is said to have been created at the St. Regis hotel in New York, where the name bloody mary was considered too crude for the guests. That is not an established fact, but it is the most commonly cited account, and it explains why the same drink appears on the menu under two names. What you can determine for yourself is the difference in taste. Vodka adds alcohol and little else, so the juice carries the entire flavor. Gin brings juniper, coriander, and citrus peel, and those spices in particular make the tomato juice more vibrant and lighter. That is why many bartenders deliberately choose the gin version.
The right glass
A red snapper belongs in a tall glass, so the tomato juice can settle over plenty of ice and the celery stalk can remain upright. Allow for thirty-five to forty centilitres: enough room for the drink, ice and garnish without pouring over the rim. A straight, slender design keeps the contents cold and shows off the colour, while the wide opening lets the spices come through freely. If you also pour gin and tonic into the same glass, take a look at our gin and tonic glasses.
Bormioli Rocco Oxford Longdrink Glass 39.5 cl (6 pieces)
Onis The Gats Longdrink Glass 36 High Ball (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 59,90.
The right tools
For a red snapper, besides the glass, you use a jigger for precise measuring, a bar spoon for stirring and a glass rimmer for the celery salt rim. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 3 bar tools together € 71,80.
What do you make a red snapper with?
For a red snapper, you need gin. Well-known bottles include Tanqueray and Hendrick's. On each drinks page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it pairs with and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Replace the gin with vodka and you have a bloody mary; with tequila, it’s called a bloody maria, and with jenever, you get a Dutch twist that works surprisingly well. If you want it stronger, stir in half a teaspoon of horseradish or replace the lemon juice with lime juice. Leave out the spirit and you have a virgin mary: the same seasoning, just without the alcohol. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Season the tomato juice before adding the gin, because salt and pepper dissolve better in juice than in alcohol, so you won’t taste any loose grains later. Place the celery stalk upright in the glass and rest the lemon slice on the rim, so you smell it with every sip.
Good to know
Why you roll instead of shake
Tomato juice is thick and full of fiber. Shaking introduces air, creating a layer of foam and a watery, almost pink texture; the fullness you’re looking for is lost. Rolling solves that: pour the mixture back and forth four or five times between two glasses or between the two halves of a shaker. Everything blends, the seasonings distribute, the mixture cools slightly, and the texture stays thick. If you don’t have a second glass, stir gently with a long spoon; the juice will remain intact then too.
The celery salt rim
A rim of regular salt works, but celery salt is a better match because it brings the same herbal note as the celery stalk in the glass. Rub the outside of the rim with a lemon wedge, then rotate the glass through a dish of celery salt and hold it at an angle so none sticks to the inside. A glass rimmer makes the rim evenly in one motion. If you want it milder, wet only half the rim; that way everyone at the table can choose for themselves.
The order of the seasonings
Start with the tomato juice and lemon juice, add the Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, salt, and pepper, and add the gin only at the very end. Salt and pepper dissolve in juice, not alcohol, so no grains are left behind. Taste before pouring, because tomato juice varies greatly in saltiness and acidity by brand. If it’s too salty, balance it with a splash of extra lemon juice; if it tastes too flat, an extra dash of Worcestershire sauce adds depth.
What botanicals do with tomato juice
Vodka is made as neutral as possible and mainly adds alcohol, leaving the tomato juice to carry the entire flavour. Gin is the opposite: juniper, coriander, citrus peel and often angelica root are distilled into it. Those botanicals combine with the pepper and celery, making the drink more herbal and fresher and making it feel less heavy. A robust London dry does this most clearly, because the juniper is most prominent in it. A soft, floral gin disappears into the juice more quickly.
Red snapper or bloody mary
The difference is in one bottle. Vodka makes it a bloody mary, gin a red snapper and tequila a bloody maria. The proportions, spices and glass remain the same in every case. Because the name red snapper is unknown in many bars, you can also simply order it as a bloody mary with gin; it is exactly the same drink.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a red snapper and a bloody mary?
Only the spirit differs. A bloody mary is made with vodka, a red snapper with gin. Otherwise, the ingredients and proportions are the same: tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, salt and pepper. The juniper and coriander in the gin make a red snapper taste more herbal and fresher than the original.
Which gin do you use for a red snapper?
A classic London dry with a clear juniper character holds its own alongside the tomato juice; a soft, floral or sweet gin simply disappears into it. Tanqueray or a similar dry gin works well. There is no need for an expensive bottle, because the 5 cl is completely absorbed into 12 cl of juice.
Should you shake or stir a red snapper?
Do not shake it. Shaking whips air into the tomato juice, creating foam and a watery texture. Roll the mixture back and forth between two glasses a few times, or stir it gently with a long spoon. The drink will then remain full-bodied and thick, as it should be.
Which glass do you serve a red snapper in?
In a tall glass of approximately thirty-five to forty centilitres, filled to the top with ice so that the celery stalk stays upright and there is room for the garnish. See our highball glasses for suitable models.
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