Twisted? Perhaps a little.
It still identifies as a bloody mary, with vodka and tomato juice and that necessary splash of Worcestershire sauce. Yet the “Twisted Mary” on the specialty cocktail menu at Twisted Sisters is clearly the product of a devious mind.
It greets you with a cool burst of tomato — fresh and light. But this cannot mask the heat for long. A crest of spice rolls over the palate, at once smoky and earthy, with a gnarled rasp of scored wood.
Yet here one begins to sense the genius behind Twisted Sisters’ warped imagination. The heat is conveyed at a measured pace. It swells slowly and advances with even purpose, reined it seems by the Gordian savor of Worcestershire. Only sparks of sharp black pepper break from the orderly heat, pricking along the palate at will.
A squeeze of citrus brightens the tone, and it’s a neat touch because something ominous lurks in the glass — a dense, tart, acrid and earthy rumble that awakens with a stir of the straw. The folks at Twisted Sisters mention a secret ingredient, nothing more. Perhaps they’ve dabbed in a bit of A1, or something they composed one dark and stormy night.
The rest of it is more conventional — well, almost. In addition to horseradish, celery salt and the rest, they stir in olive juice to still the chipper tomato and chipotle to cure the spice.
So maybe there are a few twists. But the result is a beautiful bloody mary, one worth savoring.
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
