In this bloody interesting conversation with author, bartender, and bar owner Brian Bartels, some of the topics we discuss include:

• A little briefing on the state of the industry from Brian’s viewpoint, having launched his bar and eatery, Settle Down Madison in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The history of the Bloody Mary Cocktail - including a lengthy discussion of the two key players in its origin story: bartender Ferdinand “Pete” Petiot and vaudevillian George Jessel.
• How the Bloody Mary spawned various riffs and spinoffs, including the Red Snapper, the Michelada, the Bloody Caesar, and of course, the Red Eye.
• Why Brian considers the Bloody Mary as a bit of a “moving target” in terms of its formulation - in essence, why it’s such a slippery, variable drink, and yet nobody seems to have any problems with the inconsistency of recipes out there.
• Some thoughts on brunch, and why Brian falls out of step with many professional bartenders by defending it as a bastion of conviviality in today’s world.
• Some pointed and surprisingly optimistic projections on the future of the Bloody Mary,
• A preview of Brian’s newest book project, The United States of Cocktails,
• And much, much more.