Years ago, my father and I took a trip to New York City. While enjoying a pre-dinner drink at the world famous Harry's Bar, my father ordered a drink he called a "Bullshot." It's essentially a Bloody Mary, but with one added ingredient - beef bouillon. Yeah, for real. Beef broth. In with the vodka and tomato juice. Well, I nearly lost it right there.
It's not only that my father would order such a bizarre and odious concoction that surprised me. It was that here, at this reputable Manhattan drinkery, they'd have beef broth just hanging out behind the bar. How many people are ordering this drink? Do they actually go out and buy fresh beef broth all the time just in case someone is going to wander in and order this obscure cocktail?
Because there's no other reason to have beef bouillon behind a bar except the off-chance that someone would order a Bullshot. Considering that the drink sounds totally disgusting, this can't be too often.
So I remained puzzled, but never really thought on this specific incident again. Until, that is, right now. Generally useless website AskMen.com is running a feature on the 10 Manliest Drinks. It's a pretty standard list, unsurprising for a website with aspirations of one day reaching the pinnacle of artistic blossoming that is Maxim Magazine.
Some of the drinks are pretty good; I've been known to enjoy an Old-Fashioned or a Sidecar on occasion myself, and I'm not even a guy who pays particular attention to which drinks are "manly." I once hung out at a benefit party at the Getty Center, standing right next to Harrison Ford, while drinking a chocolate martini, a drink that's about as manly as Andy Dick's freshman yearbook photo.
But anyone, #9 on the AskMen manly drink list? Something they call a Bloody Bull. It's a freaking Bullshot! Same exact ingredients. (Although, I have to say, Bullshot is the more clever name). I guess it's a manly drink, though I'd probably go a little further and declare it an essentially masochistic drink.
If you want your alcohol to include the maximum amount of hearty cow-like flavor, I'd highly recommend this drink. Otherwise, you might want to steer clear (Ha ha!)
The list also features a drink made by pouring vodka into beer and then adding Tabasco Sauce. Ah, yes, beer and hot sauce. Two great tastes that go great together, provided you consider several days of explosive, white-hot diarrhea to be "great."
Man, I tried that "Bullshot" beverage. Ughhhhhhh! Judging from the taste, I believe that you misspelled the name of that drink! The Guzzler
ReplyDeleteI know that this is an old topic, but I can't let this mis-infomation pass.
ReplyDeleteIn the first place, if your father was given a drink called a "Bullshot" which contained Vodka, Ice, Tomato Juice, and Beef Bullion, he was either given the wrong drink or the bartender was an idiot. There is no third choice. A bullshot contains NO Tomato Juice! Period! Not so much as one ounce. None. Nada. Zippo. Zilch. A Bloody Bull on the other hand, contains both Tomato Juice AND Beef Bullion.
...." Something they call a Bloody Bull. It's a freaking Bullshot! Same exact ingredients."....
Nope. A Bullshot is a different drink NOT containing Tomato Juice. Five Minutes research on any decent search engine would have told you this. As a HUGE fan of both drinks, I can absolutely tell you that they ARE NOT the same.
Why do I care? Because this is how things get distorted through all the half truths that are posted on the internet by people who have no clue what they are talking about!
Waz googlin the recipe when I found this. In Turin Italy 2001 I had to be on flight line daily in winter and got the flu. Shuffling home to hotel I waived off the bartender bkoz I felt like been "eat by a bear an crapped off a cliff".
ReplyDeleteHe sat me down and soon brung a gigantic snifter of scalding hot beef broth, with alcohol, lemon, herbs and spice. He made me bow my head over it and draped a towel over me. Breathed the vapors for a long time til it was cool to drink, then sipped slowly. Felt like a new man !!! That bartender kept me on duty all week !