United States Patent No. 84,455 - Alcoholic Spirits from Tomatoes

United States Patent No. 84,455
-Issued November 24, 1868

Improvement in the Manufacture of Alcoholic Spirits from Tomatoes

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Inventor Joseph Williams of Cinnaminson, New Jersey brings us his method to avoid the "tardiness" of tomato-mash to ferment.  In doing so he brings us his versions of a tomato whiskey and of a tomato rum.

For the whiskey, Williams takes the juice of ripe tomatoes and ferments them with 3 gallons of  "heavy, cheap molasses" and yeast in barrels for six to nine days making sure to keep the barrels consistently full. The product is double distilled "to produce a rich-spirit, containing sevently percent alcohol."



For the rum, Williams takes the juice of ripe tomatoes and ferments them 5 to 8 gallons of molasses.




Williams is quick to note that he only uses the juice and not the seeds, pulp or skin of the fruit as they produce "deleterious flavors."

And with that....the entire patent and some cocktail thoughts after the jump
 

So with tomato, the obvious choice is a Bloody Mary.  I know of a few places that will make their Bloody Mary with the customer's spirit of choice - Rye House here in NYC comes to mind. 

I've never tried a Bloody with anything other than Vodka or gin but I'd be curious to see how the sweetness of a molasses heavy rum would play against the tomato.   Perhaps with a sweeter base spirit, it may benefit from stripping out the traditional Bloody Mary spices and replacing them with some more herbal flavors or some fruit.  Tarragon and watermelon would be particularly nice.