Campbell’s Soup, a Detroit Bar, and a Dream: How the Bullshot Was Born

There’s no denying the popularity of the Bloody Mary. Now ubiquitous on brunch menus nationwide, the spicy vodka and tomato juice cocktail rose to prominence in the 1920s and ‘30s and inspired numerous renditions, including Canada’s Clamato-based Caesar, and the Bloody Maria, which swaps out vodka for tequila. But in the 1950s, drinkers in Detroit were enjoying a different take on the savory brunch beverage made with a rather unconventional ingredient: beef broth.

Known as the Bullshot, the drink’s recipe includes Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, Tabasco sauce, and of course, beef broth — or Beef Bouillon, as Campbell’s Soup Company (now known as The Campbell’s Company) called it. And as it turns out, the soup conglomerate actually had a hand in bringing the Bullshot to the world.

As the story goes, The Campbell’s Company was having a bit of trouble selling cans of its beef bouillon, so it enlisted the help of BBDO, a leading global advertising agency. Heading the account was a PR representative named John Hurley, who wasn’t having much luck pushing the product. One night in 1952, Hurley headed to the Caucus Club — a Detroit steakhouse and cocktail bar he was known to frequent — and aired his grievances regarding the lack of sales. Only, the person he was lamenting to just so happened to be Caucus Club owner Lester Gruber, who had some thoughts of his own.

Given the mid-century popularity of drinks like the Bloody Mary and the stratospheric rise of vodka, Gruber figured he could make a comparable savory cocktail with beef broth as the base. And so he hit it with a bit of vodka, incorporated the Bloody Mary’s traditional Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice, and added a bit of Tabasco for some heat.

The drink was a hit, with then-president of General Motors Harlow Curtice among the first people to try it. Soon after, the cocktail gained traction among celebrities, with stars like Malcolm McDowell and Joan Crawford claiming it as their signature drink. (It’s worth noting that when Marilyn Monroe tried her first sip of the Bullshot, she allegedly said, “What a horrible thing to do to vodka.”)

While the Bullshot may seem like a strange concoction today, shockingly enough, it fit right in with mid-1900s advertising messages. In 1955, just three years after the Bullshot was born, Campbell’s launched its “Soup on the Rocks” campaign, encouraging consumers to pour a can of beef broth over ice and enjoy — perhaps with a splash of lemon juice and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. The company ran print advertisements and even got the media and professional sports teams involved by sending them Soup on the Rocks-themed merchandise. Notably, Campbell’s never included the Bullshot recipe in its charge to bring Soup on the Rocks to the public.

Fortunately for consumers at large (though probably unfortunately for Campbell’s), Soup on the Rocks never fully took off, and marketing efforts were ceased by the mid-1970s. The Bullshot, however, continued to hold onto public favor, especially in the Midwest, where it was a common call until well into the 1980s. By the turn of the century, the drink’s heyday had well and truly passed, and the Bullshot practically faded from public memory in 2012 when the Caucus Club closed its doors.

But that all changed in 2017 when the historic Detroit hotspot was reopened and a new and improved version of the Bullshot appeared on its menu. Aptly dubbed “The New Bullshot,” the drink fuses Moletto gin, house-made beef consommé, balsamic bitters, and lemon juice for an herbaceous, beefy beverage. Today, the drink also serves as the signature drink at The Okura Tokyo’s Orchid Bar, where it’s made with vodka and fresh beef consommé.

While certainly not as mainstream as it once was, one thing remains certain with the Bullshot: It’s not a drink for the faint of heart.

*Image retrieved from Absolut Drinks

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