ONE of Worcester's most iconic brands has branched out into cocktails.

Lea and Perrins has teamed up with cocktails company Bloody Drinks to create a new Bloody Mary cocktail in a can.

The drinks have been created to mark the drink's 100th anniversary and, to celebrate the milestone, a special 1,921 commemorative cans will be sold alongside the general release, which comes next week.

While the iconic cocktail, invented in Paris in 1921, has had many recipes and variations, the original ingredients remain tomato juice, vodka, hot sauce, a pinch of celery-salt and black pepper, lemon juice and the all-important liberal dash of Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce.

Laura Guenault, brand manager for Lea and Perrins, said: "A lot has changed in the 100 years since Fernand Petiot created the very first modern Bloody Mary in Harry’s Bar, Paris, but some things certainly haven't.

"We are delighted to be part of the Bloody Mary's fascinating history and 100 years after its creation, partner with THE canned Bloody Mary specialists at Bloody Drinks.

"We cannot wait to bring one of the nation’s oldest kitchen cupboard favourites into a new family for the very first time.

"We hope Lea and Perrins lovers will love it as much as we do."

Harry Farnham and Will Best, founders of Bloody Drinks, said: "The Bloody Mary is one of the most complex cocktails out there.

"That means it’s hard to make well, and all too easy to make badly - something we discovered all too often in our locals.

"So we set out to remedy that, by putting our ideal version of our favourite drink into a can.

"We spent two years fine tuning the recipe, but until now, we needed one last tweak - to replace our nondescript Worcestershire sauce with the original and genuine Lea and Perrins."

Mr Farnham added: "There’s a lot going on in Worcestershire Sauce, with a raft of flavours hitting distinct taste receptors in the palate, and the same is true of a proper Bloody Mary.

"Balance it all with the right amount of heat, citrus and alcohol, and you have yourself the perfect drink."

The cocktails go on sale at the end of next week, and will be available via Ocado.

For more information, go to bloodydrinks.co.uk