The second Bloody I enjoyed this past weekend up in Door County was at Cooper’s Corner, located just down the street from Bayside Tavern. Home of the former C&C Supper Club, I expected Cooper’s to have a traditional Bloody Mary and yes, that’s what I got.
Especially, after tasting the Bayside Bloody, this one was nothing special to write home about, but still very good.
Spice: Not very.
Mix: Zing Zang
Chaser: A small shot of local brew.
Fixin’s: Olive, Mushroom, Pickle
Price: $8
This weekend, I visited Door County with some friends. I’ve been visiting Door County on an almost yearly basis since I was a young child, so I love the Door and am pretty familiar with many of the local restaurants and shops. And, while the peninsula is well known for its wineries, not much has been said about its Bloodies. Well, that’s about to change as I tested out the Bloody Marys at three separate establishments, which I will cover in individual posts.
First up, is Bayside Tavern in Fish Creek. Although I have not visited Bayside in the past, I did not stumble across this place on accident, folks. This Bloody came highly recommended by my friend, Carol. I absolutely trust Carol’s assessment when it comes to Bloodies and thus, I made it a point to stop at Bayside Tavern. We got in to Door County around 5:30 on Friday evening and I was at the bar at Bayside by about 6:30p—that’s how seriously I took this tip.
Spice: Okay, so this Bloody was not spicy, exactly… it had a little Cajun salt on the rim.
Mix: So, what Carol did not prepare me for at all was the distinctly fishy taste of this Bloody! Not sure if this is accurate or not, but I’m going to guess it is homemade. I’m not exactly sure how to describe this any other way, other than fishy, but (I thought at least) in a good way. And hey, when in Fish Creek…
It would definitely stand out in a competition and I could see where it can be polarizing: you’ll either love it or, if you don’t like fishy, I could see where you would not like this one at all.
Chaser: A small shot of local brew.
Fixin’s: Olive, Mushroom, Brussels Sprout, Pickle, Lemon
Price: $7
Tonight I went to Maxie’s Southern Comfort with my friend Paula after work. They have a great happy hour, so of course I ordered their Bloody Mary! I’ve had their Bloodies before and I do have to say that this is one of my faves!
Spice: Everything about Maxie’s is flavorful, including this drink which has a little extra kick!
Chaser: Choose from any beer on tap. I chose Spotted Cow.
Fixin’s: Lemon, lime, okra, andouille sausage, shrimp and an olive.
Price: $6 at Happy Hour
Here’s a guest post from my friend, Reba, who also tried Benny’s Bloody Mary Beef Straws from her hometown in Minnesota:
My good friend Caitlin and I share this passion for a beverage called a Bloody Mary. This blog she writes is amazing and make me miss the brief couple years I lived in Milwaukee and could get a great Bloody Mary. I am a true Minnesotan at heart and Caitlin is a true Wisconsinite; although we may have a border battle about some things, the one thing we can agree on is a little garnish that should go in every Bloody Mary: a Benny’s Bloody Mary Beef Straw.
My motto for going out to eat is simple, no point in ordering an appetizer when you can get a feast in a cup…AKA a Bloody Mary. Simply put, I love them! I have had everything as a garnish in a Bloody Mary from bacon to shrimp to various veggies and all types of cheeses. However, I have yet to experience the joy of a beef stick that also serves a purpose as a straw. Benny’s Bloody Mary Beef Straw goes with a Bloody Mary like meatballs go to spaghetti! Seriously, we should all take a moment and go ‘why didn’t I think of that?’, but thank goodness Ben did (see Caitlin’s post earlier about the history of this modern delectable treat).
I decided not to hog these straws to myself and shared them with my parents this weekend. I made the Bloodies and my mom gave me that look mom’s give when they question your judgment. She tried it and went (use your most offensive MN accent) ‘oooohhh-my-gawd, this is good!’ She then proceeded to forget about the beverage and eat the straw.
Ben I applaud you, the straws are sturdy enough to use as a straw, not offensive with overpowering the Bloody with the beef stick taste, and most of all, delicious! I encourage all bars that want to buy locally in the Midwest to call this guy up and buy these for your bar; your patrons will love you!
If you are anything like my mom and I, the only problem you will have with the beef straw is that it might not make it to the end of your drink, but I guess that is a problem worth having!
Thanks Ben, you have won me over!
Reba (@RebaMN)
This afternoon, I went to Sobelman’s during the Packers game to try their highly-touted Bloody Mary.
A sign about their Bloody greeted me at the door and our waitress greeted us wearing the button pictured above (shout out to Debbie S.—Thanks for not thinking I was too weird when I took that photo!), so I knew I was in for a treat.
As a Marquette alum and a self-proclaimed Bloody Mary aficionado, I”m embarrassed to say that I have never had a Sobelman’s Bloody.
However, I quickly got over that emotion when it was replaced with ecstasy after this Bloody was served. You’ve won me over, Sobelman’s. I will be back.
Mix: I’m not entirely sure, but I believe it is made with Jimmy Luv’s (per signage for the Bloody Maria within the restaurant).
Spice: Not very spicy but flavorful.
Chaser: Miller Lite.
Fixin’s: Lemon, cheese, olive, pickle, pearl onion, brussels sprout, beef stick, cherry tomato, onion, mushroom, asparagus and a shrimp.
Price: $7.50
Last weekend, when I was shopping at Ray’s Wine & Spirits, I came across Benny’s Bloody Mary Beef Straws. Yes, that’s right, a beef stick hollowed out into a glass-to-mouth transportation device. The straws retail for $7.99/package of 5 at Ray’s; you can also buy them online via the company’s website.
I tweeted about the straws and the next thing I knew, two packages arrived from Benny (Ben Hirko) himself.
A little background on the origin of this genius product, from Benny, via the company’s website:
During my 15+ years in the restaurant/bar business I’ve always loved trying new things to make people smile. One evening while bartending I was chatting with 2 customers. They had brought beef snack sticks with them to enjoy while having a couple of beers. Always hungry, I asked for one. While snacking on the stick, I thought to myself these would taste fantastic in a bloody mary! I began thinking of the best way to use it, and immediately thought it should be a straw instead of just a stick. As a straw, the bloody mary would be able to soak into the beef and be a juicy snack all the way through. Armed with this new idea, I started making them at home for my friends and family. Everyone loved them, and after some research I thought I should make these available for everyone. I hope my idea can add a bit of fun, and great taste to your bloody marys for years to come.
After receiving the straws, I was anxious to make myself a bloody. I finally had the chance yesterday, then sat down to enjoy.
It took me back to the days of my youth, using a Twizzlers to drink soda and add a bit of cherry flavor. In a more grown-up version, Benny’s straws absorbed the Bloody Mary goodness from the inside out as well as the outside in.
My friend Reba did the same. “I’m afraid the straw won’t make it through the entire drink, #yummy,” Reba tweeted.
I had to agree. I can’t believe that it’s taken so long for me to cross paths with this awesome product; bars everywhere should be snapping up these straws!
Thanks, Benny!
Well, well, well…what do we have here? Looks like Benny’s Bloody Mary Beef Straws might need to be the next addition to my homemade bloodies! Has anyone ever had these before? I am anxious to try them!
One of my most favorite Bloodies is available at Juniper 61, right in my own backyard!
This is not your average garden-variety bloody, but one of the secrets to its goodness is garden-related: Juniper 61 makes its own vegetable-infused vodka (pictured above).
Tonight, the bartender let me try a sip of the vodka on its own. You can definitely taste the earthy essence of onion, tomato, garlic, peppers, etc. It is just perfect for this drink!
(Note: They also have an apple-infused vodka for fall, used in salted caramel apple martinis and such—delicious!)
The fixin’s on this bloody are also amazingly fresh and tasty as well. Read on!
Mix: They have their own mix, in addition to their own vegetable-infused vodka.
Spice: Not very spicy but extremely flavorful.
Chaser: Choose from an array of local brews. I picked the unconventional Lakefront Pumpkin Ale because pumpkin anything is another one of my obsessions.
Fixin’s: Lemon, smoked gouda cheese, carrot slice, cucumber slice, two bleu cheese stuffed olives, a pickle and celery
Price: $8
Jelly Belly just announced their newest flavor…. Tobasco! Could I be adding these to Bloodies in the future?
Today we took a field trip to the Elegant Farmer in the name of caramel apple pie. On the way home, we decided to stop in at the Boneyard Pub & Grille in Mukwonago. Of course, I had to have a bloody.
Mix: They had their own mix
Spice: Not very, but good flavor nonetheless
Chaser: Nice-sized glass of Miller Lite
Fixin’s: Lemon, two olives, pickle and celery
Price: $4.75- The price was definitely right! The menu says they are just $3 on Sundays.
Out For Bloodies 