We visited Grand Canyon University Golf Course in Maryvale, Arizona (a suburb of Phoenix); afterward, we stopped for a bite to eat and a Bloody Mary.
As you can see, this one had your basic lemon and lime in it and that’s about it. It’s your average on-the-course drink and it hit the spot, but definitely not something to seek out in your travels!
We kicked off 2017 as we do each year–trying to find the Best Bloody Mary ever and if that’s not quite achievable, then at least the Bloody Mary of the year.
If you had asked us in January where we thought that Bloody Mary might be found, we would not have said Canada.
Yes, that’s right. We said it. The best Bloody Mary we’ve seen so far this year (and granted it’s only October so bars still have the chance to knock our socks off, but it’s gonna be a tall task!) came from a place called Harlem Underground in Toronto.
“Canada, eh?” you say?
You might balk at the $19.95 price tag, but this beverage dubbed The Bloody Jerk has your drink, your dinner and more included.
On a trip to Arizona, we stopped at Saddle Mountain Brewing in Goodyear, AZ. We were not disappointed by the B-17 Bloody!
Spice: Just right thanks to the peppered vodka
Mix: Made with homemade peppered vodka
Chaser: Ray’s Gold IPA
Fixin’s: Cheese, Pepperoni, olives
Price: $10
Meat, cheese, a chaser and a salted rim? Outside of the Midwest? How can this be real? When it comes to good Bloodies, we don’t ask questions, we just drink! This bloody was fantastic, as was the sidecar of their own beer. We also had a delicious burger. Next time we’re in Goodyear, we’ll be back!
We headed south to Atlanta where we visited a seafood restaurant called Lure for a private event.
Spice: Delicious flavor.
Mix: Unsure.
Chaser: None offered.
Fixin’s: Olive, tomato, pickle, lemon
Price: $unsure
While the fixin’s were slim, they were decent. Plus, the bartender asked us our preference as far as spice and salted rim, so that was a plus. This is not a place we would seek out for a Bloody next time we are in town, but it’s nice to know it was an acceptable choice!
This is our second review of Storyhill BKC.
The first time we visited them was shortly after they opened. I have gone there several times since and they have become a nice staple in my lunch rotation.
I’m sad that I haven’t seen that Bloody Mary Salad on their menu in quite some time, but I’m glad they now have two Bloody Marys on their menu –and they’ve made a few improvements to those cocktails as well.
On this occasion we stuck with their standard Bloody.
Mix: Homemade–plus you can choose from bacon or veggie-infused vodka for a small upcharge
Chaser: Yes-a shorty!
Fixin’s: Lemon, Lime, Pickle, Celery, Beefstick and Cheese
Price: $8
The other offering, which we have not yet tried is called the “Garden Variety” Bloody. At $9, it boasts a sausage fixin’ and pico de gallo, so you know it’s a bit spicier all around.
Now that Storyhill has upped their Bloody Mary game, we like to visit more often. It doesn’t hurt that the food is fresh and delicious as well!
After a round of golf earlier this summer, we stopped into the Brass Monkey in West Allis and decided to have a bloody with a side of tater tots.
Spice: Not too spicy.
Mix: Unsure.
Chaser: Yes-your choice from the taps.
Fixin’s: Pickle, Olive, Cheese Whip & Beef Stick
Price: $Unsure
When you’re on a streak of bad luck trying new bloody marys, you can always count on ‘Stallis bars to give you a boost!
This Bloody Mary really hit the spot and the extra beef and cheese was much appreciated. At the time of our visit, they also had New Glarus’ Serendipity on tap, so while it was an usual pairing, we go to sample that gem as our chaser.
We’ll definitely be back here. The food was good, too and it seemed like they had decent specials!
11/12/17 Update:
As promised, we did return to Brass Monkey. This time, we came on a Sunday for a football game. They had free food at halftime and shots for touchdowns and of course, bloodies.
Today, however, we did not enjoy our Bloody Mary. The mix tasted very heavy on celery salt (we know they had mixed a large jug for the Sunday crowd, so we were hesitant to ask for a new one, lest the whole jug taste the same) and we were not offered a chaser.
We will not let this one bad experience deter us, but we’re hoping this is an anomaly.
We recently visited Curly’s Waterfront Pub after a day on the links.
Located on Pewaukee Lake, Curly’s offers a nice view while dining on your typical pub fare.
Spice: Decent flavor; the bartender asked if I wanted it spicy–I did!
Mix: Unsure.
Chaser: Miller Lite
Fixin’s: Olive and Pickle
Price: $Unsure
This Bloody Mary was pretty average by all standards. Definitely not bad, but also not something special either. If you find yourself near Pewaukee Lake and need a pub, this is a good one to visit, but not worth the trip for the Bloody alone.
Dear loyal readers…. first of all, let us apologize for the hiatus! We are still active and drinking bloody marys! We just haven’t had a lot of new ones to review lately, nor a lot of time to give them a proper a write-up.
But we’re ba-aack!
Earlier this month we sampled the Bloody Maria at ABV Social in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.
While we’re sure they would have made us a Bloody Mary if we had asked, we ordered the Bloody Maria as it was featured on the menu.
As you can see from the photo above, we were pretty disappointed with the result.
Spice: Decent flavor; a little spicier with the tequila.
Mix: Unsure.
Chaser: None offered.
Fixin’s: Nothing!
Price: $10!
We want to like this place, really, we do, but it’s not going so well. On this particular visit, a dining companion had to order three beers before they actually had one in stock that was on their menu. (“Sorry, we’re all out of that one.” “Oh, and that one, too…”)
This expensive Bloody Maria with no fixin’s and sans chaser may have been the final strike for us on ABV Social. Too many other places to go with better offerings and better service.
Out For Bloodies 