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The Melbourne Central Lion Hotel’s Bloody Mary

Posted: March 17, 2013 in Uncategorized
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Melbourne was my second stop after Sydney and I found more of the same in terms of availability and pricing when it comes to Bloody Marys.

But I gave it a shot and ordered one at the Melbourne Central Lion Hotel.

And I will let you in on a little secret: The Central Lion is not really a hotel!

Did you know that many bars are called hotels in Australia?

The reason dates back to late nineteenth century when liquor legislation forced pubs to also provide accommodation. The presence of a few rooms (rarely used) and the “hotel” name then gave some impression the rules were being followed. Many venues still carry this tradition today. (For more info, check out the Australian Hotels Association here.)

Anyway, on to the Bloody:

Spice: Not very.

Mix: Made with tomato juice worcestershire, and spices (I saw them hand mix behind the bar)

Chaser: None.

Fixin’s: Celery

Price: Wasn’t listed on the menu, so unknown, but likely not cheap!

The verdict? A cool little “hotel,” but when you’re in Australia, I highly recommend you try out some of the ciders they serve instead, or an ice-cold Carlton Draught!

The Boston’s Bloody Mary

Posted: March 15, 2013 in Uncategorized
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On the advice of the bartenders from Bottleneck, I headed over to The Boston in Sydney to try their Bloody.

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Spice:A little spicy.

Mix: Homemade, I think.

Chaser: None.

Fixin’s: Celery and two cherry tomatoes.

Price: $8 for a Virgin, add $7 more if you want vodka!

Although the bartenders at Bottleneck gave us good direction on dinner places, I was not impressed with their The Boston recommendation. This Bloody was nothing special and wasn’t worth the $8, much less the extra $7 for vodka. Don’t waste your time seeking out this drink in this hard-to-find bar (located in an office building).

Posted: March 15, 2013 in Uncategorized
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So as I mentioned, I arrived in Australia fully prepared that Bloody Marys would not be as plentiful and that they would be drastically different than those at home,

However, fate intervened. While acquainting myself with the area, I was flipping through the local edition of Time Out magazine and came across a teaser for an upcoming article in the next issue on a place called the Bottleneck that served Bloody Marys and Meatballs. (The article is now up online here.)

Of course, I had to check it out. Located on Darlinghurst Road near the Darlinghurst/King’s Cross area of Sydney, we found the Bottleneck from the crew at Eau de Vie in the Kirketon Hotel.

Sure enough, true to their word, the chalkboard on the wall advertised their three featured Bloodies of the week. I tried both the House and Snapper while I was there and both were excellent—particularly the Snapper which is made using gin, sherry and cynar (I had to ask the bartender about this, an interesting spirit!).

Spice:Perfect amount in both.

Mix: Homemade—the secret for the Snapper is not just tomato juice, but also celery and carrot so as to make it a little sweeter.

Chaser: None.

Fixin’s: Lemon, celery, a carrot slice and a bean depending on the Bloody.

Price: $16 each (Nothing in Sydney is cheap as I came to learn—this was the price of an average mixed drink!)

This establishment is also known for its meatballs, which of course we also sampled. You get a small serving of four and there are a couple of varieties to choose from. We got the classic for $9 and they were simply amazing.

If you’re in this area, I highly recommend checking this place out—and make sure you engage with the friendly bartenders as well. They talked with us the whole time we were there and they ended up recommending several other spots to try out which were wonderful as well.

Cheers!

Posted: March 7, 2013 in Uncategorized
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On my first day in Sydney, I stopped in at a funky little place called Darlo Bar.


I asked if they had Bloodies and was pleased when the bartender said yes—and asked if I liked them spicy.

This was made with a homemade mix and Belvedere Vodka. It had a little kick to it, but it was a unique kick, not sure that it was Tobasco.

Fixin’s and chasers are literally foreign here, so none of that was to be expected; a stalk of celery and you’re good to go.

One other interesting tidbit is that the bartender inquired as to whether I would like “35ml of vodka or 50.” I am also quickly learning that drinks here do NOT come cheap.

Posted: March 7, 2013 in Uncategorized
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Continuing my travels, I was facing a long 15-hour flight from LAX to Sydney on Virgin Australia when the flight attendant asked what I would like to drink.

Of course, I asked for a Bloody Mary. She asked me if tomato juice and vodka would be okay. That being my best option, I said yes.

So, I had the barest of Bloodies somewhere out over the ocean—not even any salt or pepper added—-and I have to say it really wasn’t that bad!

However, the fact that they didn’t even have any mix on board didn’t bode well for me in the land down under… stay tuned for more adventures!

Posted: March 4, 2013 in Uncategorized
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Last night, I had dinner at a cute little upscale diner called Kitchen 24.

Of course I had to try their Bloody Mary, otherwise known as the “Charm City.” It was excellent, as was the food (I had the After School Special—tomato soup and a provolone grilled cheese.)

My only complaint? The table tents advertised a free cupcake for performing a variety of actions on social media (i.e. following on Twitter, checking in on Foursquare, etc.), which of course, I did… the only problem is that they were out of cupcakes! #fail

Spice:Perfect amount.

Mix: Homemade with an Old Bay salted rim!

Chaser: None.

Fixin’s: Lemon, lime, celery and an olive.

Price: $10 (not part of their amazing Happy Hour which lasts pretty much all night, but worth it.)

If you’re ever in the Hollywood area, take the Walk of Fame right down to Kitchen24 and you’ll be glad you did!

Posted: February 24, 2013 in Uncategorized
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I’m traveling in Arizona right now and I couldn’t resist getting a Bloody to review for the blog. Unfortunately, the one I picked wasn’t the best. It was from a cute little place in Scottsdale called Karsen’s Grill. The place is smaller than my living room, but the waitstaff is attentive and the clientele friendly (not uber-trendy like many other Scottsdale establishments). Unfortunately, I’ve been spoiled by the hearty Wisconsinite Bloodies as of late, so this one left me underwhelmed. Oh well, they can’t all be winners!

Spice:Not very.

Mix: Unknown.

Chaser: None.

Fixin’s: You get one slice of lime and you’ll like it!

Price: Unsure, but I would guess $5-6.

Ella’s Barstaurant

Posted: February 11, 2013 in Uncategorized
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Today, I tried out a new establishment in a familiar location—Ella’s Barstaurant in the former home of Sluggo’s. No, that’s not a typo, it really is called a Barstaurant.

The inside of the place looks the same—and some of the clientele has carried over from Sluggo’s as well; however, there is one major upgrade as far as I could tell—the $3 Build Your Own Bloody Marys on Sundays! Yes, that’s right,$3 ($4 if you want Smirnoff; $5 if you want Absolut.).

And, as you can see from the photos, the fixin’ bar is stocked—there’s nowhere else where you can get AYC stuff in your drink beef sticks, cheese, bacon and shrimp, plus the staples like pickles, celery, olives, beans, asparagus and onions.

Spice:  I requested it to be spicy and it had the perfect amount of kick!

Mix:Sacramento Bloody Mary Mix—who knew this tomato juice purveyor also made Bloody Mix? So simple, yet so good!

Chaser: None, but here’s a tip: go with friends who order pitchers and you’re good to go!

Fixin’s: See above—the highlights are the shrimp and bacon!

Price: $3 with rail vodka

As my friend Gordie so eloquently put it, “Where else can you cram that much crap in a glass for $3?”

Ella’s has definitely immediately climbed into the Top 10 and is the running for a new place to gather and watch Packers games this fall.

Cheers!

PS- While this is a Bloody blog, I could not help but  notice the $10 bottomless mimosas on Sundays as well…not as trendy as the Third Ward, but could be a good choice for your next girls’ brunch!

Posted: February 10, 2013 in Uncategorized
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The Iron Horse Hotel

Yesterday,  I had a work meeting at the Iron Horse Hotel. Of course, I couldn’t leave without trying their Bloody Mary.

Overall, this was your standard simple bloody, but it had a great taste. Wouldn’t go out of my way to get there for the Bloody Mary, but I’d definitely go hang out at their bar (or their patio, which is amazing in the summer) and while there, I would order this drink. Cheers!

Spice:  I requested it to be spicy and it had the perfect amount of kick!

Mix: Unsure.

Chaser: None offered.

Fixin’s:  Lime, Lemon, Pickle, Olives, Celery

Price: $Unknown

Posted: February 8, 2013 in Uncategorized
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Last night,my friend Carol hosted a neighborhood book club gathering. Carol is a fellow Bloody Mary lover and I was delighted to find that her husband had made Bloodies for the occasion.

Dave used Mr. and Mrs. T’s along with some of his special spices to mix the delicious drink. He added in lemon, a pickle, olives, celery and a beef stick. I was very impressed! The only drawback? Dave is better know for his home-brewing prowess; with mad skills like his, a chaser would have sent this drink soaring to the top of the homemade charts! 🙂

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