Ballast Point Bloody Mary in a Can

Posted: February 22, 2016 in Uncategorized
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Between going “out for bloodies” and my travel schedule, it is usually hard for me to find time to make Bloody Marys at home, but Ballast Point Brewing is certainly trying to change that!

Ballast Point Bloody Mary Can

 

Known for its craft brew, Ballast Point Brewing out of San Diego, California, also has branched into mixers and spirits.

Its famous Ballast Point Bloody Mary Mix (available in Mild or Spicy)– a signature blend of ripe tomatoes, spicy peppers, exotic spices and amber ale–for example, has been a popular seller.

They’ve since taken their cocktail game one step further, canning the mix along with Fugu Vodka for the quintessential Bloody. Yes, you read that right…. A Bloody Mary in a can!

As the description on their site says, “Like the venomous namesake fish this Fugu Bloody Mary packs a sting. We’ve combined our signature Fugu Vodka with our award-winning Bloody Mary mix, featuring ripe tomatoes, exotic spices and a heavy dose of pepper, to make a spicy cocktail that is dangerously drinkable.”

We had never had the good fortune to try their mix on its own; however, the company was nice enough to send a four-pack of cans our way to for us to taste test.

We were intrigued. One can poured perfectly premixed into a pint glass, along with some ice cubes and we added our own garnishes:

Ballast Point Bloody Mary

While the mix had a nice consistency and the vodka-mix ratio was spot on, the one thing that struck us was how spicy this beverage was. We usually love a kick to our drinks, but this one (not even labeled a spicy variety) was a little tough to take. It left our lips stinging!

 

Still, it’s a taste that we could probably get used to (or maybe water down a bit) and the convenience factor definitely is intriguing to us! Bloodies on the go!

If you find Ballast Point mix, or the Bloodies in cans, we definitely recommend giving it a try!

Cheers!

Minneapolis, MN: Ike’s Weekender Bloody Mary

Posted: February 20, 2016 in Uncategorized
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During a long layover in Minneapolis, we stopped for breakfast at Ike’s.

What lured us in to the restaurant was this:

Weekender Bloody Mary Ike's

Weekender Bloody Mary

MIX:  Sacramento Tomato Juice and Smirnoff Vodka

CHASER:Yes

FIXIN’S: Celery, jalabeano, lime, pepperoncini, olives, onion, pickle, cheese, shrimp and beef stick.

 

Yes, it was clear we were still in the Midwest by the looks of the beverage:

Ike's Weekender Bloody Mary

Unfortunately, this Bloody Mary was better in photos and in theory. It seemed like they took a few shortcuts in ingredients and the quality suffered. For example, there was a huge piece of cheese, but it kind of melted in the drink and didn’t taste very good (cheddar may have been a better option) and the shrimp was wimpy and tasted like it had probably been frozen. Not sure we received the “jalabeano” either.

We left feeling unsatisfied by the Bloody Mary, which is pretty unheard of considering the volume of fixin’s this one offered compared to others. We might give the actual Ike’s a shot if we’re ever near their full establishment in the city, but we’ve had plenty of great bloodies in airports, so that really shouldn’t be a factor. Maybe it was just an off morning!

Portland, OR: Veritable Quandry

Posted: February 20, 2016 in Uncategorized
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Our second Bloody Mary stop in Portland took us to Veritable Quandry.

Veritable Quandry Bloody MAry

 

MIX:  Unknown

CHASER: None offered

FIXIN’S: Lemon, two olives

PRICE: $7

While also relatively plain, this Bloody Mary was nice and thick and flavorful.

Mother’s was quite crowded for brunch and it was easy to see why. Their menu was robust with lots of tasty options.

Like many of the other places we visited in Portland, the food at VQ was delicious. And it’s no surprise because VQ is known for its regional market-driven menu by that uses local farmers. Another great spot to hit up when you’re in the downtown area!

Portland, OR: Mother’s Bistro & Bar

Posted: February 20, 2016 in Uncategorized
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We’ve heard that there are plenty of good Bloody Marys to be had in the Pacific Northwest, but until recently, we hadn’t had the opportunity to sample them.

That changed when we visited Portland, Oregon for the first time last week.

Mother's Bloody Mary Portland

 

We visited Mother’s Bistro & Bar for Sunday brunch, where we enjoyed one of their “Famous Bloody Marys.”

Mother’s is a popular brunch spot and we found ourselves waiting for a bit to be seated. Luckily, we were flexible and only had to wait about 20 minutes to get a spot at the bar.

MIX:  Housemade “secret bloody concoction” with house-infused pepper & jalapeno vodka

CHASER: None offered

FIXIN’S: Lemon, celery, olive and pepper

PRICE: $8

While relatively plain, this Bloody Mary had a nice flavor to it and we particularly enjoyed the jalapeno kick, as well as the touch of the salted rim.

Mother’s was quite crowded for brunch and it was easy to see why. Their menu was robust with lots of tasty options.

If you’re looking for a good breakfast/brunch spot in the downtown area, you should give Mother’s a shot.

Wauwatosa, WI: Lucky Joe’s AE

Posted: January 12, 2016 in Uncategorized
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We recently paid a visit to Lucky Joe’s Alchemy and Eatery a relatively new “speakeasy” type establishment in the Wauwatosa Village.

When the restaurant first opened over the summer, it was intended to be the speakeasy sister of Lucky Joe’s Tiki Bar in downtown Milwaukee; however, soon after the Wauwatosa bar opened, the Tiki Bar closed.

We were big fans of the Tiki Bar and love to try new places, so we visited the Tosa location about 1-2 weeks after it opened, looking forward to the speakeasy vibe on a weekend evening.

Unfortunately, we had a disappointing experience and chalked it up to their newness, so we decided to give them another try, this time, for brunch.

Lucky Joe’s AE currently serves a “eat what you’re given” brunch, which consists of two ham sandwiches, cheesey mashed potatoes and scrambled eggs, plus your choice of a Bloody Mary or mimosa for $14.

Lucky Joe's Brunch

This seemed like a good idea, so we headed there on a brutally cold Sunday morning. Perhaps the weather kept the crowds away, but we ended up being the only people in the place the entire time we were there.

The brunch was very good and filling, but as-is, for us, it is not worth returning. If you only love exactly what they provide, this is the place for you… But we like options, and frankly, we were also disappointed with the bloody.

Lucky Joe's Bloody Mary

MIX: Jimmy Luv’s

CHASER: Miller Lite

FIXIN’S: Beefstick and pickle

PRICE: $14 (includes Brunch)

A place like this prides itself on its craft cocktails, so we were really hoping the Bloody Mary would be something special. Jimmy Luv’s and modest fixin’s left us wanting more. You get a ton of food (we had to take half ours home) for a great price, but I would have paid more for a great Bloody Mary. They should think about creating a house mix and infusing their own vodka, or at the very least adding so flair in the fixin’s.

We want so badly to like this place and to see businesses succeed in this community, but our first two trips have left something to be desired. We will give it one more shot on a weeknight happy hour-perhaps that’s when they’ll shine.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for a brunch option, you certainly can’t go wrong with this one. Our waitress also hinted that they might be expanding their menu as well, which would be very welcome.

 

 

Newnan, GA: Brickhouse Grille and Tavern

Posted: January 4, 2016 in Uncategorized
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We recently visited Brickhouse Grille and Tavern in Newnan, GA.

This place is a little hole in the wall in a strip mall and we stopped in to meet a friend and grab drinks. It just so happened that Bloody Marys were on special for $4 each. So yeah, we had to try them.

Brickhouse Bloody Mary

MIX:  Unsure

CHASER: None offered

FIXIN’S: Three olives

PRICE: $4

Not much special about this bloody mary, but it had a decent flavor and the price was right.

 

 

Atlanta, GA: Elbow Room

Posted: January 4, 2016 in Uncategorized
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We headed to the Elbow Room Bar in Buckhead after reading about their Hail Mary on Thrillist.

While the bar itself left some to be desired (how do they still allow smoking in public places here?), the Hail Mary was indeed worth the trip.

Hail Mary Elbow Room Hail mary Bloody Mary Elbow room

MIX: House

CHASER: None offered

FIXIN’S: See above. We enjoyed the meatball and stromboli!

PRICE: $14

If you’re a Bloody Mary enthusiast (and if you’re reading this site, chances are you might be), then Elbow Room is a must in Atlanta (after the Nook)!

Atlanta, GA: Six Feet Under (Again)

Posted: January 4, 2016 in Uncategorized
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We recently visited Atlanta again,  where we visited Six Feet Under, a popular pub and fish house across from the famous Oakland Cemetery, for the second time.

We enjoyed the Fish House Bloody Mary on our last visit and on this one, we were able to try their Build Your Own Bloody Mary Option:

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MIX:  Choose from Zing Zang, Clamato, and Major Peters

CHASER: Guiness

FIXIN’S: As you can see from the photo, there were many hot sauces, pickles, peppers, onions, etc. to choose from (but no meat and cheese!)

PRICE: $? Unsure

As we said before, threy get bonus points for the salt/spice on the rim of the glass which is very tasty. On this visit, we used Major Peter’s and loaded up on the veggies. We were disappointed that we didn’t get an oyster on top, but we ordered a dozen with our lunch, so we didn’t totally miss out.

Again, this is a great bar to check out if you’re in the area–even better if you can snag a spot on their rooftop patio!

Glendale, WI: Hom Woodfired Grill

Posted: December 31, 2015 in Uncategorized
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We recently visited Hom Woodfired Grill in Glendale, Wis. We had never visited this location, although we’ve dined at the Hom in Brookfield before (yet somehow didn’t try the bloody mary!).

Over the holidays, we had some time off of work, so found ourselves there for lunch on a Monday as we took cover during a snowstorm. It was pretty quiet inside the restaurant, but it was warm and cozy.  We found the food delicious and comforting and the Bloody Mary fantastic.

Hom woodfired grill bloody mary

 

MIX: Housemade

CHASER: Rhinelander Shorty

FIXIN’S: Lime, lemon, pickle, bean, olive, meat and cheese

PRICE: $Unsure

HOM is a Wisconsin-owned and focused restaurant and I love that this was also reflected in the bloody mary. The drink had a nice overall flavor and a surprising amount of fixin’s. The Rhinelander Shorty put it over the top.

If you ever find yourself at Bayshore Mall, be sure to stop in at Hom, have a drink and stay for lunch or dinner!

Buffalo Betty’s Buffalo Style Bloody Mary Mix

Posted: December 26, 2015 in Uncategorized
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I recently received a treat from Buffalo Betty’s Bloody Mary Mix, made by Panorama Foods.

Buffalo Betty Bloody Mary Mix

Buffalo Betty’s is, according to their site, “The world’s first buffalo-style bloody mary mix,” and bills the mix as “Mary’s hotter sister.” The mix comes in a 32oz jar for $6.99 and it is gluten-free.

I used this mix for Bloody Marys on Christmas morning:

Buffalo Betty

To keep the sample pure, we just used regular vodka and did not add any spices or fixin’s. It tasted very fresh and definitely had the distinct buffalo style taste from the Wing-Time Buffalo Spices it is made with.

I didn’t feel the need to add anything to the mix—it was perfect.

If you like buffalo wings, you will LOVE Buffalo Betty’s. Give this mix a try when you find it in your local store!

 

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