Speaking of places we can’t believe we haven’t reviewed, the Wicked Hop takes the cake!

Located in Milwaukee’s popular Third Ward, the Wicked Hop is one of the best brunch spots in the city.

In fact, it’s located at the corner of Sunday Brunch and Bloody Mary! (We love this, right outside their restaurant.)

We’ve had their Bloody Mary several times, but somehow, we’ve failed to review it. For that, we apologize as we’re depriving you of one of the best bloodies in the city!

Wicked Hop Bloody Mary

MIX: Housemade

CHASER: From their site: “Buddied up with everyone’s favorite — Lakefront Riverwest Stein beer chaser!”

FIXIN’S: Again: “Our house recipe served with peeled coldwater shrimp, Old Wisconsin beefstick, MKE midget kosher dill pickle, mozzarella whips, Walnut Street portabella mushroom and a Spanish green olive.” They also let you purchase Extra Fixin’s for $3 more (We inquired: it’s an extra portion of what already comes on it, not additional items).

PRICE: $10 regularly (You can get a Virgin Mary, or a Topless Mary (no fixin’s) for $8)

Wicked Hop is known for their Bloodies and they also have a popular brunch. Get there early on a Saturday and sit in the bar to take advantage of this offer:

Half hoppy

Or, if you can get there during the week, we highly recommend going on a Tuesday where the Bloody Marys are $5 (sans chaser):

slider poster

 

On our most recent visit, we had just posted our above photo on Instagram and Facebook when we noticed a very similar photo appear in our feeds…comedian Amy Schumer, in town for a show at the Bradley Center, had visited the Wicked Hop and indulged that same day. We’re sorry we missed her, but we’re glad that someone pointed her in the right direction!

One more thing… The Wicked Hop also boasts “The ‘Glass’ Slipper,” which is, by their description: “Our house recipe bloody mary fitted in a 96.628 oz. plastic German boot laced with all the accessories. Buddied up with 6 chasers of everyone’s favorite — Lakefront Riverwest Stein. Finish it all and we’ll give you the commemorative boot.” The price listed is: Market, whatever that means. We haven’t been brave enough to tackle this one yet, but you’ll be the first to know when we do.

Be sure you check out Wicked Hop when you’re in Milwaukee, you’ll be bloody glad you did.

 

One weeknight, we stopped at Mo’s Irish Pub in Wauwatosa for Happy Hour and had a Bloody Mary, along with a wide array of appetizers.

The Mo’s in Wauwatosa is the second Mo’s Irish Pub location, with the original being downtown. Mo’s has now expanded to Texas and Indiana as well, as it is quite popular.

We’ve had Mo’s Bloody Mary in the past, but couldn’t remember reviewing it for the site. We looked back and it appears that somehow we’ve missed posting about Mo’s, so we’re making up for it now.

Mo's Irish Pub Bloody Mary

MIX: Housemade with Guinness

CHASER: Miller Lite

FIXIN’S: Lime, Lemon, Pickle, Olive

PRICE: $Unsure

We hadn’t been to Mo’s in probably over a year until we met up with friends there for Happy Hour. It’s relatively close to where we live, work and play, but not some place we frequent on a regular basis. We don’t dislike Mo’s, it’s just not one of our favorite, regular haunts.

It’s usually super-packed on the weekends, too, which can be a turn-off for us. And, as far as their Bloody Mary goes, is pretty nondescript. The flavor is decent (they’re an Irish Pub and the menu says they put Guinness in it), but the fixin’s are pretty standard and, even though we weren’t buying the round, we recall their drink prices being higher than other places.

Don’t get us wrong–Mo’s is a popular place (hence the super-packedness) and they have a nice menu–but this just isn’t one of our favorite places to grab a bloody.

Come instead to  listen to some live music on a weekend, or to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day (when they really do it big).

We’re honored to be part of V8’s Bloody Mary Society!

What’s the Society? According to the website, “One fateful evening (over Bloody Marys, of course) a Society was born with one goal in mind: to bring the gift of brilliant Bloodies to all! Through wisdom and quality that only Mary and V8 could provide, The Bloody Mary Society came to fruition, making the art of Mary mixing more enjoyable than ever before.”

Out For Bloodies was asked to provide a recipe to be featured in the Bloody Mary Society’s Book of Bloody Marys, a “coveted collection of cocktail recipes,” compiled by “bartenders, mixologists, and connoisseurs from around the country to ensure that only the most brilliant Bloodies grace the pages of her book.”

Our Ultimate Bloody Mary is listed under the “Mary’s Finest” Tab.

Out For Bloodies' Ultimate Bloody Mary is featured on the Bloody Mary Society page!

Out For Bloodies’ Ultimate Bloody Mary is featured on the Bloody Mary Society page!

We highly recommend you check out not only our recipe, but the many others that are oh-so-pretty to peruse on the sight.

Cheers to V8 for putting this Society together–we’re pleased to be part of the Band of Bloodies!

 

We spent our Black Friday in the Lake Geneva area and had the opportunity to sample a couple of mighty fine bloody marys, the second of which was at Hogs & Kisses, across the lake from Gordy’s.

Hogs and Kisses is a hotspot in downtown Lake Geneva, boasting drinks and dancing.

We were pleased to find a Bloody Mary menu when we arrived:

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We decided to try the Bloody Bull and the Cuke.

Mix: House (with a variety of flavors to choose from!)
Chaser: Yes
Fixin’s: Pepperoni and pickle
Price: $6

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These Bloodies were extremely flavorful and there was no doubt about which version was which. We wish we could’ve had time to sample them all! This place is a must-visit in the Lake Geneva area for tourists and locals alike.

We spent our Black Friday in the Lake Geneva area and had the opportunity to sample a couple of mighty fine bloody marys, the first of which was at Gordy’s Boathouse on the west side of the lake (technically in Fontana).

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Mix: Unknown, but tasted similar to Sacramento
Chaser: Yes
Fixin’s: Shrimp, cheese, beef stick, pickle, pepperoncini, celery
Price: Unknown (approx $7)

This was our first visit to Gordy’s, but the establishment has been around in one form or another since 1955.

The menu offers a wide variety of lunch and dinner options and the dining room offers a fantastic view of the lake.

The Bloody Mary was icing on the cake, very flavorful and thick, with a healthy offering of fixin’s, as well as a chaser.

This restaurant is across the lake from the Main Street area of Lake Geneva, but definitely worth a visit!

As you probably recall, we’ve had fantastic luck with Bloody Marys in San Diego, so we  were excited to return yet again.

After yet another repeat visit to Café 21 (our fave!), we found ourselves at the Social Tap.

 

Social Tap Bloody Mary San Diego

Mix: Seasoned House Tomato Juice with Pancetta or Dill infused Belvedere Vodka

Chaser: No

Fixin’s: Lime, baby corn and gherkin pickle

Price: $13

 

Pancetta, for the uninitiated, is by Wikipedia definition, “Italian bacon made of pork belly meat that is salt cured and spiced with black pepper and sometimes other spices.” We felt like we could probably find dill-infused vodka pretty easily back home, but we’ve never heard of pancetta-infused, so we thought we ought to try that one (of course we’ve had bacon-infused, but this is just a step above!).

We love housemade thick mixes and this one had a lot of flavor. We aren’t sure if that was coming from the pancetta vodka, the mix, or the combination, but we enjoyed it all just the same.

This was a great drink, but due to the overindexing of great Bloody Marys in San Diego, we wouldn’t send you here just to try this one. If you happen to find yourself at the Social Tap (and chances are you might if you’re there to take in a baseball game since it is located in the Gaslamp District, quite close to Petco Park), by all means order it, but there are plenty of other spots that are must-trys.

We did, however, switch to their Mule list. They’ve got four unique varieties of the Moscow Mule at the Social Tap. We tried their Maui Mule and it was fantastic–highly recommend! Of course, they also have an extensive list of beer and wine to choose from, too, making this a nice spot to stop with a group before or after a baseball game.

Oh, Las Vegas. It’s been far too long.

We took a quick jaunt to Sin City this week and managed to sneak in a Bloody Mary review on the trip.

We had heard about the Bloody at Mr. Lucky’s in the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino but because it’s off the strip, we never made it there on our previous visit.

Well, our trip started off lucky as that’s where we were staying this time around. I guess you could say lucky for us, we got to try this beast at Mr. Lucky’s:

Lucky's Breakfast Bloody

While $19.99 may seek excessive for a Bloody Mary, in truth this might just be one of the best bargains in Vegas. When you consider that most drinks at the bars are about $10-15 a pop, here you’re also getting a meal and a souvenir.

Mr. Lucky's  Bloody Mary

Turn around, gorgeous:

Mr. lucky's Bloody Mary

Mix: House

Chaser: None offered

Fixin’s: Deviled egg, celery, pickle, shrimp, beef jerky, waffle breakfast slider with cheese & bacon, lime, olive

Price: $19.99 – steep but comparable in Vegas, plus you get to keep the glass!

Pro tip: Order this drink and you’ve got breakfast to boot. The waffle breakfast slider is quite possibly one of our all-time favorite fixin’s, quickly joining the ranks of Sobelman’s and the like back home. I can’t believe they don’t sell that sandwich as a stand alone breakfast item because it’s delicious. Our waiter even offered us syrup. Um sure, why not?

Down this beverage and consume the fixin’s and then you’re left with the glass, which is yours to keep. Sort of a badge of honor for tackling this monstrosity,a built-in souvenir.

The Breakfast Bloody is also not just for breakfast; it is available all the time, which puts it a step ahead of many Vegas establishments that offer similar over-the-top Bloodies, but only on weekends and what not.

Oh, and if by some small chance you’re not full after consuming this beverage, you can still order this:

The King Mr. Lucky's

The only downside is that here, what happens in Vegas will indeed stay in Vegas… We are going to miss you when we get home, Mr. Lucky’s! Well done.

 

 

 

After attending a Saint Francis Brewing Co. event at Ray’s Growler Gallery, we were inspired to take a trip to the Saint Francis Brewery for dinner.

In addition to their seven original beers on tap, the brew-pub offers an extensive menu with everything from fish frys and burgers to ribs and jambalaya.

The restaurant is spacious with a large bar area and several dining alcoves. Thus, although it was busy, we were able to get seated within 5-10 minutes on a Friday night.

While Saint Francis is known for its beer, obviously, I wanted to be sure to sample their Bloody Mary while I was there. Their menu said they have them on special on Saturdays and Sundays, so I figured they must have a good one. Plus, bonus, I’d get to sample their beer via the chaser, the best of both worlds.

So, I ordered the Bloody Mary with a pumpkin beer chaser:

St. Francis Brewery Bloody Mary

Mix: Homemade mix (I think?)

Chaser: Yes–for an upcharge!

Fixin’s: Celery, pickle, olive, mushroom, lemon and lime

Price: $6 + $1 chaser

 

The Bloody Mary was pretty standard, but good. The pumpkin beer was spicy and delicious. We enjoyed our food as well.

The only downside occurred when we received our bill.

Much to our surprise, there was a $1 upcharge for the chaser:

Photo Nov 09, 10 49 46 AM

Our waitress had, indeed, asked if we wanted a chaser, but she said, “Would you like a chaser?” not “Would you like to add a chaser for a $1 upcharge?”

Now in the grand scheme of things, we realize $1 is not a big deal, but the fact that this is a brewery just compounds the issue. Don’t you want people to sample your beer? Don’t you have a lot of it back there?

If they really need to turn that profit, in my opinion, they would’ve been better off charging $7 for their bloody mary than looking like they are nickeling and diming their customers for a beer chaser.

We didn’t bring this issue up at the time of dinner because, like we said, it’s not a huge deal, just something we thought very odd and something that did not sync up with the rest of our experience.

If we ever return, we’ll stick to ordering beer as our beverage of choice.

11/16/15 Update: See the comments below! St. Francis Brewery took our review to heart and is eliminating the $1 chaser charge! Good news for all the Bloody Mary lovers out there!

Sorry for the delay! We’re a bit behind on our reviews.

Sunday, October 25 was the annual “Milwaukee Largest Bloody Mary” event at Great Lakes Distillery.

This was the sixth year for this event, and the sixth year for me attending it as well. Each year, there are more and more people attending, which is a great sign.

This year, admission to the event was free and a donation of food to Hunger Task Force was encouraged (you received raffle tickets).

For $5,  you got to enjoy part of a 100 gallon Bloody Mary made with Rehorst Vodka. You could add your own hot sauce, olives and lemon and/or lime.

However, for $3 more, you got a trip to the garnish bar which included celery, a pickle, a cocktail wiener, bacon, cheese curd and pepperoncini.
Great Lakes Distillery Bloody mary

Needless to say, the Bloodies were flowing and they were awesome!

Attendees could also buy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches at the event and try gumbo and oysters.

We bought a Grilled Cheese and, while it was delicious, the wait was about 20 minutes; clearly they were not prepared for the onslaught of Grilled Cheese orders. We don’t remember this being an issue last year.

Our group also thought that the event could benefit from a beer chaser. We tried to even buy a beer at the bar and were told there is no beer in the building. Perhaps this is a good sponsorship opportunity for the future?

In addition to the donations of food, all proceeds from the event benefit the Hunger Task Force of Milwaukee.

 

Recently, I visited Cafe Hollander in Wauwatosa again.

Cafe Hollander Bloody Mary

Can’t believe we hadn’t tried the Godfather IV, which is made with Rehorst basil-garlic infused vodka with thyme and oregano and basil bloody mary mix and  toped with a caprese skewer and balsamic grilled aparagus, before.

It’s larger than your normal bloody mary (and $2 more than the next most expensive ones) and it was quite delicious.

On this same trip, we also tried the Buenos Dias (but with vodka):

Cafe Hollander Buenos Dias

However, after eating lunch and downing the Godfather, we hate to admit it, but we couldn’t even finish the whole thing!

Cafe Hollander

Seems like they change out their bloodies here on a regular basis, which keeps me coming back (again and again and again, obviously). Of the above list, I’ve now tried them all with the exception of the Southsider. I’m a big fan of the Milwaukeean and the Frenchie as well.  You can read my original Cafe Hollander post here.

Cheers!