Posts Tagged ‘Delafield’

Summit, WI: Highwater Bar & Grill

Posted: August 31, 2026 in Uncategorized
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Sometimes a Bloody Mary starts with a drink, and sometimes it starts with spotting a bar from your paddleboard and deciding you need to come back. That was the case with Highwater Bar & Grill on Upper Nemahbin Lake.

We spotted the bar from the water while paddleboarding and immediately made a mental note to stop. The only problem? We didn’t have our wallets with us. So once we were done on the lake, we made it a point to drive over and check it out.

The Bloody Mary was simple but delicious. It came with a pickle and two olives, along with a beer chaser. No giant skewer or over-the-top garnish—just a straightforward Bloody that let the mix do the work.

And at only $7, it was an excellent value. The flavor was really good, and the relaxed lake atmosphere made it even better. When we stopped in, rugby was playing on the TV, which added to the casual, laid-back bar feel.

The Bloody Mary

• Spices/Flavor: Really good flavor
• Fixin’s: Pickle, two olives
• Chaser: Beer chaser
• Presentation: Simple and classic
• Price: $7

If you’re out on Upper Nemahbin Lake, keep Highwater Bar & Grill in mind. We literally spotted it from the water and went back specifically to try the Bloody—and I’m glad we did. Sometimes the best Bloody Mary stops are the ones you discover along the way.

Oconomowoc, WI: Stolley’s Hog Alley

Posted: August 31, 2026 in Uncategorized
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Tucked between Upper and Lower Nemahbin Lake, just off I-94, Stolley’s Hogg Alley is one of those classic Wisconsin bar-and-grill spots that feels like it has been there forever. With its laid-back, up-north atmosphere and genuinely welcoming vibe, it’s the kind of place where you can picture settling in for a drink, some food, and a little time with the locals.

Their Bloody Mary was a really pleasant surprise. For $10, it came with a beer chaser and a fun lineup of fixin’s: half a pretzel rod, several pieces of sausage, a piece of cheese, a pickle, and an olive. It’s not the biggest garnish I’ve seen, but there was plenty there to snack on.

The real standout, though, was the mix. It had a really interesting flavor that almost made us wonder if there was some kind of seafood or Clamato involved. Naturally, we asked the bartender, and she confirmed there was no seafood, Clamato, or anything along those lines. It was one of those Bloodies where you keep taking sips trying to figure out exactly what you’re tasting. Turns out it was a cucumber lime infused vodka that created a unique flavor that I really enjoyed.

And that’s what made this one memorable. The combination of a flavorful Bloody, a beer chaser, a few classic Wisconsin bar snacks, and the relaxed atmosphere made for a great overall experience.

The Bloody Mary

• Spices/Flavor: Really flavorful with a unique, savory quality
• Fixin’s: Half a pretzel rod, sausage, cheese, pickle, olive
• Chaser: Beer chaser
• Presentation: Classic Wisconsin bar Bloody with a solid lineup of garnishes
• Price: $10

If you’re looking for a classic Wisconsin bar experience, Stolley’s Hogg Alley is worth a stop. You don’t have to be a biker to feel at home here—and you definitely don’t have to be a Bloody Mary expert to appreciate this one. The mix alone makes it worth trying.

Delafield, WI: Lumber Inn

Posted: February 18, 2026 in Uncategorized
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After a morning hike at Lapham Peak in Delafield, Wisconsin, the Bloody Mary at the Lumber Inn feels less like a cocktail and more like a reward. Hearty and generously garnished, this one almost doubles as an appetizer. The variety of sausages and the unexpected artichoke make it stand out from the typical lineup.

The mix itself is solid and drinkable, and the tiny can beer chaser keeps things very Wisconsin. For the price, this is a well-rounded, satisfying option—especially on a Sunday morning.

The Bloody Mary

• Spices/Flavor: Classic, savory, brunch-friendly
• Fixin’s: Three types of sausage, artichoke, mini gherkin, cheese, olive, celery
• Chaser: Tiny can of Miller Lite
• Presentation: Garnish-heavy, meal-in-a-glass vibes
• Price: $11.50

Delafield, WI: The Water Street Brewery

Posted: April 28, 2020 in Uncategorized
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Hello there. It’s us again. Still playing catch up.

Back in February, we stopped in at the Water Street Brewery in Delafield, Wisconsin after a nice hike through Lapham Peak. It was supposed to be a 5-mile snowshoe hike, but unseasonably warm weather made it more of a regular hike.

This happened to be Super Bowl Sunday, so after we got our nice workout in, we kicked off the pregame festivities a little early with brunch.

Now we had reviewed the Water Street Brewery’s regular Bloody Mary almost six years ago. And, as I’m SURE you’ll recall, we were highly disappointed that we weren’t aware of their specialty Bloody Mary.

Okay, so we had actually completely forgotten about that debacle and 2014 probably was the last time we were even out in Delafield; however, the weekend brunch menu highlighted the Oktoberfest Bloody Mary pretty heavily, so when we placed our food and drink order, we didn’t realize that it wasn’t clear… we were all in on the big kahuna.

The bartender saw the surprise and the fear in my eyes when we set down the plain Bloody Mary. Immediately, I inquired about the fixings. He apologized and didn’t charge me for the original drink, which he said I should enjoy while I waited for my smorgasbord.

It was well worth the wait.

Spice & Mix: Homemade Mix and Sky Vodka with Water Street Brewery’s Oktoberfest

Fixin’s: Shrimp, Brewton, Cheese Curds, Eggplant Fry, Bacon, Pickle, Olive, Celery, Lemon and Lime

Chaser: One of their local beers

Price: $12.00

There must not be too many people who order this drink since I’ve only been here twice and both times, no one tried to upsell me on this version or even clarify which one I was requesting. That’s a darn shame because it’s delicious–a meal in itself, indeed.

Come here for brunch and order this and something smaller and you’ll be happy the rest of the day. Just be sure to specify which Bloody Mary you’re ordering.

Delafield, WI: Water Street Brewery

Posted: September 18, 2014 in Uncategorized
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I recently stopped at Water Street Brewery, a brewpub with three area locations, brewing a variety of award-winning traditional and specialty beers from ambers and ales to stouts and seasonals.

While their beer is good, I had never had a Bloody Mary here, so I stopped in at the Lake Country location and ordered one up.

I was happy to get to select my own chaser because Water Street Brewery offer an ever-changing selection of delicious beers on tap and given that it’s mid-September, they had a delicious pumpkin pie beer on the menu. I know what you’re thinking: Bloody Marys and pumpkin beer don’t really go that well together, do they? No, not really, but if you drink each separately, you have the best of both worlds.

Anyway, read on for the stats.

photo 1

Mix:Homemade

Chaser:Yes–you can pick from any of their beers on tap; I chose pumpkin

Fixin’s: Two olives, lemon, lime and pickle

Price: $7.50

The flavor of this Bloody was very good–you could detect the horseradish, but it wasn’t too spicy. I liked the salted rim on the glass, a nice touch. This Bloody Mary was decent, but when the bartender came to ask me if I’d like another, I chose a full pumpkin pie ale instead.

But then my dining companion asked to see the complete beer list. He was given a menu to peruse and I happened to notice this:

photo 2

They have a special Oktoberfest Bloody Mary! For just $4.50 more, I could have had the “signature garnish,” a shrimp fritter, bleu cheese croquette, brewton, cheese curds, eggplant fry and bacon.

“Excuse me,” I asked the bartender, “You have a special Bloody?”

“Yes,” he admitted, perhaps sensing that something was amiss. “But that’s more like a meal,” he said quickly, trying to deter me, as if there were a problem with that, as if that wasn’t what I lived for.

I hung my head in disappointment. “If I would have known, I would have ordered that one.” I told him.

He didn’t apologize or offer to do anything for us. My dining companion decided not to order a second beverage and instead helped me finish my pumpkin beer and we quickly left following that exchange.

I guess I am partly to blame for ordering without looking at a menu first, but clearly this was special beverage created for this time of year, so I am not sure why this wasn’t suggested or offered when I initially ordered the Bloody Mary.

Lesson learned. In the future, I will ask more questions.