Named as a Top 10 Bloody Mary in America, Sam’s Tavern Offers Famous Bloody Marys To Go
In bars across the country, the bloody mary has remained a “Top 5” cocktail for decades, even as other cocktail trends have come and gone. It’s a particularly complex drink to make with lots of ingredients – even more so if you want to add interesting garnish.
The popularity in bars is as much about the presentation as it is about the convenience. Now that some states are allowing cocktails-to-go for restaurant take-out, a few bars have figured out how to use their reputation for making great bloody marys to stay afloat during the COVID-19 closures.
About Sam’s Tavern
James and Brianna Snyder, the owners of Seattle’s Sam’s Tavern are known for making one of the best bloody marys in the country, and were even voted a “Top 10 Bloody Mary” nationally by USA Today. Sam’s grew from their single Capitol Hill location in 2013 to three in the greater Seattle area. They created their concept restaurant as an ode to James’ family roots in the restaurant industry, and quickly built a reputation for amazing food and a secret menu item called the “Bakon Bloody Mary Masterpiece.”
Their bloody mary is a delicious home-made mix featuring bacon-infused Bakon Vodka (made by a local Seattle distillery), a garden of garnishes, and a skewer with a cheeseburger slider to boot. Their Instagram photos of the drink have brought in travelers from across the world who stop at Sam’s on their way through Seattle just to try it out.
Enjoy Sam’s Tavern at Home
With the forced closure of restaurants across the state, Sam’s is not only losing a massive amount of money in sales, but is at risk of not being able to re-open once the curfews are eventually lifted. One of the restaurant’s strengths has been their connection with loyal fans – regulars who stopped by, as well as a considerable online following. So James and Brianna decided to test out limited hours for take-out orders featuring their signature bloody mary.
“We have a lot of fans who miss Sam’s, and this is a way to stay in touch with them, even if it doesn’t end up being a big money maker” says James. Customers can visit Sam’s web site to reserve a to-go package, all of which include their signature Bakon Bloody Mary Masterpiece. Options range from two mix-at-home bloodys with mini bottles of Bakon Vodka, Sam’s signature mix and slider garnishes, to a full bottle of Bakon Vodka with larger bottles of mix and food.
“Just because we are closed for dine in, doesn’t mean that you can’t party on Sunday Funday!”
So far the program has been a success — Sam’s sold out of bloody mary kits on the first weekend. And posts about it online were flooded with fans lamenting how much they miss Sam’s and can’t wait for it to reopen. Fans have been asking “I need some Sam’s in my life! It’s been too long!” or “Do you ship?”
It may not be quite the same as sitting at your favorite cozy bar and ordering a Bakon Bloody Mary Masterpiece, but being able to pick up a to-go kit definitely reduces the withdrawal symptoms.
Sven Liden
Co-Founder of Black Rock Spirits
Sven Liden is the co-founder of Black Rock Spirits, a company that produces small-batch distilled spirits, and is based in Seattle, WA. Formerly a wireless engineer and serial entrepreneur, he and his business partner Stefan Schachtell have been improving bloody marys across the world since their launch of Bakon Vodka – the World’s first bacon-flavored vodka – in 2009.
