If you’ve ever experienced online dating, you know it’s a squirrly mix of narcissism, resume shopping, and outright desperation. People look like their photos, or they don’t. Sarcasm bleeds into either laughter or insult. And when looking for a suitable partner, for better or worse, one often lacks even the most basic of information to decide whether a swipe right is ill advised.
A lack of contextual clues is the problem. In surprisingly similar ways, we see that in bloody marys. Over-the-top garnishes may disguise unacceptable mixes. And unacceptable mixes may be peddled only due to their lavish accoutrements. The book cover of a bloody mary, whether a photo or short description, may or may not reveal the actual quality of the cocktail. And with the continuing global pandemic, we are forced to decide what is most important to us.
Home Bartenders
While the equivalent of Two Buck Chuck will always serve some roll, home bartenders are increasingly choosing higher quality craft mixers made with unique ingredients.
Big Tom Bloody Mary Mix uses a blend of Portuguese tomatoes and 21 herbs and spices, while LAVA Craft Cocktail Co. sources Italian San Marzano tomatoes grown on volcanic soil. Toma abandons traditional hot sauce altogether for their own scratch-made sriracha and chipotle tomatillo sauce.
With more people staying home, it’s clear that the craft bloody mary movement is no longer limited to upscale dining establishments.
Festivals
Wisconsin’s Best Bloody Mary Fest continues to host pick up style versions of their wildly successful bloody mary competition. Events are planned in numerous cities across Wisconsin, and participants receive, quite literally, a trunk full of locally sourced, high quality food and beverage.
Drinks include 100 Mile Sauce Bloody Mary Mix, Just Vodka from Yahara Bay Distillers, a case of Drink Wisconsibly’s new beer from Leinenkugels, plus tastings from all the bloody mary mix competitors. Food includes cheese curds from Farmer John, beef sticks, slider kits, and jars of cocktail carrots, pickles, olives, and Silver Springs Horseradish. Plus, your quaranteam car can also participate in a costume/car decoration contest and photo contest to win VIP tickets to the 2021 WI’s Best Bloody Mary Fest in Madison, WI.
Restaurants
Restaurants continue to innovate, offering new and exciting experiences for customers. Four Corners restaurant group has teamed up with Chicago’s Bloody Mary Fest to create a Bloody Mary Passport valid through March 2021. For just $20, passport holders receive six different bloody marys from six different Four Corners bars throughout the city. Every ticket also benefits K9 4 Keeps, a not-for-profit that helps foster dogs find homes. Enjoying a bloody mary (or six) while also helping rescue dogs? I just can’t say no!
Makers
Finally, when it comes down to quality over quantity, nobody knows this better than manufacturers in the bloody mary industry. Badger Chow Bloody Mary / Michelada Mix touts its veggie packed mix with the tagline “Garden 2 Glass.” They are also sponsoring this month’s “What are you thankful for” contest in the popular Bloody Mary Enthusiasts Unite! Facebook group. One lucky winner will receive a prize pack filled with mix, pickled veggies, and hot sauce.
While everyone has been forced to pivot in some way this year, it’s clear that getting back to basics, back to the true things that matter to us, has not only elevated ourselves, but also our community as a whole.
