11 Must-try bloody marys that are more than just a drink

The bloody mary, a ubiquitous brunch beverage and inflight delight of tomato juice and vodka, has become a mainstay on restaurant and bar menus since its invention in the early 20th century.

A trio of establishments claim to have invented the Bloody Mary – the 21 Club in New York City, the St. Regis Hotel (its bartender Fernand Petiot was said to have embellished the cocktail with celery salt, pepper, cayenne, lemon and Worcestershire) and Harry’s New York Bar in Paris (which was said to have first crafted the bloody mary with vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper).

No matter who invented the bloody mary, bartenders have added their own interpretations to the simple mix of tomato juice and vodka and, along the way, have added garnishes that are greater and grander than a simple stalk of celery. Seemingly trying to outdo others to create the biggest and best bloody marys, bartenders at bars and restaurants across the U.S. have added fanciful and unexpected garnishes like hamburgers, doughnuts and even a slice of cold pizza. In the name of science, of course, we’ve decided to track down the best bloody marys in the country. And one thing is for certain, each one of these 11 tasty concoctions is much more than just a drink.

Bloody Maryland at Old Ebbitt Grill, Washington, D.C.

The oldest bar in Washington, D.C. (it opened in 1856 and has served most U.S. presidents dating back to Ulysses S. Grant) is a legendary watering hole less than one block from The White House. Old Ebbitt Grill serves its signature Bloody Maryland, the bar’s take on the classic bloody mary, with the addition of a jumbo shrimp and a glass rimmed with Old Bay seasoning. The recipe also includes one-and-a-half ounces Absolut Peppar vodka, five ounces tomato juice, one ounce beef broth, one-half ounce Worcestershire sauce, a dash of Tabasco sauce, a dash of celery salt and a dash of pepper.

“The Bloody Maryland is a must try as it combines the best of a classic cocktail (the bloody mary) while highlighting our excellent raw bar program (the jumbo shrimp) and it also plays to a local/regional offering by using Old Bay seasoning to rim the glass,” said David Moran, Old Ebbitt Grill Managing Director.

The MasterPiece, The Baconado, The Crown Mary and The Beast at Sobelman’s, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukeeans love the burgers and bloodies at Sobelman’s, which serves four fantastic bloody marys, each one more fanciful than the next. The massive bloody marys require two hands to hold and an empty stomach to consume the drink-and-meal combo. The MasterPiece is a masterpiece of shrimp, cherry tomato, lemon wedge, Polish sausage, cheese, pickled asparagus, scallion stalk, pickle, pickled mushroom, onion and Brussels sprouts garnished with a stalk of celery and a skewered bacon cheeseburger that comes with a chaser of Sprecher beer.

If that’s not enough, there are three additional bloody marys that all defy the laws of gravity with their outrageous garnishes. The Baconado is piled high with a spear of bacon-wrapped jalapeño cheese balls; the Crown Mary is served with an inverted bottled of Corona beer and skewers of shrimp, cherry tomato, lemon wedge, Polish sausage, cheese, pickled asparagus, scallion stalk, pickle, pickled mushroom, onion and Brussels sprouts; and The Beast is garnished with celery stalks and a cheeseburger among other goodies. Last summer they out did themselves with a supersized Chicken Fried Bloody Beast, which was topped with one whole fried chicken — a portion of the $50 price tag went to a local charity.

Bloody Homer and Bloody Lisa at Icehouse, Minneapolis, Minnesota

If you like all things bacon, the Bloody Homer and Bloody Lisa cocktails at Icehouse are a must. The concoctions inspired by “The Simpsons” are perfect for those who love bacon and doughnuts. The Bloody Homer is a spicy and savory mix of vodka infused with bacon fat and served in a pint glass with the Duff Beer logo that is rimmed with bacon powder and garnished with a mini doughnut with bacon bits sprinkled on pink icing and a slice of candied bacon. The Bloody Lisa features the same spicy and savory base as The Bloody Homer mixed with regular vodka and garnished with a skewer of pickled veggies like cucumber, pepper and cauliflower.

Famous Soju Bloody Mary at The Ramos House Café, San Juan Capistrano, California

The Famous Soju Bloody Mary at The Ramos House Café in San Juan Capistrano, California is made from a secret house recipe that includes Clamato, horseradish, spices and chipotle peppers mixed with Soju, a Korean alcoholic beverage made of rice, similar to sake. The bartenders at The Ramos House Café garnish their bloody mary with house-made pickled green beans and a crab claw with the option to top it all off with a Scotch Quail Egg (a hard-boiled quail egg wrapped in Italian sausage, breaded, then fried and topped with house spicy mustard).

“The idea for the recipe came about on January 1st about 18 years ago after a long night celebrating New Year’s Eve. With an epic hangover in tow, all of us in the kitchen contributed that entire day to creating what we would call the World’s Best Bloody Mary to nurse our heavy headaches. After a few trials we were successful in establishing our new favorite beverage…and we, of course, were drunk again and feeling just fine,” said John Q. Humphreys, owner of The Ramos House Café.

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Bloody Best at The Nook, Atlanta, Georgia

Established in 2009, The Nook on Piedmont Park in Atlanta boasts a comfortable patio for sipping the Bloody Best, a 32-ounce glass of Absolut Peppar Vodka mixed with The Nook’s spicy bloody mary mix and topped with pepperoncini, jalapeños, tater tots, steak, a slice of toast, lemon, lime and a hard-boiled egg. A beef straw to drink it from sweetens the deal.

Sip N’ Slider at Headquarters Beercade, Chicago

The whimsical Windy City video arcade bar Headquarters Beercade serves a cure for the parched as well as those with the munchies. As the Chicago bar’s theme revolves around nostalgia, the folks behind Headquarters Beercade wanted to top off their Bloody Mary with a White Castle burger, which has been considered one of the best hangover cures for years, according to Brandon Aquino, Director of Marketing and Communications. They created Sip N’ Slider, which consists of HQ’s original bloody mary mix, basil garlic-infused vodka, pickled green beans and asparagus, celery, spicy salami, pepper jack cheese and a real White Castle slider (they are the only bar in the U.S. that uses a real White Castle slider as a garnish).

DIY Bloody Mary Bar at Saxon + Parole, New York, New York

The folks at Saxon + Parole in New York City have created the ultimate bloody mary experience, letting patrons play bartender at its DIY Bloody Mary Bar. Saxon + Parole does not use any canned or bottled juices, but rather the juices used in its bloody mary are freshly pressed. The bartenders, who squeeze the tomatoes and celery for each drink, were getting bogged down by customized requests so they decided to put guests in charge. When folks order a Bloody Mary, the bartenders combine 1.5 ounces of garlic-infused 42 Below vodka, one-half ounce of lime juice and Saxon + Parole house-made bloody mary mix in an Aleppo chili-salted Highball glass then garnish the concoction with pickled carrot, young corn and pepperoncini pepper.

Then, guests can head over to the DIY Bloody Mary Bar to select from a staggering collection of 27 ingredients, including olives, pickled okra, pickled beans, caperberries, long pickles, Aleppo salt, Maldon salt, cracked pepper, white pepper, green Tabasco, red Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, Sriracha, Pepperoncini, Guindilla peppers, cornichons, fresh cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, celery sticks, carrot sticks, lime wedges, lemon wedges, horseradish, chopped dill, chopped cilantro, bunches of cilantro and bunches of basil.

Make Your Own Bloody Mary at CLINK., Boston, Massachusetts

CLINK. The bar at The Liberty Hotel in Boston, is part of the storied Charles Street Jail built in 1851. The hotel bar serves a Make Your Own Bloody Mary during weekend brunch. The Make Your Own Bloody Mary option allows patrons to customize their bloody marys, which are made with house-made bloody mary mix, the recipe for which is a closely guarded secret. Guests can create their own bespoke bloody marys with 20 ingredients and 30 different hot sauces. Options include tomato juice, Clamato juice, various salts, house made hot sauces and toppings, such as cheese cubes, pepperoncini, pickles, celery and olives.

Red Neck Bloody Mary and BBQ Bloody Mary at That Boy Good, Oceanside, California

Mark Millwood’s dream of opening his own restaurant became a reality with That Boy Good in Oceanside, California. Specializing in southern barbecue, That Boy Good also excels at making bloody marys. On the menu is a Red Neck Bloody Mary, made with That Boy Good Bloody Mary mix, a splash of Tabasco, lime and Bud Light, but the BBQ Bloody Mary is the more unique concoction: TBG Bloody Mary mix, hot barbecue sauce and rice wine 24% volume of alcohol served in a glass rimmed with That Boy Good meat rub and garnished with celery, lime, a hot pickled green bean and topped with a rib.

Bloody Ella at Ella’s American Folk Art Café, Tampa, Florida

The Facebook page for Ella’s American Folk Art Café in Tampa, Fla. describes it as “where the blue hairs hang out with the blue hair!” It’s also where one of the country’s must-try bloody marys is served. The eponymous Bloody Ella is made with house-infused garlic, chipotle and ancho vodka and a secret Bloody Mary mix with Ernie’s Famous Smoked BBQ Rub rimming the glass and a Kansas City-style barbecue pork rib garnish.