[drink] The Quest for the Best Bloody Mary
It’s Sunday… or Tuesday… or any day. You wake up and know you MUST find a bloody Mary. So where should you go? I took it upon myself to taste (and rate) some of Wichita’s finest.
Harry’s Uptown Bar & Grill
Since it’s Harry’s, you know you’re going to get liquored up anyway; the drinks are always cheap and pack a punch. The Bloody Mary was satisfying – well-balanced, peppery, with a hint of something that tasted like okra juice. The garnishes were basic (olives and lime), and the glass was smaller than others I tried (in a small hurricane with a stem, not the best for hand-talkers). Harry’s is one of my favorites for drinking during the day because it feels like a cave, and it has the best honey mustard in Wichita (for reals). I also recommend trying the “bloody bull” for an interesting variation on the classic. I rate it an 8.
Artichoke Sandwich Bar
The ‘Choke is a favorite spot for lunches and St. Patty’s day, so I also decided to give their Mary a try. When the server told me she makes the drink from scratch and asked how spicy, I was excited to take my first sip. The size was great since it was served in a pint glass, but the flavor just wasn’t right. The tomato juice was a little too tangy or maybe there was just a dash too much worcestershire – not very complex flavor. Great spiciness (I asked for medium), but no garnishes. Would be nice with a Seester, but not for the main event. Mehhh, a 6 will do.
Pacific Coast Pizza
This new spot in northeast Wichita makes for a tasty little lunch destination. My sister recommended the Bloody Mary, and I decided to try it for myself. On my first visit, the drink was served in a rocks glass with a stick of celery. Quite delicious, indeed. On my most recent visit, it was served in a pint glass with no celery, but was just as delicious in flavor. This place is new and in need of consistency, but they make a great drink. One of my favorites. A strong 9.
The Port of Wichita
My friend Donna and I are huge bar and food critics. We enjoy a good “Sunday Funday” now and then, so she was a natural choice to ask for the best Bloody Mary in town. Her answer was “The Port,” so I decided to try it out for myself. First of all, and this is blasphemous, I have never been to “The Port” before. I walked in around 5 p.m. and the bar was crowded – a good sign. The server was incredible, perhaps the sweetest I’ve had in years. I ordered medium spicy, but this one had a building heat that got caught in my throat. Tasty, but too salty for my preference. Love the decor and bound to go back, but probably for the “psycho slammer,” not the bloody Mary. Rating: 6.
The Anchor
I love me some Anchor. There’s just something special about sitting at the gorgeous, pinstriped bar top and gazing wondrously at the beer selection. But that day, I was on a mission, so no beer for me. On arrival, the drink was in a pint glass. Basic garnishes and good thickness, but the taste just wasn’t as great as I imagined. Next time I’ll be getting my Young’s Double Chocolate Stout, probably with a haystack, and then gym-ratting it up for the week. I rate it a 6.
Mort’s Cigar Bar
This is a special place and you can tell just by looking at the menu. This tiny cigar and martini bar dishes out an impressive Bloody Mary, full of flavor with lots of spiciness, olive juice and tasty beef jerky. The bloody cajun martini is also savory and delicious. If you can, head out there on a Monday where you can get your money’s worth for 2-4-1 martinis. I give it a 7.
Heroes Sports Bar
It’s the best Bloody Mary in town (duh-duh-DUHHHH!). Hopefully you’re craving this drink on a Sunday because you can experience the winner for a mere $5 when it’s on special. You should already know of Heroes as one of the best sports bars in town with the “how did they get that up there?” decor to match. It’s not always the best place for a little lady like myself to sit and savor a drink, but I’ll deal with loud game volume for beef jerky, chips, and celery packed into my drink. Deliciousness awaits – this drink is a 10.
Want to mix up a Bloody Mary of your own? Here’s the recipe for my family’s version of the classic drink so you can mix yourself up a little somethin’ awesome for those days when it’s negative four degrees or you’re just too ugly from the night before to leave the house.
Uncle Marc’s Bloody Mary
Ingredients:
A shot of Vodka
3 – 4 shakes of Worcestershire
1 drop Tabasco
1 tsp. Pickle or Okra Juice
Pinch of Horseradish
Half glass of Tomato Juice (your choice)
Half glass of Clamato
Salt and Pepper to taste
Garnish with olives, pickled okra, celery, or whatever the hell you can find. Stir well.
Hope you enjoy your tomatoey, savory, spicy reminder that life is well, pretty damn good! Cheers!
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The Mort’s Bloody Mary…I need a moment. It is perfection. Screw the celery, instead, it comes with a tasty beef jerky snack. It makes me happy.
Joe Buell’s Bloody Mary at the Vagabond. He’s there Wednesday and Friday 2pm to 9pm(?) for your after work beverage consumption. He makes the best bloody mary in ICT — HANDS DOWN (IMO). Try one!
Nice article! I’ve always enjoyed Granite City’s Bloody Mary. They give you lots of options to customize it, too.
Great article! The Heroes Bloody Mary is where it’s at for sure – Chips in my bloody mary – yes please. Don’t know if they have the same recipe but Blue Lounge used to make a really good, really simple bloody mary. Very addictive.
In a word, ZingZag, hard to find but worth the trouble. Check the retail outlets.
Here’s an insider tip: To make sure you’re going to get a great Bloody Mary when out bar hopping, always ask the bartender if they like to drink Bloody Mary’s. If they do, you stand a better chance of receiving a great tasting Bloody Mary. Those special bartenders understand how all the ingredients work together.
PS – this is also true with White Russians
The Bloody Marys at Blue Lounge and the Vagabond are delicious, and since they are the same ownership they have the same recipes, the only difference is the garnish. I prefer the Vagabonds garnish, with a dill pickle slice, banana pepper, and whatever else (those two parts are my favorite). I would swear it’s the best Bloody Mary in town, and since it’s on special on Sundays at Blue (not sure about the specials at the Vagabond) it is probably also the best deal in town ($2.50 on Sundays at Blue Lounge).
But either you didn’t bother to try it at either of those places or we have such different tastes that it didn’t even rank. As far as chips in my Mary, thanks for the warning I think I’ll steer clear of that.
That’s good advice Darrin, but I wouldn’t order a White Russian from a bartender I didn’t know–unless it was somewhere that had other uses for cream, because odds are 8/10 times you will get cream that has soured! EWWW!
Awesome! thank you so much for doing this, I LOVE bloody marys but I am very very picky with them. Best one I have found is old chicago east… hands down. but I will be using this list to try new ones
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