Monday, June 10, 2013

The Nick



The Nick

1030 E Juneau Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53202

June 9th, 2013

Overall





The Queen Mary here is not the only queen we have seen in Milwaukee.  Harry's also has a Queen Mary.  They are both served in Weiss Bier glasses, and both are actually quite tasty.  A little too much horseradish in this one for the taste of some in our party.  Hot, but not overwhelming on the spice.  We were thinking between 3 1/2 and 4, but the garnish and chaser give this one the benefit of a doubt.
Garnish
The shrimp is spicy as well, and the pepper-jack cheese is great!

Chaser

They will ask for your preference among their various tap selections, including Stella and Spotted Cow, among others.

Price

 

Mother's Restaurant - New Orleans



 

Mother's Restaurant

401 Poydras
New Orleans, LA

June 5th, 2013





Overall










Ok, so you may have noticed the address is not Milwaukee.  I was in New Orleans recently, having a Po Boy a this restaurant that advertised its 'world famous' bloody marys.  In a city known for cocktails, this is quite a claim.  Naturally I had to try one, and here you have the result.

Oh, the drink itself was flavorful, if light on alcohol. But the rather pathetic garnish, and complete lack of a chaser (they don't serve a chaser anywhere in New Orleans it seems) means there is one good reason to be glad I'm back in Milwaukee,
Garnish



Two limes. Really?
Chaser
Bupkus.

Price
 


 

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Cafe Benelux




 

Cafe Benelux

346 N. Broadway
Milwaukee, WI 53202

May 5th, 2013

Overall



Ahhh, variety is the spice of life, and if you like variety, Café Benelux is the place! You'll find the following:
  • Traditional - Custom bloody mix, pimento stuffed olive.
  • South Sider - Peppercorn infused Rehorst vodka, hot sauce, Jalapeno-stuffed olive
  • Stinking Rose - Garlic infused vodka, garlic beef stick, shrimp
  • Athenian - Cucumber infused vodka, feta cheese, cucumber, kalamata olive
  • Rad Barbie - Horseradish bloody with barbecue sauce, bacon, olive, pickled green bean
The point is you really can't go wrong here, because the base used at Café Benelux is mighty tasty!  You can really taste the infusions though, and each brings its own unique aspect.  Among the ones we liked best was the Stinking Rose.  The garlic infusion really adds pop.  Our consensus favorite though, is the Athenian.  The cucumber infused vodka is smooth and cool, perfect for summer!

We hope they take our advice and offer Bloody Mary Flights at some point.  Congratulations guys, we acknowledge your Bloody expertise as the best in town!
Garnish


Each Mary here has its own signature touch, mentioned above.  I particularly liked the feta cheese, cucumber, and kalamata olive with the Athenian. 
Chaser



I love the High Speed Wit they serve standard here. And the chaser glasses are perfect, as you can see from the photo above.
Price


 

Sunday, April 28, 2013

INdustri




INdustri Cafe

524 S. 2nd St.
Milwaukee, WI 53204

March 3rd, 2013


Overall






There are those that believe a true Bloody Mary does not consist of an entire meal of garnish.  For them, a celery stalk and an olive or two are good enough. They would definitely not relate to the Bloody at INdustri where the garnish is the most impressive we've seen anywhere!  If only the flavor measured up.  We found it a little bland, and on the peppery side.  But, if you're all about the garnish, INdustri is a BIG Must Try!
Garnish

As you can see by the photo, they've included nearly every kind of pickled vegetable, along with the requisite celery and beef stick.  But what really makes this garnish is the freshly grilled prawn.  Marvelous!
Chaser

I like wheat beer with a Bloody Mary, so this chaser was great for me.
Price

 

Milwaukee Ale House


Milwaukee Ale House

233 N. Water St.
Milwaukee, WI 53202

April 28th, 2013

Overall


The difference here is that the Ale House uses their own pepper/lemon/lime infused vodka.  It's tasty, but subtle.  In our opinion it still lacks that 'wow factor'.  Nevertheless it is still above average.
Garnish

 
We liked the artichoke and the pepperoni.  The pepperoncini is hot stuff! 
Chaser

 
Well, this is a microbrewery, so we naturally have high expectations for the chaser. They serve the Solomon Juneau golden ale standard.  It might be a little hoppy and bitter for some.  The key here is if you ask, they will allow you to substitute any of their other fine products!
Price

 

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Sobelman's


Sobelman's

1900 W St. Paul Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53202

January 6th, 2013



Overall



Sobelman's has long claimed to be the home of Milwaukee's best hamburger.  Naturally their unique twist on the Bloody Mary is to add an actual hamburger as part of the garnish!  While this is certainly visually stunning, mine was somewhat dried out.  The bad news here is that the drink itself is straight Jimmy Luv's mix.  While this is not bad for a pre-made mix, if you hope to seriously contend for the best Bloody Mary in this town, you're going to need your own mix!
 
Garnish
 
The hamburger is impressive looking, but does not do the Sobelman's signature slider justice.  However, the beef stick is among the tastiest we've had in any Bloody Mary.
Chaser
 
Standard domestic lager chaser, pretty average.
Price
 

Sunday, April 21, 2013

The Wicked Hop


The Wicked Hop

345 N Broadway
Milwaukee, WI 53202

April 14th, 2013




Overall




The Wicked Hop has a solid reputation for having one of the best Bloody Marys in town. They seem to get a lot of mileage from the garnish including a large shrimp and genuine Wisconsin string cheese. The flavor is tangy with peppery accents. Quite good, in fact. We find the reputation is quite well deserved. Four of five overall!
Garnish
The shrimp is a nice touch, but the signature of this Bloody Mary is the string cheese.  Both tasty and highly popular!
Chaser
Standard domestic lager chaser, pretty average.
Price