In the beginning...

Several years ago my friends and I attended the Tomato Romp on North Avenue in Milwaukee.  We were blown away by the different varieties of Bloody Marys made by bars participating in this contest.  We thought it would be great if we could somehow expand this concept to the whole of Milwaukee and its surrounding suburbs, not just the East Side bars.  Rate every single one, so everyone would know the best of the best. So began our quest.  We get together nearly every weekend for brunch at some fine local establishment with a reputation for providing the best Bloody Marys. This blog will serve as the repository of our intense scrutiny and research.  And you, reader, the benefactor!

If you are a Bloody Mary aficionado like we are, you know there are many ways to differentiate a good drink from a poor one.  We will be rating them 1 to 5 on the following aspects:

• Flavor - The ideal flavor is high-impact tangy, but not too peppery or sweet.  While there is nothing wrong with going for the 'hot' factor, don't cross the line and make it un-drinkable.  The panel is divided on the effects of adding horseradish.  Some appreciate it; others definitely do not.  Some of the tastiest we've had involve various vodka infusions.  Speaking of which, don't skimp on the vodka.  We know the difference between Fleischman's and Absolut.
• Garnish - I remember about 20 years ago when The Chancery upped the ante on Bloody Mary garnishing by adding a beef stick.  These days that won't get you too far.  We've seen string cheese, prawns, and even a hamburger added to Bloody Marys we've tasted.  Just adding a salad is not good enough.  It has to be done with flair, panache, and it's got to taste great!
• Chaser - If you intend to keep up with the bunch we'll be reviewing, you'd better know that serving a beer chaser is di rigeur.  And a small glass of Miller Lite is a barely acceptable one star.  The big boys come with tasty specialty brews here, and never, ever 'forget' to provide a chaser.