What sets these area Bloody Mary drinks apart

 

Photography by Colleen Harrison

Reviews by Tyler Julson

Skol Tavern

Albert Lea

The Skol Tavern had a Bloody Mary that will quench the thirst of anyone with a taste for a classic Bloody Mary or for the adventurous, you can create your own Bloody Mary at their Bloody Mary Bar every Sunday.

Patrons can choose from a wide selection of mixes and pick from over 50 toppings to garnish with. With that many choices, the possibilities are endless at Skol.

 

TB3’S

Freeborn
Fans of the classic Bloody Mary drink will be delighted with this drink. It is made of Bloody Mary mix with vodka topped with a pickle spear and an olive with a citrusy salt around the rim.

It is very drinkable and not over-filling to the point where you can’t have more than one.

What sets the drink at TB3’s apart from the rest is its Ultimate Bloody Mary, available once a month only on the second Sunday of the month. The Ultimate Bloody Mary comes with 23 toppings, including pickles, olives, celery, cucumber, cauliflower, shrimp and summer sausage, among other things.

 

Bend in the Road

Manchester
This Bloody Mary uses a secret recipe only the owner knows how to make. Served in a mason jar and garnished with pickles and olives, guests have the choice between regular and spicy.

Both taste fantastic and are sure to please any Bloody Mary fan.

The spicy selection ramps up the heat and leaves your mouth watering, making a glass of water a near necessity to cool down. One of the olives in the spicy version comes packed with a hot pepper to put a nice touch on the already spicy drink.

 

Ways to spice up a homemade Bloody Mary

While sometimes a  simple glass of vodka and tomato juice is just what a person needs, here are a few ways to kick up the flavor of a traditional Bloody Mary:

• Use pickles and olives that are specially made for cocktails. While any pickle or olive will do the trick, adding ingredients that are specially designed to go in a Bloody Mary can give it an extra layer of flavor.

• Switch up the mixes. There is no shortage of different brands and flavors of Bloody Mary mix. If you find yourself getting bored with one kind, branch out and try another.

• Garnish with other snacks besides the traditional pickle and olive. Beef sticks, cheese cubes, strips of bacon and vegetables are all great options to make an ordinary Bloody Mary stand out from the crowd.