4th Base Bloody Mary - West Allis

I had heard rumors that 4th Base in West Allis has one of the best Bloodies in the city.  Considering I live in West Allis, it goes without saying that I was really excited at the possibility of a beautiful bloody being so accessible to me, so close to home.  I mean - to not have to drive all the way downtown for a killer bloody... that would be awesome!

Garnish / Presentation:  5
This bloody was fabulous, and unique compared to many others I've had.  The garnish consisted of red bell pepper, mushrooms, cauliflower, asparagus, green bean, olives and snap peas, topped off with some freshly fried onion strings.  All the veggies were fresh, not pickled or marinated in anything, which was a nice change.  The bloodies take a few minutes, but for such freshness it's totally worth it.

Bloody Mary Mixup:  4
I ordered my first one spicy (he asked and I said "yes!") - it was delicious, the perfect mix of flavor and tomato and kick.  The second one she didn't ask about the spice so I got something a lot more average and mild.  It wasn't bad but I definitely enjoyed the spicier one more.

Chaser:  5
The chaser could be anything on tap, and it came in a FULL pint glass.  Total win.  I'd give this a 6 if I could.

Service:  4.5
The staff was friendly and funky, and the music was killer.  Think 90's R&B.  Could have only been better if they asked / checked about the spicy bloody the 2nd round (I get forgetful!)

Value:  5
For $10 this is a no brainer - you get a full beer and a full, loaded bloody!  Definitely a favorite!


Total Rating:  23.5/25 (94%)


Overall one of my favorite bloody mary's in the city, and definitely one to try.  It also doesn't hurt that 4th Base has a totally made-to-order breakfast/brunch service all day.  You go to their case and eyeball the fresh ingredients they have and order... whatever you feel like.  I got a veggie omelette and a meatball the size of a fist.  It was awesome.


~J

Trocadero Traditional and Glorioso Bloody Mary

I went to Trocadero with a friend and we decided to order up a few bloodies.  Consensus:  Yum!


First up?  The "Traditional."  Menu reads:  "Winner of dozens of popularity contests, this Troc classic is garnished with a pimento-stuffed olive, pickle,  bean, and asparagus."

Garnish / Presentation:  3.5
Not my favorite in the world, most of what was on this one is pickled.

Bloody Mary Mixup:  4
Average but tasty, no complaints.

Chaser:  5
Blue Moon was served up, which happens to be my favorite chaser.

Service:  4
Very friendly barstaff, but did seem somewhat absent minded and didn't really pay attention when we wanted another refill. ;)

Value:  4
$7 - Priced just slightly under many similar bloodies, I couldn't complain!


Total Rating:  20.5/25 (82%)


Next up: "Glorioso" - the menu reads as:  "Basil and garlic-infused Rehorst vodka, sport pepper, mozzarella ball, olive, pepperoni, pickle, bean, and asparagus."

Garnish / Presentation:  4
Much more enjoyable than the original - it comes with everything mentioned and is fun to consume.

Bloody Mary Mixup:  4.5
Spicier, definitely.  Tasty, a bit of a kick, fun!

Chaser:  5
Blue Moon.  Fav.

Service:  4
See above.

Value:  4
$10 - A premium vodka but I think might still be a bit overpriced for what you are getting.


Total Rating:  21.5/25 (86%)

Overall:  Fun, hard to choose between the options.  I am not the hugest fan of their Traditional bloody - it's just "okay."  The upgrade is worth it for something more interesting.  Overall I think there are better bloodies in the city but this is a good option.  My friend had the "Frenchie" which has Grey Goose, a dijon mustard mixed in, a bleu cheese olive.  That was really interesting and she loved it - but beware if you don't like mustard!

~J

AJ Bombers - Truly the Bomb

I love the AJ Bomber's bloody mary.  Let's just get right to it, shall we?

Garnish / Presentation:  4.5
This is another one that is worth the wait for the end result.  That's because it arrives looking like a freaking smiley face, and it's half a cheeseburger wrapped in bacon.  I love the pickle and the olives, though I personally have no use for limes and lemons on my bloodies.

Bloody Mary Mixup:  4
Always tasty, just spicy enough, never a complaint here.

Chaser:  3.5
They had a chaser, it was Miller Lite, pretty average.

Service:  5
The staff is always kick-ass friendly, fun, entertaining, energetic.  I frequent AJ Bombers solo and chill at the bar when I'm there.  They make you feel uber comfortable.

Value:  4.5
With the burger on top, it really is one of my favorites.  And unlike Sobleman's, this bloody is delicious the entire way through. 


Total Rating:  21.5/25 (86%)

Overall:  I totally love this bloody mary.  I mean, burger.  I mean, restaurant.  Get thee to AJ Bombers immediately.. and don't stop with the bloody - the menu is killer, too.



~J

The Wicked Hop Bloody Mary - Legendary!

The Wicked Hop is all but famous for their amazing bloody mary's.  Any time friends are in from out of town I have to take them here for one.  It's just part of living in the city... to swing by the Hop for a Bloody on a Sunday.

Garnish / Presentation:  5

This bloody isn't playing around.  Peeled shrimp, Old Wisconsin beefstick, midget kosher dill pickle, walnut street portabella mushroom, spanish green olive, all topped off with mozzarella whips.  Amazing.

Bloody Mary Mixup:  4.5

Perfectly delightful, strong and tasty - it can't get much better than this for a traditional mix.

Chaser:  4.5

No choice on the matter, you get Lakefront Klisch but it's good, so no worries.

Service:  5

The staff is friendly, fast and kickass every.single.time.  Even on Sunday's when it's packed to the gills and every single person orders a damn bloody mary, they crank these puppies out quickly and they are friendly about it.

Value:  5

For $9 this is a no brainer - and holy shit, sometimes they do $5 bloodies on weekdays.  Follow them on Facebook to be kept up to date on that.

Total Rating:  24/25 (96%)

Overall one of my favorite bloody mary's in the city, and definitely one to try.  It's as close to perfect as it gets.  And their food menu isn't half bad either.  Definitely one of my top favorite restaurants in Milwaukee!

~J

Benelux Morning Rooster Bloody Mary

Benelux has a few bloody mary's with a gourmet twist.  I decided on their Morning Rooster one today.  On the menu it reads:  Hangar One chipotle vodka, jalapeno-stuffed olive.  It also came with the traditionally useless lemon and lime, as well as gouda cheese, a pimento stuffed olive, asparagus and a pickle.

Garnish / Presentation:  4
Pretty good, not too shabby, clean, modern.

Bloody Mary Mixup:  4
Spicy, intricate - the chipotle vodka adds a really unique smoky flavor to the bloody.  It was almost a hair on the spicy side for me actually, but quite enjoyable.

Chaser:  4
Benelux isn't going to serve you up a bud light for the chaser.  They just aren't.  But they didn't ask my preference, so I got a beer that was a lot hoppier than I would have liked.

Service:  4 
Friendly, bien, bien.  They're quite nice and knowledgeable at Benelux.

Value:  4
Right about in line with what bloody mary's cost, at $8.


Total Rating:  20/25 (80%)

Overall:  It was a nice change from your average bloody mary, I enjoyed the spice and the chipotle twist.  Not sure I'd order this one again, I'd rather work my way through trying all their other versions!



~J

Comet Cafe Bloody Mary in Milwaukee

I had heard killer things about Comet Cafe, and realized they also had a bloody mary I should be trying.  So, I got myself over there with a friend and gave it a shot.  This one is made with Rehorst Vodka. 

Garnish / Presentation:  4
Totally enjoyable.  Beef stick, pickle, cheese, pimento stuffed olive, and bacon.  (And the lime and lemon, naturally.)  

Bloody Mary Mixup:  4
Average but tasty, no complaints.

Chaser:  3.5
Miller Hi-Life.

Service:  5
Very friendly barstaff, they asked if I wanted the bloody sans-bacon or with bacon - the restaurant is very pro-vegan / pro-vegetarian.  But yeah, this girl wanted that bacon.

Value:  4
$8 - right in line, worth it.  


Total Rating:  20.5/25 (82%)

Overall:  Tasty and enjoyable, no complaints!  Plus, um... bacon.  Oh, and the food here is ridiculously good.  I seriously had the most amazing breakfast burrito of my life.

~J

Sobleman's Bloody Mary Masterpiece Review

I have heard lots of things about Sobleman's Bloody Mary "Masterpiece", so I went to try it out today.  At first glance I was eager to try it - I ordered the $9 bloody mary which includes the mini burger on top.

Overall, it was fun and the burger was freaking delicious.  Still, I have to say that my picky ass was a little underwhelmed with their Bloody.  Here is my official rating.  :)



Garnish / Presentation:  4
The best thing about this bloody mary is the burger on the top.  This isn't surprising considering Sobleman's is known for its hamburgers.  The bun is toasted, buttery and delicious.  The presentation is nice, it's in a cute glass (though it seems a little small to me,) - and the garnishes are only about half of interest to me, personally.  Today's included:  small shrimp in the shell, lemon, pickle, pearl onion, scallion (odd choice,) olive, brussel sprout, pickled asparagus spear, mushroom, celery, cheese and sausage.

Bloody Mary Mixup:  3
The bloody mary was lukewarm with melted ice and watered down when I got it.  It was pretty underhwelming.  Once I mixed it up a bit I got some more of the spices from the bottom and it started to have more flavor, in fact a bit of a kick.  Definitely a Worcestershire sauce taste, and even slightly fishy.  A good amount of pepper bordering on too much.  I like my bloodies smooth, not gritty.  It seemed like they had them pre-made sitting and melting, then put the burgers on top before passing them out.  I'd rather wait an extra minute or two for a freshly mixed mary.

Chaser:  3
They had a chaser:  good.  The beer was not Bud Lite:  good.  They did not ask if I had a preference:  not so good.

Service:  4 
The staff was friendly and speedy, but were bickering behind the bar.

Value:  3
For $9 this is even slightly overpriced in my opinion.  The burger is rad but the rest of it is sub-par.  I would like to see a slightly bigger glass, or at least one that was filled with a bloody that wasn't watered down.


Total Rating:  17/25 (68%)

Overall:  If I have a bloody mary and don't want to order another one... that's not a good thing.  This is my favorite breakfast cocktail (and beats out most others most of the time.) -- Maybe the next time I'm at Sobleman's it will be freshly prepared, and that might make the difference for me.



~J