Bloody Mary Showdown

Bloody Mary Showdown- The Search for Dayton’s Best Bloody Mary Returns!

January 1, 2020 By Dayton Most Metro

Bloody Mary Lovers will want to be at The Mandalay Banquet Center for the 5th Bloody Mary Showdown on Sunday, Jan 26th. Imagine a room filled with bartenders, each offering up their own twist on the classic brunch cocktail. Over the years we’ve had bloody mary’s made with beets, beer and even green tomatoes. The only thing that is consistent is they will all be made with Ketel One Vodka, this year’s sponsor. Garnishes ranged from home make pork rinds, to shrimp, chicken wings, cheese, tomatoes, pickles and some glasses will be rimmed with celery salt, spices and so much more!

Winning Bartenders walk with $500 cash and bragging rights for the year!
Past Winners include:

2014Mackenzie Manley from Mack’s Tavern
2016: tied Mackenzie and & Scott Conrad
2017: Scott Conrad from The Vue, who now is selling his winning RAD’S Bloody Mary Mix.
2018: Jenn Elsass from TJ Chumps in Miamisburg

Bartenders can enter the competition using this link.

Winning Bloody garnished with deviled egg with a candied bacon

2018 3rd place: The Bloody Derby made with Old Forester created by Brook Paxon of The Troll Pub

The Troll Pub’s bloody started with a splash of Old Forester bourbon, then bloody mix, and lastly Svedka vodka!

2018 2nd place: Papi’s Sassy Bloody Mary Mix by by Vicki Wedworth of Papi Joe’s Tennessee Pepper Sauce Company

Papi Joe’s finished 3rd last year, moved up to 2nd this year!

Ticket for the event are $30 for general admission which include 8 tastes and entry from noon -2pm. VIP Tickets are $50 and include one hour early entry, 12 tastes and a breakfast sandwich.

All guests will have the chance to vote for best garnish, best table decor and Best Bloody Mary, with winners being announced at 1:5opm. Their will be a raffle for donated prizes and a 50/50, all benefitting our charity parter, which again this year is FilmDayton, our local film commission.

FlmDayton markets a 9 county region to TV and film productions in order to drive economic development in the entertainment business sector within the Dayton region. They serve as a resource, assisting in identifying suitable venues and locations in the Miami Valley, as well as finding crew, equipment, housing and a wide variety of service providers. also act as an advocate for growth and exposure of the local industry.

Secondarily, they assist productions on-location in the region by consulting on permitting, permissions, locations, local information, and more. Finally, FilmDayton works to grow and educate our local crew. This base of experienced crew and companies paired with the Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit is an essential part of Ohio’s success as a filming destination.

Tickets can be purchased online or on Sunday, Jan 19th at the Fifth Street Brewpub, were event producers Jeff Jackson and Lisa Grigsby of Planned to Give will be guest bartending.

These ladies were decked out with Bloody Mary Glasses they made!

Bargos Agave Maria was made with a green tomato base!

There’s a New Bloody Mary Champ in Town

January 27, 2019 By Lisa Grigsby

The Mandalay Banquet Center was the hot spot for breakfast cocktails today as the 4th Bloody Mary Showdown kicked off this morning at 11am. Produced by Planned2Give this fundraiser pitted nineteen area bartenders against each other, all putting their own twist on this classic cocktail, powered by Svedka Vodka. VIP ticket holders started the morning off with a buffet breakfast before the taping and at 11:45am the doors opened to general admission ticket holders as well making for a packed house! There were spicy drinks, and sweet drinks and even a green tomato bloody mary. Garnishes ranged from home make pork rinds, to shrimp, chicken wings, cheese, tomatoes, pickles and some glasses had rims dusted with celery salt, spices and so much more!

Participating bartenders from :

Archer’s Tavern, Bargo’s, Bar Granta, Brixx Ice Company, Calypso Grill & Smokehouse, Dewberry 1850, Fift h Street Brewpub, Jimmie’s Ladder 11, Meadowlark, Miami Valley Gaming, Milanos, Papi Joe’s Tennessee Pepper Sauce Company, The Barrel, TJ Chumps, Troll Pub, Trolley Stop, Tuty’s Bar & Grill and Wheat Penny.

The Winner from the last two years, Scott Conrad, who competed from The Vue, retired from competition, but was still on hand sampling his winning mix, now being bottlled and sold at retail as RAD’S Bloody Mary Mix. Pictured to the right with Scott is Heather Robinson, who was the liquor rep who helped pull off the original Showdown several years ago.

Also on hand to sample their canned cocktails was Cutwater Spirits, a new entry into the Dayton market. Their pre-mixed cans are just perfect for cabrewing or tailgating!

At 1:45pm the 50/50 raffle was drawn and $750 was raised for FilmDayton, this years charity partner, while Angela Wooten from Piqua walked away with $750. Raffle prizes including Snow Globes from Stewardship Resources, local restaurant gift certificates and 937 Party Bus. were also auctioned off and finally at 2pm the winners were declared:

Best Table Decor: TJ Chumps

Best Garnish: TJ Chumps

Deviled egg with a candied bacon

Best Bloody Mary:

3rd place: The Bloody Derby made with Old Forester created by Brook Paxon of The Troll Pub

The Troll Pub’s bloody started with a splash of Old Forester bourbon, then bloody mix, and lastly Svedka vodka!

2nd place: Papi’s Sassy Bloody Mary Mix by by Vicki Wedworth of Papi Joe’s Tennessee Pepper Sauce Company

Papi Joe’s finished 3rd last year, moved up to 2nd this year!

Dayton’s Best Bloody Mary for 2019: Berzelsass’s Best Bloody created by Jenn Elsass from TJ Chumps in Miamisburg. Jenn walked away with $500 and bragging rights!

So if you were paying attention, first time participant TJ Chumps swept the awards this year.

A view of the raffle table during the VIP Hour.

These ladies were decked out with Bloody Mary Glasses they made!

Bargos Agave Maria was made with a green tomato base!

It was great to have Tuty’s back this year!

Brixx garnished their cocktail with a custom made omelette!

Miami Valley Gaming took a gamble on the competition!

We heard the Meadowlark’s Bloody was an easy swilling not to spicy drink!

Trolley Stop offers one of the area’s best make your own bloody bars every Sat & Sun.

First time participants Calypso Grill serve up a great brunch at their place!

Tara was our ARTINI champ last year, and makes a great Bloody Mary as well!

Jenna from The Barrel joined us for the 2nd year!

The Votes Are In For Dayton’s Best Bloody Mary!

January 14, 2018 By Lisa Grigsby

With almost 500 in people in attendance at today’s 3rd Annual Svedka Bloody Mary Showdown, the votes were counted and for the 2nd year is a row The Vue Ultra Lounge‘s Scott Conrad came out on top. Conrad walks away with $300 cash and bragging rights for another year.

And yes, many of you may know that the doors closed on the South Dayton nightclub on December 31st, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to get the winning Bloody Mary. Conrad is in the process of working with a bottling company and will be distributing his RAD’S mix commercially very soon!

We also need to share that The Vue tied last year with Mack’s Tavern, who won the very first Showdown. MacKenzie was unable to make this event at the last minute due to staffing challenges. Her main cook and mom had back surgery, and she was a few staffers down, and on top of it, Mack’s is home to some fiercely loyal Pittsburgh Steelers fans and the game was scheduled for 1pm. Based on the outcome, we bet MacKenzie would have rather been at the Showdown!

Rick & Marci of Mr. Boro’s Tavern

Coming in second were newcomers Marci & Rick from Mr. Boro’s Tavern in Springboro with their HAIL MARY PEPPERED PIGSKIN! They describe it as delicious blend of bloody mary mix with citrus & seasonings, our home made horseradish sauce and our house made peppered bacon.

In third place, also new to the competition Papi’s Sassy Bloody Mary Mix a Rich in fresh Tennessee tomato flavor combined with award winning Papi Joe’s Tennessee Pepper Sauce for just the right kick of spice! Papi’s sells their bottled sauce at the 2nd Street Market.

Other awards went to Miami Valley Gaming for Best Table Decor and for the 2nd year in a row Mudlick Tap House takes home the Best Garnish- bringing their build your own Bloody Mary Bar to the competition.

But the true winner of the day was The First Tee Greater Miami Valley, who will walk a way with a major donation from Planned2Give, for being the charity beneficiary for this years event.First Tee is a youth development organization introducing the game of golf and its inherent values to young people. The sport is a perfect platform for helping young people develop character because just like in life, players experience the highs and lows of the game. Jeff Jackson, co-owner and co-producer of the event shares, “it’s a great casual event that everyone really seems to enjoy and it allows us to give back to a different organization each year. We were thrilled that the event more than doubled the attendance this year and we’re already tweaking and adding ideas for next year.”

The other competitors in today’s event included:
Trolley Stop, Old Scratch Pizza, Fifth Street Brewpub, Jimmie’s Ladder 11, Brixx Ice Company,
Corner Kitchen, The Highland Stag, Whiskey Barrel, Scene 75, Cold Water Cafe and Newcom’s Tavern.
Scratch Event Catering was on hand with a brunch buffet, as well.

Who Makes Dayton’s Best Bloody Mary?

January 4, 2018 By Lisa Grigsby

The Bloody Mary is a common “Hair of the dog” drink, reputed to cure hangovers with its combination of a heavy vegetable base (to settle the stomach), salt (to replenish lost electrolytes) and alcohol (to relieve head and body aches). Most medical advice suggests that the alcohol only numbs the discomfort: only rest, water, and electrolyte replacement can cure a hangover. Nonetheless, Bloody Mary enthusiasts enjoy some relief from the numbing effects of the alcohol, and based on the number of local restaurants that are featuring bloody mary bars we know Dayton loves a good bloody mary!

Some like them with spicy, some prefer them on the peppery side and even others judge them by the garnish.

Not sure what you prefer? Attend the 3rd annual Bloody Mary Showdown on Sunday, January 14th and you can select from over 16 local bartenders mixing up their best concoction for you to sample. All bartender will be provided with ice, cups and Svedka Vodka, what they provide for the mixer and the garnish is up to them. Over the years some of the entry’s in this event have rimmed their glasses with celery salt, topped with with mini burgers, and even made with beer instead of vodka. Some folks prefer lemons to the traditional lime, others swear a Slim Jim should be a stirrer in the drink. That’s what makes this event so fun, says Planned2Give co-owner Jeff Jackson, “we always look forward to see the creativity the bartenders bring to this event, from the ingredients in their mix to the garnishes, even how they decorate their booth.”

The bartender that is voted the people’s choice by the crowd will walk away with $300 and bragging rights. Prizes will also be awarded for best garnish and best presentation, as well.

Taking place at the Coliseum at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds, a $25 general admission ticket will get you up to 8 five ounce tastes from 11:30am – 2pm and one vote for the best breakfast cocktail. Pony up a little more cash for a VIP Ticket and you’ll get early entry at 11am, 12 tasting tickets, two votes for your favorite bloody and a free visit to the breakfast bar set up by Scratch Events for $40. According to Chef/Owner Matt Hayden, the breakfast bar will have eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy, some breakfast burrito’s and more. General admission ticket holders will be able to purchase food at the event and additional tasting tickets as well. Tickets can be purchased online.

The restaurants scheduled to compete this year include:

Brixx
Cold Water Cafe
Corner Kitchen
Fifth Street Brewpub
Highland Stag
Jimmie’s Ladder 11
Mack’s Tavern
Mr. Boro’s Tavern
Miami Valley Gaming
Mudlick Tap House
Newcom’s Tavern
Old Scratch Pizza
Scene 75
The Vue
Trolley Stop
Whiskey Barrel

Mackenzie Manley from Mack’s Tavern won the first competition, last year Mack’s Tavern tied with Scott Conrad from The Vue. Both will be back this year to try to reclaim the title, but it’s all up to the guests. While The Vue just closed this past weekend, Scott says he’s bottling his mix and you’ll soon see it available in stores near you.

The charity beneficiary for the Bloody Mary Showdown for 2017 is The First Tee Greater Miami Valley. Their mission is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf. Serving youth in Butler, Montgomery and Warren counties, their chapter reached more than 12,500 young people in 2016 at 9 program locations and over 34 The First Tee National School Program & DRIVE locations. They will be on hand with information on how you can get involved and you may even get to try your hand at a little putting at the event.

Five For Drinking: Bloody Mary Edition

January 11, 2017 By Brian Petro

The simple, savory, Bloody Mary. What spices would you add?

The Bloody Mary is THE brunch cocktail. There can be an argument for the mimosa, but it lacks the vibrancy a Bloody Mary offers. The vodka and tomato juice are essentially blank canvases for the spices the bartender chooses to add. When concocted during Prohibition, it was a half and half blend of vodka and tomato juice. The tomato juice was a gift from American bartenders fleeing to practice their craft; the vodka was provided by Russians fleeing an unstable country. They met in Paris, and the rest is history. Eventually the mixture was spiced up. The story goes that a Russian businessman had no interest in the plain tomato juice that was common in the drink and requested it get spiced up. Ever since that day, the Bloody Mary (or Red Snapper, as it was known for a brief period) was a mixture of spicy tomato juice and vodka.

After that, the sky became the limit for what you could do with a Bloody Mary. How to you utilize the savory and sweet characteristics of the tomato? Do you bring the strong heat, or are you looking for something that is a little more balanced for a meal? Does the cocktail even matter at all; are you shooting for some crazy garnish? When you start from a spicy tomato juice as a base, you really can go anywhere with it, as these five variants prove:

Bloody Maria

1.5 oz. tequila (I enjoy reposado in mine)
2 oz. tomato juice
2 oz. orange juice
.5 oz. lime juice
.25 tsp. chilé powder
2-3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Glass: Tall
Ice: Cubed
Garnish: Sliced jalapeno pepper

Pour all of the ingredients into a mixing tin over ice. Shake well for 20 – 30 seconds, then strain into a tall glass over fresh ice. Garnish with the jalapeno and serve.

Some Bloody Maria’s call for just substituting out the vodka with tequila and calling it a day. This one reaches into the Mexican tradition of drinking sangrita (“little blood”) with tequila. Sangrita is made with a mix of fruit juices, traditionally pomegranate, orange, and lime, and served as a compliment to the peppery tequila. This recipe blends it all into one glass in a much more American way. The chilés provide the heat, this time in powder form.

Bloody Caesar

So. Many. Spices.

1.5 oz. vodka
3 oz. tomato juice
1.5 oz. clam juice (yes, really)
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
4 dashes Tabasco sauce
.25 oz. lemon juice
Pinch of pepper

Glass: Tall
Ice: Cubed
Garnish: Celery stalk

Pour all of the ingredients into a mixing tin over ice. Shake well for 20 – 30 seconds, then strain into a tall glass over fresh ice. Garnish with the jalapeno and serve.

More popular in Canada than in the United States, the Bloody Caesar adds some clam juice for additional richness. Taking out the salt is needed because that juice will add enough to the cocktail. You can simplify the recipe by using 4 oz. of Clamato juice as a base.

Bloody Bull

1.5 oz. vodka
3 oz. tomato juice
2 oz. beef bouillon
.5 oz. lemon juice
3 dashes of Tabasco sauce
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of celery salt
Pinch of pepper

Glass: Tall
Ice: Cubed
Garnish: Celery Stick

Pour all of the ingredients into a mixing tin over ice. Shake well for 20 – 30 seconds, then strain into a tall glass over fresh ice. Garnish with the jalapeno and serve.

Before bacon was a flavor in everything, there was beef bouillon to add meaty goodness. That richness we were discussing with the clam juice is achievable with beef bouillon.

Crosby Gaige’s Cocktail Guide and Ladies Companion, asserting that vodka is the spirit of choice.

Red Snapper

1.5 oz. gin (Belle of Dayton makes a dandy one.)
4 oz. tomato juice
.5 oz. lemon juice
3 dashes of Tabasco sauce
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of celery salt
Pinch of pepper

Glass: Tall
Ice: Cubed
Garnish: Celery Stick

Pour all of the ingredients into a mixing tin over ice. Shake well for 20 – 30 seconds, then strain into a tall glass over fresh ice. Garnish with the celery stick and serve.

The charm of this cocktail is the savory nature of the tomato juice. Why not add even more flavor by using gin? We are in a Golden Age of Gin. Distillers are taking liberties with the herbs that make up its flavor profile, providing a wide selection for cocktails.

Michelada

4 oz. Mexican lager (any lager will work)
3 oz. tomato juice
1 oz. clam juice
.5 oz. lime juice
3 dashes of Tabasco sauce
2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
2 dashes Maggi seasoning (soy is an acceptable substitute)
.25 tsp. chili powder (plus more for garnish)

Glass: Pint
Ice: None
Garnish: Lime Wedge and chili powder

Run the lime wedge around the rim of a pint glass. Pour chili powder on a plate. Roll the wet rim of the glass in the chili powder, tapping the glass after to remove the excess. Pour all of the ingredients, except for the lager, into a mixing tin. Shake well for 20 – 30 seconds. Fill the pint glass halfway with the Mexican lager, then strain the contents of the tin into the glass. Stir a few times gently, then serve.

More clam juice. There are versions of this cocktail where it is just the beer and the spices, and no tomato juice. Maggi seasoning is similar to soy, but you may be able to find it in some specialty grocery stores. Lucky Star offers a Mexican lager you can grab in a growler and Trotwood by Warped Wing is always a favorite.

There is a cocktail in there somewhere.

The spices added to most of these cocktails are typical for a Bloody Mary: Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco (or other favorite) hot sauce, salt, pepper, and some citrus. There is a wide variety of other flavors you can add to the mix to cater to your personal tastes. Like the Old Fashioned, every bar has their variation, and every bar’s variation is the best around. For the garnishes, there is nothing fancy here. You can be as simple or complex as you would like. Tradition calls for celery sticks, olives, or a citrus wedge.

Looking for more variations on the theme? This Sunday is the Second Bloody Mary Showdown, where some of the best bartenders in Dayton will attempt to prove that their recipe is the best one in the Miami Valley. Scratch Event Catering will be providing the brunch fare you will be enjoying with the Bloody Mary samples. And you can vote for the best one!

Bartenders will be competing for bragging rights and $300 cash for the winner. Awards will also be given out for best table decor and best garnish. Scheduled to compete are:

Champ Mack’s tavern will be on hand to defend her title!

Lily’s Bistro
Good Time Charlies
Trolley Stop
Whole Foods Market
Mudlick Tap House
Vue Ultra Lounge
Mack’s Tavern
MJ’s on Jefferson
Old Scratch Pizza
Kingspoint Pub
Meadowlark
Jimmie’s Ladder 11
Fifth Street Brewpub
Smart Guy In A Tie Cocktails

The event is produced by Planned2Give, an event planning service that provides support for local non-profits and proceeds from the event will benefit The Greater Dayton LGBT Center. The event takes place at the Coliseum in the Montgomery County Fairgrounds from 11am to 2pm and tickets are $25 in advance, available online or at Mack’s Tavern, The Vue or Lily’s Bistro. Come on out for a bite of brunch and a spicy start to you Sunday!

15 Bartenders Competed For Dayton’s Best Bloody Mary Title

October 12, 2014 By Lisa Grigsby

Celebrating the first anniversary of local ad firm Lion + Panda turned into Dayton’s first Bloody Mary Showdown, sponsored by American Harvest Organic Vodka and produced by DaytonMostMetro.com and the ARC Ohio Associate Board. Held in the Coliseum at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds, 200 guests tasted their way through renditions of this classic brunch drink. Some were spicy, some were bold, some were even good for you, as they were chocked full of juiced vegetables. Local bartenders were recruited, and asked to bring 3 gallons of their best bloody mix and guests were asked to judge the event. Proceeds of the event were donated to the AIDS Resource Center Ohio.

Chef Matt Hayden of Scratch Event Catering provided a western inspired spread for the Showdown which included Texas inspired Eggs Benedict with Poached Egg, Smoked Beef Brisket, Smoked Gouda and Cilantro Lime Hollandaise on French Pastry, Border Home Fries toasted in cumin and coriander with Crumbled Chorizo and Mexican Crema on side. and scrumptious Tejano Chocolate Bites -Ancho Chili Infused Callebaut Dark Chocolate Bars with Candied Onion and Bacon Center.

On their way out each guest had just one vote to select their favorite Bloody Mary. Many of the participants were really challenged by this and suggested adding categories, like best garnish, most creative, most traditional, as well as best table decor. Look for those categories in the 2015 Bloody Mary Showdown.

The votes were very close and first through fourth place were only 7 votes apart. You’ll have to wait to taste the winning cocktail, created by MacKenzie Manley. She’s a bartender who spent years working at the Pour Haus, and is now in the process of opening her own place. Mack’s Tavern will be open in just a few weeks on St. Rt. 725 in Washington Township in the strip mall where The Melting Pot and Big Lots are. She describes her winning cocktail as Mack’s BBQ Burger Mary- a smokey, hearty, beefed up BBQ bloody mary that has a spicy sriracha salted rim and garnished with a sweet lil smokey wrapped in yummy caramelized bacon slice.

Second place was claimed by Tim Gross, representing McGillicutty’s Pub in Kettering. Tim shared with us that he started out as a customer, then worked the door, helped at as a bar back and eventually learned to bartend at the neighborhood tavern. He only works on Sunday’s and that shift helped him perfect his drink, which he calls Tim’s Sunday Vacation, garnished with a small salad, including celery, olive and green beans.

The ladies of Lucky’s Taproom & Eatery, which serves up brunch every weekend on Fifth Street, and were picked by many as the favorites heading into the contest, took third place with a bloody Erin Welch called the Radical Tomato.

Other participants included the owners of AleFest, Jennifer Dean and Amanda Pond, serving up Bloody Ale- a cocktail featuring the smoked porter from Warped Wing, instead of vodka. Gretchen Kelly represented Kohler’s Catering, Nicole Fiely and Emily Mendenhall served it up for Lily’s Bistro, Jamie Gaulding of World BBQ shared his Bloody BLT, while Constance Myers of Tuty’s Bar & Grill had a buffet of garnishes available. Smart Guy in a Tie Cocktails Brian Petro brought the heat, Suzy Switzer of Trolley Stop’s had a garden fresh veggietastic Bloody. The Oregon Distric was well represented with Natalie Chalita and Adela Gloady of Salar serving up a Red & Rye, Nicole Hiserman from Blind Bob’s, and Kristen Todd from Tumbleweed Connection all offering something slightly different.

While there was no official prize for decor, there’s no doubt that Lonnie House , who was representing Masque had the most awesome diorama, complete with voodoo doll and dry ice to go with his Mary’s Voodoo File Rougarou!

With out a doubt, what all of the guests agreed on was the event was a hit, and MostMetro.com is already thinking about the next event. So you’ve got all winter to work on your recipe’s because the next Bloody Mary Showdown will add a category for amateur bartenders as well.
Cheers to all who made this event a success!