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Over the past few months, I have tried a few different ones but I decided to do a little "research" and try to find the best in Boise (plus the surrounding area). Although I feel that I have failed to find the best, I have definitely found the Bloody Mary for just about every palette.
- I might as well start with a famous one, which is also the biggest-this one is actually at a restaurant just outside of Boise, hence the "beyond" in the title. Homestead Bar & Grill has a Mega Mary. It is only served on Saturday and Sunday mornings. This Bloody Mary has been in the newspapers, the news, and won multiple "best of" lists. Here is the break down, arrive hungry and thirsty. It is 25 ounces, served with traditional garnish of celery, olive, and a couple of other pickled items, but it also has a tiny burger slider, a soft pretzel, a slice of bacon, a hot wing, a shot of beef chili and a shot of Coors Light. They use a hearty bloody mary mix that is well spiced but I didn't see the name brand of the mixer. This thing was so big, I had to take several photos to capture all the components.
- Next, may be my favorite! 10 Barrel Brewing Co. They have a menu with 5 completely different options. The best part is that you can create a Bloody Mary Flight, with 3 different smaller versions. The first time I went, I tried the flight. I had the traditional 10 Barrel Bloody, The Omnivore, and the Bloody Caesar. These mini versions came with the full amount of accouterments, including bacon, beef straws, a potato, cheese, even a prawn, plus tons of pickled items, I had to ask for a plate to put them on and was not able to eat my lunch.
My favorite was the Bloody Caesar. They use clamato juice and it spiced nicely but not heavy.
- The next one, it the Bloody Mary that opened my eye to a tasty but unique Bloody Mary... Saint Lawrence Gridiron in downtown Boise. It is small but mighty, the mix was light and spiced with a mild blend. They topped it with some fun pickled items like, okra, onions, homemade pickles, and the best part, a chunk of smoked brisket!
- Just outside of Boise again, in Meridian, we went to chain restaurant, The Yard House. They are famous for the beer selection but they make a nice Bloody Mary, perfect for the morning after a wild night. It comes with 2 slices of candied bacon and a hard-boiled egg.
- Back in Boise, some friends and I went to Fork in downtown for their "build-your-own" Bloody Mary. This is a great option if you like variety and have a talent for spicing up the drinks. We were given 4 different vodka options and 2 different types of salted rim options. The server brings you the glass to continue to fill up and add every type of pickled items, a variety of hot sauce, and then a plethora of spices and seasonings.
- Two things came to mind to my friend and I as we were making our Bloody Mary, one-they need bacon as a garnish...and two, we didn't know what we were doing or what exactly to add. So we decided that the "build-your-own" option is best for experts that know what they are doing because ours were not awesome. But we did like all the options.
- So, this next one, made Jeff and I stop because it reminded us of being in Fort Collins, CO. Back in Colorado, we knew it as CB Potts, here and elsewhere, it is called RAM. It truly is your basic, tasty Bloody Mary with and upgrade in size and a shot of their house beers. The garnish has all the basics plus a couple of chunks of cheese, worthy of an appetizer.
- After the original post of this blog, several friends told me I had to try one more signature Bloody Mary. So this time I gathered several friends and we made it a group "research" project! We went to Lucky Fins in Meridian (there is also a location in downtown Boise). This Bloody Mary is quite the sight. It is a double sized version, served in what looks to be vodka bottles turned into glasses. It is well spiced and garnished with a seafood feast. Two crab legs greet you as they set the glass down, as well as, shrimp, blue cheese stuffed olives, and celery. This drink is totally worth $15, but they also serve a traditional pint sized version without the crab legs.
We struggled to get a picture of this monster of a drink, so we took several pictures!!
Part of the crew helping me do "research"!
The traditional pint-sized Bloody Mary
If you live in the area, please share any others that I need to go and "research" but for now, I have shifted my "research" to the Breweries of Boise. Stayed tuned for my next post on that topic! 🍻
