8 • THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
COVER STORY
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2002
Lawrence's mix of Marys paint town red
The Kansan rates local Bloody Mary specials
The Bloody Mary is more a genre than a drink recipe.
It is a broad category of cocktail with great flexibility to suit individual tastes. Like it spicy? Be liberal with the Tabasco or Worcestershire sauce. Like it gitty? Smother it in a hail of celery salt, seasoned salt, black pepper, hot pepper or another special seasoning. Or make a meal of it with green olives, pickles and celery.
Enthusiasts have published recipes that include clam juice, beef bouillon, horseradish, sauerkraut juice (Wisconsin only), dillweed and onion powder. In a letter to a friend written in 1947, Ernest Hemingway recommended using cayenne pepper. "If you get it too powerful, weaken it with more tomato juice." If
The Bloody Mary is a broad category of cocktail with great flexibility to suit individual tastes. But where to start? After scouring pub crawl guides, the Kansan tested every bar that advertises a Bloody Mary special.
it lacks authority, add more vodka," he wrote.
A quick history lesson: some say the drink is named for England's Queen Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VIII. She was given the nickname Bloody Mary because of her persecution of Protestants in the name of the Catholic Church.
But the drink is believed to have been first mixed in 1924 by a bartender working in Paris named Fernand Petiot. It was popularized in the 1930s, when Petiot introduced it to the swanky clientele at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City. Another explanation for the name is that it was suggested by a customer because it reminded him of the Bucket of Blood Club in Chicago and a girl there named Mary.
At least a dozen bars in Lawrence have Bloody Marys on special Sunday nights. Local bartenders told us that was because the traditional "morning after drink" was popular recovery medicine for hangovers from Saturday night. In any case, enjoying a good Bloody Mary with a friend is a great way to close out the weekend.
But where to start? Not to worry—after scouring the pub crawl guides, the Kansan Bloody Mary Review Team tested the Bloody Marys at every bar in town that advertises a Sunday night Bloody Mary special. We found bartenders in Lawrence who add everything from barbecue sauce to beer, olive juice and even beef jerky.
We rated the drinks in five categories: texture (a one-pickle rating indicates it's smooth and silky, a five means sandpaper-style), spices (from tame-as-can-be to pure masochism), garnishes (from none at all to borderline
or an experienced barkeep, every
glass is like a fresh canvas for the Bloody Mary artiste. Everyone's tastes are different, and the quality of a Bloody Mary can be judged only by the tongue of the beholder.
— Jay Kraff, Kansan editor-in-chief
Abe and Jake's Landing
8 E. Sixth St.
Sunday price: $2
Texture: 2
Spices: 3
Garnish: 2
Alcohol: 3
Overall: 3
Abe and Jake's makes a simple Bloody Mary. It doesn't require a glass of water at hand to combat spiciness and offers a yummy flavor accentuated by Worcestershire sauce and Cavender's Greek seasoning. The garnish was lacking — a lime sandwiched between two olives. If you've
never had a Bloody Mary before, this mild version is a good one to start with.
Astro's
601 Kasold Dr.
Sunday price: $2
Texture: 1
Spices: 3
Garnish: 5
Alcohol: 4
Overall: 3
Astro's pool hall has the balls to try something different with its Bloody Mary. With a lime, spicy pickle and a stick of beef
jerky, it takes the prize for presentation. But with a drink reminiscent of Kool-Aid, take a cue from us and get a pitcher of beer instead.
Bambino's Italian Cafe
1801 Massachusetts St.
Sunday price: $2.50
Texture: 4
Spices: 3
Garnish: 0
Alcohol: 1
Overall: 3
quick punch in the mouth, but the sting doesn't linger. The bartenders are generous with the Viaka, but who wouldn't be? And there was no garnish. What? That's right, no garnish.
Buffalo Wild Wings
1012 Massachusetts St.
Sunday price: $2
Texture: 5
Spices: 5
Garnish: 3
The Bloody Mary at Bambino's is like a continued on next page