The Gerald. A Peppery Seattle Bloody Mary.

"The Gerald" could be a really good dog's name, or an art museum, or some breathy guy from your English literature class, but it's not any of those. It's a hip restaurant with killer hand-crafted cocktails on historic Ballard Avenue in Seattle. After hitting up the weekly Sunday Farmer's Market, I meandered through the crowds to this modern bar for a much needed bloody mary.

The Gerald's bloody mary is described as "our spicy take on an old classic, featuring vodka, sriracha, garlic & lemon; topped w/ house-pickled veggies & a salt & pepper rim." Unfortunately, I got maybe half of that. The bloody mary was only moderately spicy, and I couldn't pick out much sriracha or garlic. The pickled veg was replaced by some olives, a cucumber slice, and a very pretty, but ultimately useless, sprig of dill. What I did get was a whole lot of lemon and what felt and tasted like a glass full of black pepper. The tangy citrus added brightness and the mix had a good flavor, but the massive amount of peppery bits promptly took that all away in one annoyingly overwhelming swoop.

I was disappointed to encounter such an average bloody mary, because the cocktail list as a whole is actually rather impressive. With drinks like the "Stoic Italian," featuring cold brew and fernet, and the "Hair of the Cat" with mezcal and serrano chile, I know some seriously creative minds are behind these innovative cocktail creations. So adding in a regular ol' bloody mary just didn't seem to cut it. Thankfully, my chilaquiles were spot on, and the breakfast poutine was beyond delicious. But next time, I'll be subbing out my bloody mary for a "Hot Charlotte" (gin, st. germaine, lemon, cucumber, tobasco).

For its peppery bloody mary, The Gerald earns 2.5 Celery Stalks.