Vintage Vine. A Five Celery Stalk Bloody Mary.
Before I consumed copious amounts of nacho cheese, beer and various carb filled foods, I set aside a very important part of my Superbowl Sunday morning to enjoy a nice, homemade bloody mary. Now, I have heard that this is somewhat of a tradition for some. I personally try to partake in my own bloody mary tradition every weekend, but I understand that this is a special occasion that requires a special kind of cocktail. With interesting bloody mary inspired concoctions such as this “Man-in-Motion Michelada” and this “Vampira,” the traditional bloody mary gets kicked up a notch, often featuring Clamato in these game day creations. But, to tell you the truth, I wasn’t so brave, and in any event, didn’t have any clam juice lying around. So instead, I opted for a sure bet and cracked open a much appreciated Christmas present that I’d been saving for just such a special occasion. Mixing two ounces of my trusty Russian Standard vodka to four ounces of Vintage Vine Premium Bloody Mary Mix, I prepared a bloody using what was literally the best all-around premade bloody mary mix that I have had to date. The result was a deliciously pronounced, yet not gratuitous, super spicy bloody mary, veering on the edge of my taste bud limits. Hot red pepper bits floated around my glass, colliding with the slightly sweet, slightly acidic tomato juice. The addition of steak sauce, hot sauce and Worcestershire to the ingredient list, all vinegar heavy, provided a marked brightness and produced a fresh squeezed tomato juice flavor. Managing to avoid all the major pitfalls of premade mixes (too salty, too heavy, too ketchup-y), this was everything I could ask for and more and also provided a good, refreshing, fiery start to my Superbowl Sunday.
For its complex flavor of sweet and spicy meets brightly acidic, Vintage Vine earns a notable (and the first one given) Celery Stalks.
Post Script: The jar is super cute and the font is wildly cool. This doesn’t impact taste, I know, but definitely worth mentioning.
Price: Consider yourself lucky if you live in Chicago (available at these fine establishments). Otherwise, order direct from the Vintage Vine website. 1 jar: $12.99, 3 jars: $29.99, 6 jars: $49.99.
I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”