This post was originally published on December 7, 2016.

BEAR DOWN, Chicago Bears! Make every play clear the way to victory;

BEAR DOWN, Chicago Bears! Put up a fight with a might so fearlessly.

We’ll never forget the way you thrilled the nation with your T-formation.

BEAR DOWN, Chicago Bears, and let them know why you’re wearing the crown,

You’re the pride and joy of Illinois, Chicago Bears, BEAR DOWN!

— Chicago Bears Fight Song

I attended my first Chicago Bears football game in over three years this past Sunday with my parents. They didn’t exactly want to attend since the Bears are having one of their worst seasons yet, but I dragged them along for a Sunday Funday full of Bloodies, beefs, and Bears. We grabbed Portillo’s Italian beefs on the way to the city and got into Soldier Field right before kickoff. The Bears were playing the Tennessee Titans and I was on an obvious mission to find the Bloodies. Sometimes you have to dig deep throughout all of the food and beer concession stands to find a place with spirits, but luck was in our favor this time. The concession stand in our section had a poster offering “THE MONSTER MARY” aka a giant Bloody Mary adorned with garnishes in a commemorative Bears mug.

From the poster, the Monster Mary looked huge and adorned with an array of garnishes. In reality, it was pretty huge and garnished with a little less than expected. The regular Bloody costs $11, so for an upcharge of $4 ($15 total), you can get a few garnish snacks and the take-home Bears mug. Totally worth it. The Bloody was made with Mr and Mrs T’s Original Bloody Mix and Ketel One vodka. I personally would rather drink a Bloody than a beer in many situations (especially on Sunday afternoon) and it was nice to sip on a warming drink during the cold Bears game.

Unfortunately the Bears lost. They could have tied up the game in the fourth quarter, but.. The Bears haven’t done well in the second half all season. Hopefully we’ll pull together a better team for the 2017-2018 season! Next time you’re at Soldier Field for a game, grab a Monster Mary for the experience. It may not be the best Bloody, but the experience and having a new commemorative mug are surely enjoyable. Check out my detailed review of the Monster Mary below.

AT A GLANCE 18/20

The Monster Mary was a tad bit underwhelming for the price, but still looked appealing in the commemorative Bears plastic mug. It was garnished with a mini sausage stick, two pepperjack cheese cubes, and a sport pepper. There were a few spices seen in the Bloody, but it looked a lot more tomato than spice.

GARNISH 17/20

The garnish was cute, though I thought there may be an ingredient or two more since I was basing my experience on the “Monster Mary” poster hanging at the concession stand (I wanted that pickle that was pictures!). The pepper jack cheese was delicious and I enjoyed eating the cheese with the sport pepper– mighty delicious!

SPICE 13/20

Mr and Mrs T’s mix was used in the Bloody and notably only had a tad bit of spice to it. The cocktail tasted decent, but it was more tomatoey than spicy. There was no heat to the Bloody and there were hints of sweetness throughout each sip. I know Mr and Mrs T’s is made with high fructose corn syrup (which I am not a fan of), so that probably gave way to the sweet taste of the Bloody.

TEXTURE & ACIDITY 20/20

The texture was light and the Bloody was easy to drink. It wasn’t acidic at all.

UNIQUENESS 17/20

The commemorative plastic mugs were cute, unique, and awesome take-home gifts to remember our day at the Chicago Bears game! I liked how the Monster Mary was made with Ketel One vodka because I love Ketel One– when I can afford it. The garnish was cute, but I thought it would be more bountiful for the additional $4, but then again we were at an NFL game. I would recommend the Monster Mary because it’s better than beer, is the perfect little snack during the game, and you get a commemorative glass to take home with you.

FINAL SCORE 85/100

Grab a Monster Mary next time you’re rooting for the Chicago Bears! I was seated in section 106 near a concession stand that had Bloodies if you’re near that area. Soldier Field is located at:

1410 Museum Campus Dr, Chicago, IL 60605