This post was originally published on January 14, 2016.
Since the conception of Bloody Mary Tour (and even in the early stages of thinking about this website’s creation in general), I have always wanted to go on an actual Bloody Mary Tour throughout some city in America. Nearly a year after this website’s creation, I finally made this dream come true with the help of a few wonderful ladies in my life AKA my mother, sister, aunt, and cousin. I was home in Illinois for the holidays and decided it would be a great idea to head up north to Milwaukee, one the Bloody Mary capitals of the world. We made an afternoon trip up to Brew City on the rainy day after Christmas.
I had our stops planned out– we would go to four different bars/restaurants– based on great Bloody reviews I’ve read online from other Bloody gurus and food and dining publications. Many Milwaukee/Wisconsin Bloodies are ridiculously awesome looking (and sounding!) online, with many characterized by garnishes full of cheese and summer sausage along with sidecars of beer. So, our first stop? The Wicked Hop. The Wicked Hop’s Bloody surely played into these Wisconsin-like characteristics mentioned. The restaurant and bar is located in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward district and welcomes you in with street signs boasting “Sunday Brunch” and “Bloody Mary.” You may be asking, “What drew you in to the Wicked Hop for a Bloody Mary?” Well here’s my answer: Those damn cheese whips I kept seeing in photos– that’s what! The following is my full review of the Wicked Hop’s Bloody Mary. Make sure to stay tuned for the second of my four part series detailing my Milwaukee Bloody Mary Tour!
AT A GLANCE 20/20
At a first look, the Wicked Hop’s Bloody looked AMAZING. Served in a pint glass and topped with mozzarella cheese whips, a marinated mushroom, shrimp, lemon, olive, mini pickle, and summer sausage, the abundance and variety of garnish ingredients was sure to please. The Bloody was a deep red hue and spices were seen throughout the cocktail. A sidecar of Riverwest Stein was served along with the Bloody– staying true to Wisconsin tradition!
GARNISH 20/20
As mentioned in the “At A Glance” section, the garnish was freakin’ awesome. Each ingredient tasted delicious (one of my favorites was the marinated and seasoned mushroom) and the mozzarella cheese whips were both new to me and out of this world. I love cheese. The summer sausage and shrimp were also great additions (you will see that most Bloodies I tried in Milwaukee actually had those three key garnish ingredients– cheese, summer sausage, and shrimp). The garnish was aesthetically pleasing and very creative. Kudos to the Wicked Hop for such an attractive creation!
SPICE 17/20
The spices that constituted the flavor of the Wicked Hop’s Bloody created a nice mixture of heat that left a lingering hotness in my throat. Most notable flavors included a hot pepper with tangs of hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce.
TEXTURE & ACIDITY 14/20
The Wicked Hop’s Bloody was super thick and heavy. This category definitely has the lowest score for that reason. I am more of a fan of Bloodies when they are cool and refreshing, not thick and tomato-soup like. The Bloody was just a lil’ too thick for my taste! A bit of acidity was present, but it didn’t give me heartburn or anything like that.
UNIQUENESS 18/20
The Wicked Hop’s Bloody is incredibly unique for its choice of garnish ingredients. The flavor was also nice and deep, but the thickness held me back from saying this Bloody was my favorite. Those mozzarella cheese whips though… They really are creative! The Bloody was also served with a sidecar of Riverwest Stein, so points for an additional item! For $10, you surely get a nice meal with your drink.
FINAL SCORE 89/100
If you wanna whip that nae nae with your Bloody Mary and some cheese whips Wisconsin-style, check out the Wicked Hop. The Wicked Hop is located at:
345 North Broadway, Milwaukee, WI, 53202