This post was originally published on January 20th, 2015.
This past weekend, in quite a hungover state, lingering on 4 hours of sleep, I went to a local cafe down the street called Annie’s Cafe and Bar with a few friends. Annie’s is a classic cafe/diner sort of establishment that serves breakfast all day, every day and has been open for more than 30 years. Wooden tables and booths inside, along with dim lighting and good ol’ home cookin’, provide for a cozy experience. I have been here before a few months prior, but decided to come back for the fried pickles. Annie’s definitely has some of the best fried pickles I have ever eaten. Anyways, I ordered a regular Annie’s Bloody Mary (after just checking out their menu again online, I see they have a Bacon Bloody Mary… should have tried it!) and a chicken fried steak with eggs. I shared fried pickles with my friend, of course. So how was the Annie’s Bloody Mary?
AT A GLANCE 15/20
Annie’s Bloody Mary looked quite simple in fashion when it came out. Garnished with a lime, pepperoncini, and olive, the Bloody Mary was not trying to impress anyone with extravagant additions. The glass was rimmed with a nice cayenne pepper and salt combination, which added appearance points. The cocktail was colored in a nice red hue, as one would expect the pinnacle of a Bloody Mary to be. The Bloody also had quite a clean appearance.
GARNISH 14/20
As mentioned in the “At A Glance” category, the garnish was quite simplistic. Alas, I do love olives, but relying on solely an olive, pepperoncini, and lime to suffice the Bloody Mary consumer… Just simply does not do it anymore. Bloody Marys have gotten elaborate these days, so I think restaurants and bars do need to “Keep up with the Joneses” in this sense. This could just be me though, other Bloody Mary drinkers may not care about the garnish and only about the taste of the actual Bloody Mary (which yes, taste is very important). I care about the garnish though. Annie’s garnish was boring, though the olive and pepperoncini tasted good.
SPICE 19/20
The spices used in the Annie’s Bloody Mary tasted wonderful. As I ordered it “spicy,” it was created with the perfect amount. Not too sweet, nor too spicy… Quite perfect.
TEXTURE & ACIDITY 18/20
The texture was great, as well. The Bloody Mary represented the happy medium of spice and sustenance, while being easily drinkable. It went down smoothly and sure made me feel less hungover, while not being acidic at all.
UNIQUENESS 14/20
In terms of creativity, the Annie’s Bloody Mary was not the most creative. I thought the spices used in the drink were unique, but besides that, I would say this Bloody Mary was pretty average. The garnishes were basic, there were no special flavors in the actual Bloody Mary, no infusions, etc. As Annie’s is a diner and the crowd is a bit older (think your grandmother), it’s possible that they do not focus on eclectic presentations of drinks. In this world of crazy Bloody Marys, though, I think establishments may want to put more of a focus on creativity.
FINAL SCORE 80/100
Check out Annie’s Cafe and Bar here. Annie’s is located at:
3100 East Colfax Ave, Denver, CO, 80206