This post was originally published on August 18, 2015.
The hot summer sun shining down in Denver last week made me want to quench my thirst with a delicious Bloody Mary. My man and I headed downtown and sought out a place to grab some drinks and lunch, but didn’t find anything near 16th Street Mall. Therefore, we went down to LoDo and found an array of restaurants and bars that suited our tastes. We ended up going to the Blake Street Vault, as they had a sign outside advertising every day happy hour from 11AM- 7PM. The inside of Blake Street Vault is pretty cool due to its location inside a building from the 1860s. Previously, the building had been a saloon and boarding house, along with an old bank; the Blake Street Vault had the decor to fit the history and is apparently “haunted.” After being seated in uber-comfy booth adorned with an old-school brass lamp, we ordered some $4 well cocktails (I LOVE HAPPY HOUR!) and some food. I got a Bloody Mary of course, along with a slider trio and cheese curds… The food was delicious and the Blake Street Vault Bloody Mary indeed quenched my thirst on that hot summer day. Check out the review of the tasty cocktail below.
AT A GLANCE 17/20
Blake Street Vault’s Bloody Mary looked delectable when it arrived at our booth. It was glistening with celery salt and pepper atop the drink, while three large green olives, a lemon, and lime balanced on the glass’s rim. The deep red-colored Bloody had a clean appearance and spices were dispersed throughout.
GARNISH 14/20
Although the garnish only consisted of olives and lemon and lime wedges, the olives were huge and delicious. I am an olive lover. The garnish was presented in an attractive fashion, though it was not the most creative.
SPICE 19/20
The spices in Blake Street Vault’s Bloody were perfect– a mix between tang, heat, and citrus. There were spices abundant throughout, most notably horseradish. The flavor was complex and had a tangy aftertaste, while citrus notes shined through with every sip.
TEXTURE & ACIDITY 17/20
The texture of the Bloody was on point and went down smoothly. It was quite easy to drink and very refreshing on that hot 88 degrees day! Blake Street’s Bloody was a bit acidic, but not too bad. I am thinking the citrus notes made it somewhat acidic.
UNIQUENESS 15/20
Blake Street Vault’s Bloody Mary was not too unique, but it was a classic bar Bloody and served its purpose well. The presentation was great and made me want to down the cocktail as soon as it arrived at the table, so I would say that’s a plus (or do I just want to down ALL Bloodys when they arrive at my table? 😉 ). Plus, the Bloody was a great price during happy hour. I’m a sucker for great prices.
FINAL SCORE 82/100
If you’re looking to have a drink and meal in an old school building in LoDo for a great price, check out Blake Street Vault.Blake Street Vault is located at:
1526 Blake St., Denver, CO, 80202