This post was originally published on February 23, 2015.

Two weeks ago, my father was in Colorado and we decided to spend a night in the mountains since he has never been west past the Front Range. We headed up to Vail for a nice evening at the Vail Mountain Spa and Lodge and dinner at Lancelot, where I had breaded veal paired with a tasty berry sauce. We dined until nearly 11:30 PM and went straight to bed so we would be ready to hit the slopes the next day (side note- it was my father’s first time skiing in 20 years! He killed it).

The morning came so we had breakfast and then headed to a spot near the gondola to grab a morning drink. We stopped at the Red Lion, where I had a Bloody Mary. We sat outside, as it was nearly 60 degrees and sunny on a Sunday in February! You can’t get much better than that, especially with a refreshing Bloody Mary in hand and the sun blanketing your entire body. I ended up having two Bloodys and actually watched my first one being made. It’s been awhile since I have watched someone other than myself make a Bloody. I watched the bartender toss in vodka, some housemade Bloody mix, and Tabasco into a cup for my devouring (with a garnish, of course). So how was The Red Lion’s Bloody Mary? Check out my review below.

AT A GLANCE 15/20

Red Lion’s Bloody Mary had a nice red color to it and spices were plentiful throughout the drink (most notable was black pepper and celery seed). The Bloody Mary was clean, as well. The garnish was average, but sufficed. The sunshine splashing on the Bloody Mary really produced a nice glow between the red of the Bloody Mary and the blue skies of Vail!

GARNISH 15/20

The garnish consisted of a stalk of celery, an olive, a pepperoncini, and lemon and lime wedges. Each ingredient tasted pretty average; there was not much innovation in the garnish, although it was attractive. Again, I feel the Red Lion probably does not focus as much on their garnish or appearance because the restaurant is near the base of one of Vail’s gondolas and presents a quick service during your day on the mountain.

SPICE 19/20

The Red Lion’s Bloody Mary was spiced well and, as mentioned in the “At A Glance” category, was spiced to a high caliber. You could really taste the celery seed and black pepper, along with a few other spices. The presence of sugar was also notable. The sugar added a sweet flavor while actually sipping the Bloody Mary, while the addition of Tabasco and other hotter spices left a spicy aftertaste subsequent to each sip.

TEXTURE & ACIDITY 17/20

The texture of the Bloody Mary was nice, it was not too diluted nor too thick. I did taste some acidity, though, and felt a little bit of heartburn coming on after I finished the drink.

UNIQUENESS 14/20

The Red Lion’s Bloody Mary was not very unique, it was pretty average in terms of garnish and spice when compared to other Bloody Marys. There were no infusions or unique garnishes. The sugar, though, did add a distinctive flavor throughout my drinking of the Bloody and the hotter spices left a nice kick when I finished my drinking.

FINAL SCORE 80/100

Check out The Red Lion here. The Red Lion is located at:

304 Bridge St., Vail, CO, 81657