The Pig & The Sprout opened about a year ago in the newly-coined Union Station neighborhood in downtown Denver. The restaurant offers food items under a dual-feature menu: “The Pig” section and “The Sprout” section, which that allow the diner to choose between heavier, meaty selections and lighter, vegetal selections (of course with a fish dish or two thrown in!). The restaurant decor is modern in nature, with unique touches like a large bookshelf filled with antiques, old books, and mirrors. Strands of lights hang across the ceiling, while an upstairs area provides lounge couches and an intimate bar. A wine cellar is hosted under the staircase. Lastly, a large windowed garage spans one wall and allows fresh air to fill the space when it’s nice outside.

A few friends and I went to The Pig & The Sprout recently for Sunday brunch. We ordered a round of Bloody Marys-- two of us chose Bacon Bourbon Bloodies and two opted for Carrot Habanero Bloodies. My boyfriend went for a White Russian because he was channeling his inner Dude. The Carrot Habanero Bloodies were unique and used carrot juice as the base versus your traditional tomato juice.. My obvious favorite was the Bacon Bourbon Bloody. It is now in my top five Favorite Bloody Marys in Denver… A list which I will be creating soon. If you aren't a Bloody Mary person, bottomless mimosas are also an option.

For my brunch dish, my boyfriend and I split the brisket benedict and the chicken and waffle croque madame. The brisket benny was very underwhelming unfortunately, while the chicken and waffle croque madame was decent but not out-of-this-world. I would like to return to The Pig & The Sprout for a lunch dish and Bloodies, but likely will not order off of the brunch menu again. The Bacon Bourbon Bloody was truly epic and you can read my full review below.

AT A GLANCE 20/20

The Pig & The Sprout’s Bacon Bourbon Bloody had a great presentation. Served in a giant goblets, this Bloody was filled with a hefty amount of bourbon -- I know this because I saw the bartender pour oodles of brown liquor into the goblet. The Bloody was served with bacon, an olive, a pepperoncini, a cornichon pickle, a lime wedge, and a chicharrone salt rim. They were massive, bright red, and looked freakin’ awesome.

GARNISH 19/20

The garnish presentation was on point, with a crispy bacon strip falling over the side of the goblet in an aesthetically pleasing manner. The bacon was perfectly cooked; the pepperoncini, cornichon pickle, and olive were simple but tasty. The garnishes were not crazy by any means, but they were perfect for the Bacon Bourbon Bloody.

SPICE 20/20

The Pig & The Sprout’s Bacon Bourbon Bloody definitely had a kick to it and was full of heat. Black pepper and celery seed were prominent players in the savory game, while the bourbon added contrasting sweetness.

TEXTURE & ACIDITY 20/20

The Bloody was a light texture and not acidic at all.

UNIQUENESS 20/20

Needless to say, this was a super unique-tasting Bloody and I am a HUGE fan. I loved the use of bourbon in the Bloody. Even though I usually never order bourbon Bloodies, this one was seriously amazing. Bonus points for serving the Bloody in a goblet and the giant piece of crispy bacon on top!

FINAL SCORE 99/100

Get your weekend Bloody game on at The Pig & The Sprout. The Pig & The Sprout is located at:

1900 Chestnut Chestnut Place, Denver, CO 80202