It’s officially time to mark your calendars. The first ever Bloody Mary Festival-Wisconsin will take place on the plaza at Fiserv Forum on Saturday and Sunday, June 22-23.
The festival, which was announced in March, is a first for Milwaukee, which was chosen as one of 10 cities nationwide to host The Bloody Mary Festival in 2019. And, as of today, we know the first round of vendors which will be participating in the event.
Among the participants, which include local bars and restaurants from across the state, are:
- AJ Bombers
- Ambassador Hotel
- Arty's Legendary Cocktails
- Blue Bat Kitchen & Tequilaria
- Brunch
- Café Bavaria
- Centraal Grand Café and Tappery
- Crafty Cow
- Cutwater Spirits
- Dicken's Grille & Spirits
- Dublin Sports Bar & Grill
- Elsie Mae's Canning and Pies
- Harbor Lights
- Jimmy Luv's Bloody Mary Mix
- Juneau Lanes
- Milwaukee Ale House
- Miss Mary's Morning Elixir
- Nan's Naughty & Nice
- OMG Bloody Mary Cocktails
- Pepi’s Pub & Grill
- Remedy Bloody Mary Mix
- Sobelman's Pub & Grill
- Spitfires on State
- Spooky Craft Cocktails
- Sportsman’s Red Neck Juice
- Steering Cocktails
- Steny's Tavern & Grill
- Tally Ho
- Terry Sisley
- The Loaded Slate
Bloody Marys will be constructed with Deep Eddy Vodka and a wide range of innovative and crafty Bloody Mary mixes.
During the festival, a panel of judges will determine the winner of "Best Bloody Mary in Wisconsin;" meanwhile, guests will have the opportunity to taste them all before voting for their favorite candidate for the "People’s Choice Award."
The Bloody Mary Festival-Wisconsin has two sessions on Saturday from 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. and from 3-6 p.m. and one session on Sunday from 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Each session will include 12 (or more) Bloody Marys. Guests will also enjoy live music from local groove jazz band Groove Grease.
General admission tickets are $45.50; VIP tickets are $55.50 and entitle guests to an additional 45 minutes of Bloody Mary drinking.
A portion of the proceeds will go to support Hunger Task Force,Milwaukee’s only free and local food bank and Wisconsin’s anti-hunger leader.
"In addition to Bloody Marys, the Festival is also a celebration of local businesses," says Yunna Weiss, founder of The Bloody Mary Festival. "At the festival, attendees will be able to speak with owners of great local businesses and sample their products."
Current vendors include Beepa’s Beans, Colonel Pabst, Mandy’s Mood Foods, PhiloÇoffia Coffee Co., Pop’s Kettle Corn, Rude Brew Kombucha, Slide Gourmet Potato Chips, SoulBoxer Cocktail Co., Sprecher Brewery, Sweet P’s Pantry, That Salsa Lady and WisConian Delectables.
For more information on The Bloody Mary Festival-Wisconsin and to purchase tickets, visit thebloodymaryfest.com.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
