Where to Find – or Make – the Perfect Bloody Mary in Grand Rapids

Another year, another round of crowd-sourcing Grand Rapids’ favorite Bloody Mary destinations.

Each year in advance of National Bloody Mary (January 1), we ask our social media followers to tell us where they go to satisfy their craving for the classic vodka-and-tomato-juice concoction. There are a few holdovers every year, but we always get some new names added to the list, as local mixologists are forever engaged in a friendly competition to one-up each other with creative techniques, variations and presentations.

Whether you’re a Bloody connoisseur or just looking to try something new, check out these spots for a memorable Mary.

The Holiday Bar

Sunday Funday at this friendly neighborhood gastropub on the city’s west side includes a $6 Bloody Mary Bar stocked with Absolut vodka flavors and assorted mixes and garnishes. The Holiday Bar also offers mimosas on Sundays, along with a full food menu.

Birch Lodge

“Church @ the Birch” is a Sunday tradition at Birch Lodge, which is located just down the Michigan Street hill east of the Medical Mile. Service runs from 11am-2pm and features a scrumptious Bloody Mary Bar with an assortment of mixes and tons of garnishes – such as horseradish, jalapeños, olives, and bacon – and it’s accompanied by a FREE taco bar.

Bier Distillery & Brewery

Bier’s own Heart Cut Vodka, made with a special blend of beet and cane sugars, and a house-made Mary mix lend a distinctive flavor to its version of the Bloody Mary, dubbed Cut Mary. Bier has also been known to offer a Bloody Mary flight at its northeast-side tasting room and bar.

San Chez Bistro

The Classic Bloody Mary at downtown GR’s San Chez Bistro is made with your choice of spirit, Mary mix, Worcestershire sauce and pickle juice. You can also get a Mary infused with house made garlic jalapeno vodka or cucumber & dill vodka. Any one of them is a perfect accompaniment to brunch, served daily from 9am-2pm.

Broadway Bar

Come for the Mary, stay for the Merry. This beloved west-side bar serves up delicious Bloody Marys with over-the-top garnishes. The Broadway Bar is popular all year round, but you’ll need reservations to visit during the year-end holidays, when almost every inch of space is decorated with Christmas kitsch.

SpeakEZ Lounge

The Sez Bloody Mary, a signature SpeakEZ drink, can be savored as is or with a sidecar of Miller High Life or draught beer. It’s one of the featured “liquid brunch” selections at this downtown bar and restaurant. Brunch is served from 10am-2pm Saturdays and Sundays, which often coincides with televised soccer games.

Steel Cat Bar

This cozy neighborhood bar in the Bridge Street entertainment district is home to the city’s only frost rail bar, which keeps beer and cocktails at the optimum temperature. But it’s the self-serve Bloody Mary bar that packs the Steel Cat Bar  on weekends from 9am-2pm. Choose either vodka or tequila as a base, add your choice of mix and seasonings, and garnish with an extensive selection of fresh vegetables, herbs and spices, shrimp, oysters, sardines, meats and pastries.

Blue Water Grill

Sunday is Brunch day at Blue Water Grill on the northeast side of Grand Rapids. The 11am-3pm build-your-own Bloody Mary bar offers a well-appointed selection of vodkas, mixes, garnishes, herbs and spices – including handmade pickled veggies – with drinks beginning at $9. Brunch food features change weekly.

Uccello’s Ristorante

The $5 House Bloody Mary at Uccello’s is a spicy alternative to beer for sports fans watching Sunday games on the restaurant’s many TVs. Made with local Stock Da Bar Vodka, it pairs deliciously with the local chain’s specialty pizzas and other Italian fare. Available at Uccello’s Downtown, Uccello’s Caledonia, Uccello’s East Beltline, Uccello’s Grandville, Uccello’s Rockford and Uccello’s Standale/Walker.

Western Greens Golf Course

The quaint community of Marne, less than 15 minutes northwest of downtown GR, is the site of Western Greens, a fun and casual 18-hole public golf course whose bar claims to be the “Home of our World Famous Bloody Mary’s.” We can’t vouch for their global acclaim, but we can verify that locals love these hearty cocktails served in super-sized 32-oz. mugs. You can purchase a pre-paid Bloody Mary Punch Card entitling you to 10 drinks for a reduced price.

New Holland Brewing – The Knickerbocker

This brewpub in the Bridge Street Entertainment District may be best known for its beer and pizza, but New Holland also crafts its own vodka, which The Knickerbocker uses for its delectable Bloody Marys. Ask for a Knickerbocker Gin-based Bloody for a fresh flavor variation.

Nonla Burger

Also on Bridge Street, Nonla Burger offers a “Brunch Club” on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am-2pm, with a special menu of non-burger selections. (Okay, there’s one burger and a burger hash). Brunch drinks include a Bloody Bender made with NK Utility Vodka from local Eastern Kille Distillery. The Bender is topped with fried jalapeno cheese curds, bacon and pickles.

Sundance Grill and Bar

Downtown GR’s Sundance Grill and Bar blends its own Bloody Mary mix using a secret recipe that sets it apart from the ordinary. If you upgrade to the BLT version, the drink comes with a bacon, lettuce and tomato garnish, which you can combine with the included English muffin toast and mayo to create a delectable sandwich. You also get a 5-oz. beer shorty with your order.

Social House Kitchen & Bar

Downtown’s Social House sets out a Bloody Mary Bar every Sunday from 10am-2pm, encouraging guests to “build the biggest, baddest Bloody Mary the way YOU want.” It’s part of the casual pub’s mouthwatering brunch menu.

The Old Goat

Sunday brunch (10am-3pm) is the perfect occasion to enjoy one of The Old Goat’s signature Bloody Marys. The brunch food menu changes monthly, so it’s a good excuse for fan to tip back at least 12 Bloodys a year at this southeast-side restaurant and bar. 

Also garnering some love for their Bloody Marys: Three of the city’s favorite dive bars, Log Cabin Cocktail Lounge, Mulligan’s Pub and Vinny’s Bar, plus downtown’s Brickyard Tavern, which serves brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 11am-2pm.

Menus, prices and hours can change without notice, so you many want to call ahead or reach out on social media to confirm details. Then go out and have a Bloody good time!