Ocean Blue & Sand

While staying at the Ocean Blue & Sand in the Dominican Republic for our honeymoon, I of course had to test out their bloody mary. Expecting the worst and hoping for the best, I asked the bartender for one. He not only made it perfectly without any pre-bottled mix, but included all the right ingredients. He popped open a can of plain tomato juice, added salt, pepper, worchestershire, hotsauce and vodka with a lime on the side. While my attempts at ordering bloody marys abroad are typically disappointing, this was a delicious surprise.

www.oceansandpuntacana.com

Sichuan Bloody Mary @ P.F. Chang's

This surprising addition to a menu at an Asian restaurant was both unusual and delicious. Pepper Vodka, Bloody Mary Mix & Tomato Juice. Yum!

www.pfchangs.com

Nanny O'Briens

On our Saturday outings we stopped at a small Irish pub in Cleveland Park, D.C. to get a bite to eat. Of course being at a pub I had to try another Bloody Mary, and this was one of the best I've had in awhile. Made with a bottled mix "Mrs. T's Bold and Spicy," topped with a few olives, this one really hit the spot. The bartender added some extra Cholula hot sauce to make it spicy, and it was just perfect. Their deep fried pickles and veggie burger were pretty excellent as well.

http://nannyobriens.com

Copper Canyon Grill: Gaithersburg, MD

Copper Canyon The waitress informed me their bloody mary is made with Ocean Spray brand bloody mary mix. I generally prefer establishments that create their own house blend of mix, but this was very good. She brought me a sample of just the mix without any of the additions (including the vodka) that normally go into the drink and it was delicious. As an added bonus, you can get their bloody mary with a cocktail shrimp garnish. Yum!

www.ccgrill.com

Purple Moose Saloon: Ocean City, MD

This is one of those places that I'd wanted to try their bloody mary for some time, but the odd hours of operation had always prevented me from doing so. They claim openly on their saloon window to have "The Best Bloody Mary in Ocean City," so of course it caught my attention. Unfortunately, false advertising is common. While it was certainly tasty, it was definitely not the best. Still, worth a try, especially if you're looking to sit around a pitch black bar and gamble or watch sports in the middle of the day for no particular reason.

www.purplemoose.com

De Lazy Lizard

This was one of my favorites from our honeymoon! Located on the waterfront at one of Ocean City, MD's newest restaurants, this delicious bloodymary included horseradish, Old Bay, and all the things that make a great spicy Bloody Mary. We visited several times during our stay there :)

www.oclazylizard.com

Carnival Cruise Ship Bloody Mary

I had this one recently while cruising on a Carnival ship. Let's just say they basically pour some tomato juice and vodka into a cup and offer you wilted celery and tabasco sauce, salt and pepper when you ask for it spicy. The optional lime is a must. Amidst over-priced cruise drinks, this one is a good deal if you're not too picky about having to doctor it up a little. They serve "doubles" before noon, meaning basically a half a cup of vodka topped off with some tomato juice. Certainly plenty to get the day going on any vacation.