It’s a Drink, Not the Space Race

We get it: people love gimmicks. At some point, however, restaurants become locked in a struggle to outdo each other. This is usually when a few more sparklers get stuck into the birthday cake and the ridiculous neon cocktails begin to glow a few shades brighter. It is out of this competition that the bloody Mary began to devolve.

A bloody Mary has long been revered as the go-to hangover-helper cocktail. It’s quick and easy to make. The problem, however, lies in the garnish. The standard bloody Mary is garnished with a celery stalk or dill pickle spear. As the competition grew, the drink began to take a horror-movie turn.

Each “mary” was “bloodier” than the next, with garnishes ranging from the shocking to the just plain gross. Drink prices began to soar upwards of $20 and beyond. People have stacked their drinks with hamburgers, whole pizzas, and (in the case of Sobelman’s Pub and Grill) an entire fried chicken. Can the public handle this cocktail catastrophe? Is it good or bad for restaurant-goers? Let us know in the comments!