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I found the Queen of Bloody Marys in Athens at The National

Posted on 01/07/2010 by Cheri Leavy  | 

One of my favorite publications, Garden & Gun, made it their New Year’s resolution to find the best Bloody Mary, the Queen of Bloody Marys.
Garden & Gun Article

I decided to help them by showing off my favorite bloody mary in Athens from The National. I will admit I make them regularly at home with Zing Zang and I was just introduced to a British mix called Big Tom that I picked up at Miller Brothers in Atlanta.

The way I jazz up the pre-made mixes is with Phickles, a gourmet pickle company located in Athens that uses the freshest whole ingredients and does pickled carrots, green beans, okra etc. I end up eating them straight from the jar before I even garnish my bloody mary.

Who do you think has the best bloody mary in Athens?

Here is the recipe for the top notch National bloody:

The National’s Bloody Mary

1/2 tbl black peppercorns
1/2 tsp chili flake (add more if you like it spicy)
1/2 tsp celery seed
20 oz tomato juice
1/2 btl Guiness
1/2 c red onion, chopped
1/2 tbl horseradish
1 dash smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt

Grind peppercorns, chili flake and celery seeds in a spice grinder. Add spices to other ingredients. Puree in a blender until smooth. Chill and mix with your favorite vodka. Garnish with pickles.’

The bar at The National features a Victoria Arduino Italian espresso machine and a Cruvinet wine preservation system. These two superior machines themselves suggest the bar’s ethos: it’s a casual place to stop anytime of the day.

The bar opens in the morning for fresh pastries and fruit, housemade yogurt, and coffee from Counter Culture or a Bloody Mary, as the day dictates. It remains open all day for lunch, dinner, and tapas in between.

Over twenty five wines are served by the glass. They offer the option of a 3 ounce pour for those interested in comparing a number of different wines. Or if you’d just like a nip with lunch. Seasonally changing cocktails and bottled and draught beer are also available.

BAR HOURS at The National: m-f 8 am – 2 am • sat 5 pm – 2 am • sunday 6pm – 12am

Tagged: bloody marys, garden and gun magazine, the national, phickles, miller brothers, big tom, guide2athens, athens ga