Bloody Mary Festival Returns to Milwaukee
Savory brunch cocktail gets the spotlight for August festival, to be held at Summerfest grounds.
Bloody mary samples. Photo courtesy of The Bloody Mary Festival.
Milwaukee is on the brink of festival season, with the first major events set to kick off this weekend. Later this summer, a crowd-favorite festival will return to the city for a fourth year, inviting attendees to eat, drink and be mary. Bloody mary, that is.
The endlessly-customizable, savory brunch cocktail will star at The Bloody Mary Festival, set for Saturday, August 12 at the Mid Gate Pavilion, 200 N. Harbor Dr.
“The Bloody Mary is the quintessential Wisconsin cocktail and people want to try the best,” said festival organizer Evan Weiss in a statement. “It’s no surprise that this event has quickly become one of the most popular local cocktail-tasting events of the year.”
This year’s festival will see a series of Wisconsin establishments vying for the title of Best Bloody Mary in Wisconsin, offering up samples of their signature mixes to festival-goers as well as a panel of industry-expert judges. At the end of the festival, awards will be granted for Best Bloody Mary in Wisconsin and People’s Choice.
Participating businesses include Tupelo Honey Cafe, Crafty Cow and Steny’s Tavern & Grill of Milwaukee, Matty’s Bar & Grille of New Berlin, Bass Bay Brewhouse of Muskego and Harbor Lights of Sheboygan.
Additional participants will be announced throughout the lead-up to the festival.
In addition to tasting unlimited samples of the tomato juice-based beverages, attendees can expect additional drinks and food from local establishments, merchandise, temporary tattoos and plenty of photo ops.
Though the festival is only in its fourth year in Milwaukee, the nationally-touring event is entering its 10th year, with six cities on the docket for this summer. Other stops will include Austin, New York City, Portland, Denver and the Twin Cities.
Last year’s Milwaukee festival was held on the plaza outside of Fiserv Forum.
Tickets are available for sale online. Attendees can choose between a morning session, which runs from 11:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., or the afternoon session, which runs from 3:45 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Regular tickets are priced at $49.50 and include unlimited bloody marys, food and drink samples and one vote for the People’s Choice award. VIP tickets, $64.50, allow attendees to enter 45 minutes early for each session in order to beat the crowds.
Updates and more information will be available on The Bloody Mary Festival — Wisconsin Facebook page.
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