It’s 11 a.m. on a Saturday morning.
Your friends convinced you to go to a boozy brunch for the fourth weekend in a row.
*Rolls eyes*
Seriously Jessica? Isn’t this a bit redundant?
See Also: The Most Mimosas For Your Buck: The Best Bottomless Brunch Deals In NYC
Just as you’re about to force yourself to go to an Equinox class instead, you realize there’s a Bloody Mary on the menu.
The only time it’s socially acceptable to drink vodka at the crack of dawn is when it’s accompanied by tomato juice, tabasco sauce, and a bunch of crazy toppings.
You could use your ridiculously overpriced gym membership, or you could nosh on crispy bacon and jumbo shrimp with a side of Tito’s.
You decide to go the better route. Obviously, it’s the Bloody Mary.
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463 W Broadway, Manhattan/Website/212-254-3000
It probably comes as no surprise that the mecca of all things brunch makes a dangerously addictive Bloody Mary. While most come to this Major Food Group hotspot for their outrageous bagel towers, delicious smoked salmon, and intoxicatingly sweet french toast, we’re obviously in it for the vodka. Prepared with black pepper, olives, and horseradish, Sadelle’s bloody mary is nothing short of amazing. If you’re looking to switch it up a bit, add your choice of flavored vodka to the mix!
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156 10th Ave, Manhattan/Website/212-924-4440
You’re taking a nice morning stroll on the Highline, and decide to stop for a quick bite to eat. Naturally, you stumble into Cookshop, the “green market-driven” eatery nestled in the quaint streets of Chelsea. Everybody’s favorite brunch spot doesn’t just have one Bloody Mary on the menu, but two. Diners can choose from the Cookshop Mary, made with ALB vodka, house mary mix, and salt, or the Bloody Marianna, prepared with jalapeno-infused tequila, chili, lime, and topped with a salt rim. Both are great, but if you’re looking to try something new, the Bloody Marianna is definitely the better choice.
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2 E 55th St, Manhattan/Website/212-753-4500
The famed brunch cocktail was originally created at King Cole Bar in 1934, so obviously, they make one of the best bloody marys in town. Hidden inside the St. Regis hotel, King Cole Bar calls its city-renowned cocktail The Red Snapper. Coined as the original bloody mary recipe, this drink is made with classic ingredients: tomato juice, lemon juice, salt, cayenne pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. And while most bloody marys around town are prepared in a similar fashion, something about this one just hits different. It is considered Bloody Mary royalty, after all.
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1073 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn/Website/718-389-8990
Alcohol and seafood? Please, say less. Lobster Joint’s Instagram-approved Bloody Mary is truly worth all of the hype. You know what they say, pics or it didn’t happen. Made with vodka, bloody mary mix, celery, pickles, olives, and topped with a juicy lobster claw, this cocktail is truly out of this world. The lobster is succulent and buttery, which perfectly complements the pungent flavors of the tomato juice and hot sauce.
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509 Amsterdam Ave, Manhattan/Website/212-470-5566
At Jacob’s Pickles, you can get a taste of authentic Southern culture without ever leaving the streets of Manhattan. And with flights being canceled, and luggage getting lost left and right, the NYC heat isn’t all that bad. This popular Upper West Side joint offers a drool-worthy Bloody B.L.T. made with Pickers vodka, sterling bacon, and jalapeno pickled eggs. The crispy bacon pairs nicely with the rest of your deep-fried meal, culminating in a cheat day eat worth all the calories.
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344 Bowery, Manhattan/Website/212-388-0148
If you’re just as addicted to Bloody Marys as we are, The Wren is the place to be. This upscale pub serves three different variations of the classic cocktail, guaranteed to satisfy all your cravings and then some. Patrons can choose from the Weekender with Titos; tomato, pickle brine, horseradish, and hot sauce, the Michelada with Tecate, Valentina, and spicy salt, or the Smoking Hot with vodka, a secret spicy tomato juice, horseradish, and lots of hot sauce. The name speaks for itself, but only order the Smoking Hot if you can really handle the heat!
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Multiple Locations/Website
If your friends are dragging you to boozy brunch, it better be at Crooked Knife. This popular brunch spot offers boozy brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 11. a.m. to 5 p.m., where diners can eat and drink their hearts out for 90 minutes. Guests can choose from one entree (we recommend the Truffle Shuffle burger) and indulge in unlimited bloody marys and mimosas. We don’t discriminate when it comes to alcohol, but the spicy (but not too spicy) bloody marys are off the charts.
From social media favorites like Sadelles, to lowkey spots like The Wren, and even the home of the original brunch cocktail, we’ve got all your Bloody Mary needs covered.
Photography by: Johann Trasch
