The Bloody Masterpiece at Sobelman’s Pub in Milwaukee is “garnished” with 13 nibbles including a bacon cheeseburger slider! And it’s served with a beer chaser.     —Photo courtesy of Sobelman’s Pub & Grill

The Bloody Mary, whose history seems as cloudy as the cocktail itself, is often tied to Ernest Hemingway, who rather enjoyed imbibing with his fellow writers. At his behest, legend has it, the bartender at Hem’s favorite Paris bar—Harry’s—created the drink to either soothe a Hemingway hangover (hair of the dog, you know), or to concoct a beverage that could not be detected on his breath and distress his wife (might have been Wife #4 whose name was Mary).

Nonetheless, the beverage has evolved dramatically from the 1920s concoction Hemingway swilled—tomato juice, vodka, Worcestershire sauce plus seasonings. Today’s Bloody Mary is a moveable feast, taking on various iterations and descriptive names. It’s an appetizer and a drink in one and can be loaded up with arugula sprouts, sugared bacon, crab claws, chunks of cheese and pickled vegetables including okra, Brussels sprouts and green beans.

At Sobelman’s Pub & Grill in Milwaukee, the Bloody Masterpiece was created on a whim to make fun of some of those over-the-top toppers. There are 13 of them on the Masterpiece: a bacon cheeseburger slider, celery, sausage, cheese, olive, pickled Brussels sprout, asparagus, shrimp, green onion, mushroom, cherry tomato, a bit of fresh lemon and a pearl onion.

“I made it as a joke, took a picture and posted it on Facebook asking if it was too much,” says owner Dave Sobelman. Apparently it wasn’t. Last week about 175 Bloody Masterpieces were served every day. “I had to hire new staff just to help prep and skewer everything—and order more and more buns. The sliders are made and added at the last minute.”

In comparison, the Chubby Mary is an exercise in restraint. Sort of. It’s the signature drink at The Cove in the small, but swanky fishtown of Leland, Michigan. Fresh lemon and lime juice, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, celery salt and cracked black pepper make for a lovely, but standard Mary, but the garnish puts it on the map: a smoked chub (a fish found in the Great Lakes) goes tail-first into the drink, so you are face to face with its shriveled fish eyes as the server ceremoniously places it on the table before you. Off-putting though it is, the smoky little fish soaks up the sweet-citrus-spice flavor of the drink, making for an oddly addictive nibble. Here’s a Chubby Mary recipe and photo that appeared in Midwest Living magazine.

Hemingway, being the fisherman that he was and having spent time in Michigan, would have approved.

For a simple Bloody Mary Dave Sobelman suggests using Jimmy Luv’s Bloody Mary Mix and Rehorst Vodka, both produced by Milwaukee companies.

Or try my bacon-flavored Bloody Mary. It makes one serving.

Bloody Mary with Bacon

2 lime wedges
Bacon Salt  or coarse sea salt
1 cup tomato juice
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dill pickle juice or olive brine
1/4 teaspoon horseradish or hot sauce to taste (some like it hot)
Freshly ground pepper
2 ounces of Bakon Vodka (worth the splurge here) or vodka
2 crispy-cooked bacon strips

Rub lime wedge around rim of  2 glasses. Dip rims in Bacon Salt. Combine remaining ingredients, except bacon strips, in a large cocktail mixer and shake. (Or put ingredients in a small pitcher and stir.) Pour Bloody Mary into 2 ice-filled glasses. Lay a bacon strip across the top of each glass, or crumble on top.