Participating restaurants for this year’s Bloody Mary showdown include: W. Explore January restaurant news: 10 opened, 10 coming soon, 5 closed and others expanding “It’s been a challenge this year, with so many restaurants still not fully staffed, it’s hard for them to pull staff off a shift to man this special event,” said Grigsby. Grigsby expects to have at least a dozen participating bartenders this year slinging drinks. The enthusiasm and passion from the restaurants and bartenders at these events is always wonderful to see. I want them to love their cocktails, but also enjoy the time they spent with me at the bar.”

I love to make people smile even if they’ve never been in before. The people that come in are not just customers but some of my best friends. “I also love to make people feel welcome when they sit down at my bar. My philosophy is to make a great drink that people keep coming back for more,” said Elsass at the time. “I absolutely love what I do for a living. Grigsby said she estimates 3,500 bloody Mary’s were served at the event with around 400 guests. Dewberry 1850 took home second place and Chappys Social House took home third place. Papi Joe’s Tennessee Pepper Sauce took home first place prize after placing second in 2019 and third in 2018. The 2020 Bloody Mary Showdown was held in February just before the shutdown took place with the COVID-19 pandemic. “In 2019 bartender Jenn Elsass from TJ Chumps in Miamisburg took home top prize.” Since then Conrad has gone on to launch a commercial business selling his award winning RADS Bloody Mary Mix,” said Lisa Grigsby, Co-founder Planned2Give. In year three Scott took the undisputed top prize. The next year MacKenzie tied with Scott Conrad, from The Vue Ultra Lounge. She described her winning cocktail as Mack’s BBQ Burger Mary - a smokey, hearty, beefed up BBQ bloody mary that has a spicy sriracha salted rim and garnished with a sweet lil’ smokey wrapped in yummy caramelized bacon slice. “At the very first Showdown, MacKenzie Manley took the title, just before opening Mack’s Tavern.

To Win Her Love by Mackenzie Crowne