Bloody Good

Auntie R shows a seasoned bartender
her spin on the perfect Bloody Mary

Taste & See: A way up in the Rockies, a couple miles from the stunningly gorgeous Glacier Park and light years from Manhattan, a guy owns the pool table all morning long; a single chef churns out "the best burgers you'll ever eat" to the Sunday brunch crowd; and bikers pile in for cheap shots, slot machines, and camaraderie in Coram, Montana's friendly neighborhood dive bar.


Packer's Roost, with its full lineup of acts like "OUT on Bail" and the USA Biker Tour, and its beer garden that conveniently doubles as a camping ground, is quite the local hot spot.


That funny red thing you see atop the roof depicts a Jammer, one of the famous red tour buses that ferry visitors up the steep S-curves of Glacier Park's thoroughfare, Going to the Sun Road, to the summit at Logan Pass.


The 50 mile drive passes through the continental divide and up to glaciers, mountain peaks, waterfalls, hiking trails, and glacial meadows and lakes. It isn't uncommon to see a mountain goat trotting along the side.


It is truly one of the more spectacular stretches of road I have ever been on.

Back at Packer's Roost, Sunday morning is Bloody Mary day and the place is full. The food comes out staggered, so that my little sister is just diving into her Grande Nachos when my cousin has finished downing his toast and eggs. We want to play pool but the current champ knocks in all but two balls on his first go, so our challenge game is over before it begins. The guy sits back down to his beer, ready for the next pretender.

Meanwhile, Auntie R steps behind the bar to show one hard working bartender a couple things about making a Bloody Mary.

Background: A Bloody Mary is a meal in a glass, basically just tomato juice & vodka, give or take a little for the imagination of the bartender. It is usually made spicy, with V8 or Bloody Mary mix for a pre-fab salty kick, and often served with a garnish of celery or green olive. I kind of think of it as the official drink of New York Sunday Morning Get Over the Hangover Brunch, based on my observational research.

There's a little controversy over the origins of the name. Some say it comes from Queen Mary I, who shed a lot of Protestant blood during her reign. A more pedestrian account claims a patron of Harry's New York Bar in Paris suggested a tomato juice & vodka drink made by bartender Fernand Petiot be christened after the Bucket of Blood Club in Chicago, and a pretty girl there name Mary. Either way, Petiot brought the drink back to the St. Regis Hotel in New York, spiced it up, and made it an American classic.

Do it Yourself: Today it can be made in many different ways. For a variety of recipes, check out this blog dedicated to the drink. Auntie R's methodology isn't exactly conventional, but I can vouch for the taste: bloody good.

Step one, salt frosted glasses and add ice.


Step two, douse with worchestershire sauce & tabasco sauce.


Step three, add a healthy shot of tequila. That's right, Auntie R insists. None of that wussie vodka stuff for a Montana biker bar Bloody Mary.


Step four, toss in a shake or two of pepper.


Congratulations, you have now completed the base. Take a long appreciative look at your beautiful salt-capped glass before adding the bright red heart of a Bloody Mary.



Step five, fill glass with 100% Tomato Juice. You don't need V8 when you pack in the punch yourself. There will be more than enough kick to this drink without the canned flavor.


Step six, top it off with just a dash of brine from the green olives you should have sitting around for this very purpose.


Step seven, make a little green olive-asparagus garnish & present your masterpiece to the world with pride. Below, our hardworking bartender & Auntie R, showing off drinks for the table.


The only thing left to do is enjoy, preferably at a mountain biker bar.