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The Quest For Dayton’s Best Bloody Mary Continues!

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The very first Bloody Mary Showdown was held in 2014 at the old Montgomery County Fairgrounds.  The winning cocktail was created by MacKenzie Manley and it was called Mack’s BBQ Burger Mary- a smokey, hearty, beefed up BBQ bloody mary with a spicy sriracha salted rim and garnished with a sweet lil smokey wrapped in a caramelized bacon slice. This win was big for Mackenzie, as it was a great way to get the word out about her bar, Mack’s Tavern, that opened several weeks later.

Bartenders from the first Bloody Mary Showdown in 2014

The next year MacKenzie tied with Scott Conrad, from The Vue Ultralounge. In year 3 Scott took the undisputed  top prize. Since then Conrad has gone on to launch a commercial business selling his award winning RADS Bloody Mary Mix.

For the last two years Loose Ends Brewing Company has walked away with the $500 first prize and bragging rights. Their award winning Bloody Mary was garnished with a celery stock, olive, lime wedge, pickled green bean, Chef Adrian’s house brined pickle, and a bacon salt rim. They’ll be back this year to go for the 3peat!


The quest for Dayton’s  Best Bloody Mary is back again for the 9th edition on Sunday, Feb 2nd at Top of the Market from noon – 2pm.  Produced by Planned2Give, co-founder Lisa Grigsby says, ” I love this event that highlights the creativity of our local bartenders and you’ll experience the range of flavors, spices and garnishes that make each bloody mary special.”  Competing  bars/restaurants include: Blind Bob’s, Entropy Brewing Company, Fifth Street Brewpub, Lily’s Dayton, Little Fish Dayton Station, Loose Ends Brewing, Meridien Uptown, Mudlick Tap House, Sparky’s Lounge, SushiNero, Table 33, The Oregon Express, Trolley Stop.  Scott Conrad will be back as a special guest, showcasing his award winning RAD’s Bloody Mary Mix.

Want to judge the entries?  Your opinion counts, participants will  get one vote for Dayton’s Best Bloody Mary as well as a vote for best garnish and best table decor.  There are two options to purchase your judging credential:

VIP Tickets: Include a buffet breakfast and an exclusive VIP hour from 11:00 AM and 12 Bloody Mary sampling tickets and judging credentials for $75.

General Admission: Includes 8 Bloody Mary sampling tickets and judging credentials for $35. Doors open for GA at noon, and the event concludes at 2:00 PM.

Purchase your advance tickets here. General admission tickets (if available) will be$40 at the door.

 

 

 

Bloody Mary Showdown Returns!

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Last held in 2020, the pandemic prevented this annual event from happening for 2 years, but on Sunday, February 5th the competition for Dayton’s Best Bloody Mary resumes in 2023! Produced by Planned2Give, co-founder Jeff Jackson shared, “we are so please to be able to bring this event back, it’s a fun easy way to raise funds for a local nonprofit each year.”

Bartenders from Dayton’s bars and restaurants will compete, bringing their own bloody mary mix and garnishes to the table.  Guests will have a chance to sample the different cocktails and then vote for their favorite.

At the very first Showdown, held in  MacKenzie Manley took the title.   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.

The next year MacKenzie tied with Scott Conrad, from The Vue Ultralounge. In year 3 Scott took the undisputed  top prize. Since then Conrad has gone on to launch a commercial business selling his award winning RADS Bloody Mary Mix.

In 2019 bartender Jenn Elsass from TJ Chumps in Miamisburg took home top prize thanks to an impressive garnish that included a large shrimp, a deviled egg and a shot of beer back.

In 2020 the winning cocktail was “Papi’s Sassy Bloody Mary” by Vicki Wedworth of Papi Joe’s Tennessee Pepper Sauce Company.

The event takes place this year from noon – 2pm on Sun, Feb 5th at Top of the Market on Webster Street.  There are two options to purchase your judging credential:

VIP Tickets: Include a buffet breakfast of eggs, bacon & sausage, and toast and an exclusive VIP hour from at 11am and 12 Bloody Mary sampling tickets and judging credentials for $75

General Admission: Includes 8 Bloody Mary sampling tickets and judging credentials for $30. Doors open for GA at noon and event concludes at 2pm.

Guests will also vote for best garnish and best table decor. Best Bloody Mary walks with bragging rights and a $500 cash prize!

Purchase your tickets here.

Bartenders- think your Bloody Mary has what it takes? PROVE IT!
To enter, click here. There is a $25 entrance fee and we will provide you with  Vodka, sample cups, ice and a covered table. You bring your own bloody mary mix and any special garnishes you’d like. Winning bartender walks with bragging rights and $500 cash.
The charity beneficiary for this event is The Castle– a safe haven for adults with with mental disorders in Centerville. Their representative will be on hand to share information about their program and host a fundraising auction as well.

Dayton’s First Donut Fest

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Planned2Give, a local event planning business that hosts fundraising events for nonprofits in the Miami Valley, has really struggled, as the pandemic has truly shut down most of their events. But they’ve decided to launch a new event, that can be successfully executed during the pandemic.
Dayton Donut Festival on Tour! is a self-guided tour of the Miami Valley’s  locally owned donut shops, which kicks off this Friday, Feb 12th and runs through Sunday, Feb 21st.   Purchase a coupon booklet for just $25 and you’ll get a coupon that can be redeemed for 3 donuts at each of the 10 stops on the tour, during each shops regular hours (a couple are even open 24 hous), which are noted in the booklet.  According to P2G co-founder Jeff Jackson, “it feels good to create an event that will draw traffic to these small independent shops at a time when business is slower due to the pandemic.”
Participating donut shops include:
  • Ashley’s Pastry Shop – Oakwood
  • Bear Creek Donuts – Miamisburg
  • Bill’s Donut Shop – Centerville
  • Donut Haus – Springboro
  • Donut Palace – Huber Heights & Trotwood
  • Duck Donuts – Dayton
  • Evans Bakery –  Old North Dayton
  • Jim’s Donut Shop – Vandalia
  • Neighborhood Nest- Fairborn
  • Stan The Donut Man- Kettering
Ticket sales benefit Miami Valley Meals, who serve those who are affected by food insecurity, by providing bulk nutritious chef-prepared meals to organizations that feed the hungry. In March of 2020 Miami Valley Meals began work to support a project addressing pandemic needs. Co-founded by Chef Matt DeAngulo, Bill Evans and Amanda DeLotelle, the mission was to employ pandemic furloughed culinary professionals to quickly and efficiently bulk prepare frozen meals from recovered food for distribution through organizations that feed the hungry.  By “serving those who serve the hungry,” we hope to support efforts of existing operations through food, freeing up their resources to focus on their missions and outreach.  This community organization is making such a huge difference in our community, currently serving over 5000 meals each week. 
 

 

There’s a New Bloody Mary Champ in Town

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The Mandalay Banquet Center was the hot spot for breakfast cocktails today as the 4th Bloody Mary Showdown kicked off this morning at 11am.   Produced by Planned2Give this fundraiser pitted nineteen area bartenders against each other, all putting their own twist on this classic cocktail, powered by Svedka Vodka. VIP ticket holders started the morning off with a buffet breakfast before the taping and at 11:45am the doors opened to general admission ticket holders as well making for a packed house!  There were spicy drinks, and sweet drinks and even a green tomato bloody mary.  Garnishes ranged from home make pork rinds, to shrimp, chicken wings, cheese, tomatoes, pickles and some glasses had rims dusted with celery salt, spices and so much more!

Participating bartenders from :

Archer’s Tavern, Bargo’s, Bar Granta, Brixx Ice Company, Calypso Grill & Smokehouse, Dewberry 1850, Fift h Street Brewpub, Jimmie’s Ladder 11, Meadowlark, Miami Valley  Gaming, Milanos, Papi Joe’s Tennessee Pepper Sauce Company, The Barrel, TJ Chumps, Troll Pub, Trolley Stop, Tuty’s Bar & Grill and Wheat Penny.

The Winner from the last two years, Scott Conrad, who competed from The Vue,  retired from competition, but was still on hand sampling his winning mix, now being bottlled and sold at retail as RAD’S Bloody Mary Mix.  Pictured to the right with Scott is Heather Robinson, who was the liquor rep who helped pull off the original Showdown several years ago.

Also on hand to sample their canned cocktails was Cutwater Spirits, a new entry into the Dayton market.  Their pre-mixed cans are just perfect for cabrewing or tailgating!

 

At 1:45pm  the 50/50 raffle was drawn and $750 was raised for FilmDayton, this years charity partner, while  Angela Wooten from Piqua walked away with $750.  Raffle prizes including Snow Globes from Stewardship Resources, local restaurant gift certificates and 937 Party Bus. were also auctioned off and finally at 2pm the winners were declared:

 

Best Table Decor:  TJ Chumps

Best Garnish:  TJ Chumps

Deviled egg with a candied bacon

Best Bloody Mary:

3rd place: The Bloody Derby made with Old Forester created by Brook Paxon of The Troll Pub

The Troll Pub’s bloody started with a splash of Old Forester bourbon, then bloody mix, and lastly Svedka vodka!

2nd place: Papi’s Sassy Bloody Mary Mix by  by Vicki Wedworth of Papi Joe’s Tennessee Pepper Sauce Company

Papi Joe’s finished 3rd last year, moved up to 2nd this year!

Dayton’s Best Bloody Mary for 2019: Berzelsass’s Best Bloody created by Jenn Elsass from TJ Chumps in Miamisburg. Jenn walked away with $500 and bragging rights!

 

 

So if you were paying attention, first time participant TJ Chumps swept the awards this year.

A view of the raffle table during the VIP Hour.

 

These ladies were decked out with Bloody Mary Glasses they made!

Bargos Agave Maria was made with a green tomato base!

It was great to have Tuty’s back this year!

Brixx garnished their cocktail with a custom made omelette!

 

Miami Valley Gaming took a gamble on the competition!

 

We heard the Meadowlark’s Bloody was an easy swilling not to spicy drink!

 

Trolley Stop offers one of the area’s best make your own bloody bars every Sat & Sun.

 

First time participants Calypso Grill serve up a great brunch at their place!

 

Tara was our ARTINI champ last year, and makes a great Bloody Mary as well!

 

Jenna from The Barrel joined us for the 2nd year!

 

Kick Off the Holiday Beer Season at Beerry Christmas Dayton!

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This Saturday Planned2Give kicks off the holiday beer season with it’s 4th annual Beerry Christmas Dayton.  “With the abundance of holiday ales and winter warmers coming out, deciding which ones to buy can be overwhelming, and that’s why we created this event, to allow you to sample a variety of them before you buy  for your holiday entertaining,” says event co-founder Jeff Jackson.

Hosted in the lobby of the Kettering Tower this Saturday, Nov 4th from 4-7pm, tickets are just $25 in advance, available online and include a souvenir tasting glass and tickets for ten 4 ounce samples and pictures with Santa Claus.   Tickets will be $5 more at the door, with proceeds benefitting Brothers Helping Brothers, who assist small and/or rural fire departments obtain vital tools and lifesaving equipment.  Many of these departments struggle to have the proper tools and equipment to do their job

The beer line up includes: 

Breckenridge Christmas Ale 
Brooklyn Winter Ale
Christian Moerlein Christkindl Winter Warmer
Crooked Handle Crooked Kringle
Deschutes Jubelale
Fat Head’s Holly Jolly Christmas Ale
Fifth Street Brewpub’s Ramona w/ Maple Praline
Great Lakes Christmas Ale
Holy Moses Raspberry
Hoppin’ Frog Brewery Frosted Frog Christmas Ale
New Belgium Accumulation
Oskar Blues Hotbox Coffee Porter
Ridgeway Brewing Lump of Coal
Ridgeway Brewing Santa’s Butt
Sam Adams White Christmas
Shiner Cheer
Southern Tier 2xMas
Southern Tier Cinnamon Roll
Sweetwater Exodus
Taft’s Santa’s Bribe

A few more beers are pending, based on arrivals from distributors.

New this year, the Garland & Johnson Dental VIP Lounge, which will offer additional specialty holiday beers to taste, including a few of Southern Tiers newest line of products and catering by Milano’s for $40/ticket.

Another new element to the event, the mitten tree!  Guests are encouraged to bring mittens, gloves and scarves, which will be distributed to those in need. Each donation will be rewarded with a raffle ticket, which guest can then drop in the box affiliated with the prize they’d most like to win.

Raffle prize include a New Belgium bicycle, provided by Bonbright Distributing, an advent case of craft beer, a pair of VIP tickets to the Bloody Mary Showdown, a gift certificate for the 937 Party Bus, and restaurant gift certificates.  Raffle tickets are $5 each, 3 for $10 or 10 for $20.

So dig out your ugly holiday sweaters and make plans to drink some holiday beers that are rich in cinnamon, ginger, honey and citrus, all for a great cause!

The Votes Are In For Dayton’s Best Bloody Mary!

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With almost 500 in people in attendance at today’s 3rd Annual Svedka Bloody Mary Showdown, the votes were counted and for the 2nd year is a row The Vue Ultra Lounge‘s Scott Conrad came out on top. Conrad walks away with $300 cash and bragging rights for another year.

And yes, many of you may know that the doors closed on the South Dayton nightclub on December 31st, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to get the winning Bloody Mary.  Conrad is in the process of working with a bottling company and will be distributing his RAD’S mix commercially very soon!

We also need to share that The Vue tied last year with Mack’s Tavern, who won the very first Showdown. MacKenzie was unable to make this event at the last minute due to staffing challenges.  Her main cook and mom had back surgery, and she was a few staffers down,  and on top of it, Mack’s is home to some fiercely loyal Pittsburgh Steelers fans and the game was scheduled for 1pm.  Based on the outcome, we bet MacKenzie would have rather been at the Showdown!

Rick & Marci of Mr. Boro’s Tavern

Coming in second were newcomers Marci & Rick from Mr. Boro’s Tavern in Springboro with their HAIL MARY PEPPERED PIGSKIN!  They describe it as  delicious blend of bloody mary mix with citrus & seasonings, our home made horseradish sauce and our house made peppered bacon.

In third place, also new to the competition Papi’s Sassy Bloody Mary Mix  a  Rich in fresh Tennessee tomato flavor combined with award winning Papi Joe’s Tennessee Pepper Sauce for just the right kick of spice!  Papi’s sells their bottled sauce at the 2nd Street Market.

Other awards went to Miami Valley Gaming for Best Table Decor and for the 2nd year in a row Mudlick Tap House takes home the Best Garnish- bringing their build your own Bloody Mary Bar to the competition.

But the true winner of the day was The First Tee Greater Miami Valley, who will walk a way with a major donation from Planned2Give, for being the charity beneficiary for this years event.First Tee is a youth development organization introducing the game of golf and its inherent values to young people. The sport is a perfect platform for helping young people develop character because just like in life, players experience the highs and lows of the game. Jeff Jackson, co-owner and co-producer of the event shares, “it’s a great casual event that everyone really seems to enjoy and it allows us to give back to a different organization each year. We were thrilled that the event more than doubled the attendance this year and we’re already tweaking and adding ideas for next year.”

The other competitors in today’s event included:
Trolley Stop, Old Scratch Pizza, Fifth Street Brewpub, Jimmie’s Ladder 11, Brixx Ice Company,
Corner Kitchen, The Highland Stag, Whiskey Barrel, Scene 75, Cold Water Cafe and Newcom’s Tavern.
Scratch Event Catering was on hand with a brunch buffet, as well.