Bottomless Bloody Marys & Mimosas. Why not Screwdrivers too?
Gobs of Baltimore restaurants and bars have bottomless Bloody Marys and Mimosas with brunch. But what about bottomless Screwdrivers?
Sip on this: Mimosas have orange juice and champagne, and Bloody Marys have vodka and tomato juice. A Screwdriver is a little bit of both -- orange juice and vodka.
Midnight Sunner Tif said he likes Screwdrivers with brunch, which I can appreciate, and bars typically accommodate him, no problem. They usually charge the same price as the bottomless Bloodys or Mimosas.
But when Tif asked Little Havana to serve him bottomless Screwdrivers with brunch, they balked. Tif writes:
The bartender refused and claimed he went and asked the owner who refused. We ended up at the Waterfront Hotel bar who happily offers unlimited screwdrivers. ... What's the deal/logic in denying screwdrivers at brunch when you offer bloodies and mimmies?
I called Little Havana co-owner Marc Gentile, who spelled it all out for me. It ain't a pretty picture, gang ...
"You give somebody all-you-can-drink screwdrivers and they are cooked -- passing out in the parking lot, puking in the urinals," Gentile said. "Once you give somebody a pitcher of Screwdrivers, that's it for them. It's a nightmare."
Yuck!
It adds up, though. I can't see people chugging Blood Marys. Heck, I don't even understand why people drink that muck. Drinking tomato juice with vodka on a hot summer morning with a hangover won't cure what ails you -- it will ail what cures you.
Mimosas go down easier, but don't pack the same wallop. But bottomless Screwdrivers + hangover = catastrophe.
(Pictured is the Bloody Mary at the Camden Club. Photo from Baltimore Sun archives)
Erik Maza is a features reporter at the Baltimore Sun. He writes for several sections of the Sun paper and contributes weekly columns on music and nightlife. He also writes and edits the Midnight Sun blog. He often covers entertainment, business, and the business of entertainment. Occasionally, he writes about Four Loko, The Block, the liquor board, and those who practice "
Comments
Waterfront Hotel huh? Think I just found my happy place in Baltimore.
Posted by: The Baltimore Chop | May 11, 2010 3:25 PM
The best is a mimosa with vodka!
Posted by: jason z | May 11, 2010 3:28 PM
City Limits offers screwdrivers in their unlimited cup (Sunday's from 11am-2pm). They're used to people puking in their urinal, and have no parking lot, I guess...
Posted by: Anonymous | May 11, 2010 3:31 PM
What is this? Russia? Offer up some bottomless beer with brunch. Then we've got ourselves a story.
Posted by: JTK | May 11, 2010 3:40 PM
i heard a rumor ambassador dining room offers unlimited screwdrivers during their brunch.
Posted by: ryan97ou | May 11, 2010 3:45 PM
@ryan97ou -- Puking in the ... fireplace?
Posted by: Sam Sessa | May 11, 2010 3:47 PM
Further Proof that Waterfront Hotel in the best bar in Baltimore. Funny I've never seen any one passed out or puking in the urinals there. At least not at a sunday brunch.
Posted by: drunkrichard | May 11, 2010 3:49 PM
JTK- No Idea offers Miller Lite along with bloody's and mimosas/ scredrivers with their brunch, 10-3pm Saturday and Sunday for $7. Sorry about the plug Sam.
Posted by: jason z | May 11, 2010 3:53 PM
What's the ratio of restaurant:bar at Waterfront Hotel? They're listed on Restaurant.com and have a changing seasonal menu ... so it seems like food is a semi-priority?
Went there a couple Sundays ago ... 6 p.m. timeframe and was told the dining room was closed. Was told we could order food and sit at the bar downstairs or in the "lounge" upstairs (on a couch, I guess). We headed to Shuckers.
Posted by: JD | May 11, 2010 4:07 PM
Sorry, but unlimited drinks are made with the crap stuff.Give me a few good drinks. I'll save up my pennies.
Posted by: baltimoregal | May 11, 2010 4:10 PM
@ dr
Waterfront charged me $3.50 for a natty boh bottle. Also charged me $6 for a dixie cup of Captain and Coke. The service is average when packed. The only thing good about that bar is the band on Thursday nights.
Posted by: HIM | May 11, 2010 4:22 PM
@HIM -- Puking in the .. Dixie Cup?
Posted by: Sam Sessa | May 11, 2010 4:23 PM
"If you have to spew, spew into this."
-Garth
Posted by: Stagger Lee | May 11, 2010 4:31 PM
"Heck, I don't even understand why people drink that muck."
Damn right. Thank God for Micheladas.
Posted by: Patchen | May 11, 2010 4:44 PM
The Waterfront does suffer when it's packed. However the upstairs is a great place to watch football. It doesn't see much action, as if everyone forgot it was there. Two flat screens, good attention ( well, if you're one of three people there) and you can yell bloody murder at the game.
I think that the lack of screwdrivers as an option are most likely due to bloody marys being too much of a meal to consume in quantity.
Posted by: Baltimocker | May 11, 2010 5:05 PM
@HIM—I gotta stick up for the Waterfront's food.
Posted by: Patchen | May 11, 2010 8:40 PM
Damn right. Thank God for Micheladas.
@Patchen -- Puking in ... my mouth.
Posted by: Sam Sessa | May 11, 2010 8:51 PM
The real problem is that Bloody Mary's vary so much in quality. Sometimes you can have a great thin bloody that is great in the summer. Then sometimes you can have the gross thick, tomatoey, bloody which is, as you say Sam, muck.
Posted by: Josh | May 11, 2010 9:13 PM
Why can't I get endless Bloody Mimosas?
Posted by: VoodooPork ■|:o) | May 11, 2010 10:33 PM
I had a hunch that was the issue but it was no reason for the bartender to lie to me: "I've been working here 6 years and we don't offer screwdrivers for the special" well buddy I've been drinking pitchers of screwdrivers here for 10 years. And I've never puked in their parkinglot.
Posted by: Tif | May 12, 2010 9:38 AM
Only losers with no appreciation for life start the day off by getting bombed. Welcome to Baltimore Hon!
Posted by: Anonymous | May 12, 2010 11:26 AM
@ Anonymous,
Yeah Boyyyyyy!!!
(Fist Pump)
Posted by: RayRay | May 12, 2010 11:59 AM
I've used the same "screwdriver logic" at Little Havana for brunch before and it worked fine. Granted, I didn't request a pitcher and I was with my parents but we still ended up having our fair share of screwdrivers.
I know people that pound bloody marys so I don't see what the big deal is.
Personally, I can't stand bloody marys. They taste like ice cold, watered down tomato soup.
Posted by: Cardwell | May 12, 2010 12:42 PM
Daytime drinking is a wonderful pleasure. If you DO love life, I suggest doing it every once in awhile.
Posted by: Josh | May 12, 2010 1:04 PM
@ Anonymous - I was way too drunk this morning to respond to your comment...
Posted by: JTK | May 12, 2010 1:20 PM
Waterfront brunch - eh. They only serve pitchers if you have 4 people drinking from a pitcher and wait until your glass in empty to even think about bringing another. Service is sad there unless you are at the bar.
Havana Brunch is the way to go. Best bang for the buck.
Posted by: TS | May 12, 2010 1:34 PM
@ Anonymous "You can't drink all day unless you start in the morning"
Posted by: Sean Connery | May 12, 2010 2:56 PM