8 Places To Find the Best and Over The Top Iconic Bloody Marys in New Hampshire

I love brunch.

And if there’s a really good Bloody Mary involved, I’m probably even happier.

I recently asked New Hampshire listeners a very important question: Who makes your favorite Bloody Mary in the Granite State?

So... here we go. Turns out New Hampshire takes its Bloody Marys pretty seriously.

The Brunch Club — Dover, New Hampshire
40 Chestnut St, Dover, NH

Sooo, what happened was... today after the morning show, I found myself sitting at The Brunch Club Dover. My body was telling me that this is what I needed in my life and when your body speaks up, you need to listen. I got the spicy Bloody Mary and the Burrito Bowl with sausage.

Credit: Garret Doll

For me, the Bloody Mary needs a little kick. Actually, make that a lot of kick and this one did the job.  The flavor was amazing. Presentation was simple, but that was the vibe for today.

Today, I knew I wanted the Burrito Bowl and a simple Bloody Mary.  Did you know The Brunch Club doe s a Bloody Flight... Classic... Hot & Spicy... Pickled... and Bourbon Mary. Variety is good.

Now, I'm thinking that I need to go on a Bloody Mary tour.

Credit: Poor Boys Diner via Facebook - 1

Poor Boy’s Diner — Londonderry, New Hampshire
136 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, NH

This may have been the strongest consensus from listeners.

Corey Oriani, Johnna Tibbetts Drelick and Dave Fortier all gave Poor Boy’s a vote, with Corey saying the diner recently won Gold in Best of 603 for its Bloody Marys.

And after looking at what they put on one, I understand the enthusiasm.
Poor Boy’s currently lists a Bloody Mary served with a chicken wing, black-pepper bacon, a dill pickle spear and a bleu-cheese-stuffed olive.

That’s exactly the sweet spot for me. It’s loaded, but it hasn’t reached the point where you need structural engineering to keep the garnish standing.

My order: Make mine spicy and don't hold back on that black-pepper bacon.

Credit: Tumble Down Farm and Fork via Facebook

Tumbledown Farm to Fork — Sanbornville, New Hampshire
21 Meadow Street, Sanbornville, NH

Now we enter the “Is this still a cocktail or did I just order lunch?” category.

Listeners Melody Johnson Morley and Angi Wallace both immediately pointed toward Tumbledown Farm to Fork.

There’s good reason for that. Tumbledown has previously gotten attention for a Loaded Bloody Mary piled with a hard-boiled egg, pepperoncini, bacon, shrimp, a mini slider and a sausage link.

Yes. A slider. On your Bloody Mary.

This is the Bloody Mary you order when somebody else at the table asks, “Are you getting breakfast?”

No. Apparently breakfast is getting me.

Credit: Reds Kitchen + Tavern in Seabrook via Facebook - 1

Red’s Kitchen + Tavern — Seabrook, New Hampshire
530 Lafayette Road, Seabrook, NH

Nancy C. Dow Misti threw Red’s into the conversation, and this is another one for people who believe Bloody Mary garnish should be measured in pounds.

Red’s Kitchen + Tavern has become known for its “Over the Top” Bloody, with combinations that have included bacon, shrimp cocktail, aged cheese, a pickle, pepperoncini and celery. Another variation has reportedly gone even further with steak tips and a chicken tender riding on top.

READ MORE: From Breakfast to Burgers to BBQ: 5 Hidden-Gem Restaurants to Try in New Hampshire

Even Red’s own website features customer comments calling out its “monster Bloody Marys.” null

At this point, I don't know if that's a cocktail, appetizer sampler or small charcuterie board with tomato juice underneath it.

Whatever it is, I want one.

Credit: The Goat via Facebook

The Goat — Hampton, Portsmouth and Manchester, New Hampshire
20 L Street, Hampton, NH
142 Congress Street, Portsmouth, NH
50 Old Granite Street, Manchester, NH

The Goat was probably the other name I saw most often in the listener comments.

Bekah Cogswell said simply, “Goat...any location.” Kathie Quinn-King specifically called out Hampton, and Kimberly J. Spadea gave The Goat another vote.

Here's where The Goat becomes particularly appealing to somebody like me: you get to build your own.

The Hampton and Portsmouth locations advertise weekend brunch with a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar, and The Goat even describes its Bloodys as “giant.”

So if your definition of “the right amount of hot sauce” is “keep going,” this may be your place.

And I appreciate a Bloody Mary bar because nobody can judge what I put in my drink except me.

Credit: Firefly Bistro & Bar via Facebook - 1

Firefly Bistro & Bar — Manchester, New Hampshire
22 Concord Street, Manchester, NH

This one jumped out during my search because Firefly appears to understand those of us who want some actual heat in a Bloody Mary.

The current brunch cocktail menu at Firefly Bistro & Bar starts with a classic Bloody made with their house mix or Clamato, then things get interesting.

You can upgrade to ghost-pepper-infused Tito’s, bacon-infused Tito’s or horseradish vodka. Add-ins include bacon, pepperoni, bleu-cheese-stuffed olives, pepper jack cheese, andouille sausage and jumbo shrimp.

And there are several variations, including a Bloody Maria with tequila, the pickle-forward Big Dill and a bourbon-based Wild West with habanero bitters and jalapeño juice.

Hello. That Wild West has my name all over it.

Credit: Water Street Cafe, Laconia, NH via Facebook

Water Street Cafe — Laconia, New Hampshire
141 Water Street, Laconia, NH

You don't have to put half the breakfast menu on top of the glass to make a memorable Bloody.

Water Street Cafe actually touts its Bloody Mary as one of the reasons to stop in for brunch, offering its traditional version with house-seasoned tomato juice and a full garnish, plus a Bakon Bloody Mary made with bacon-flavored vodka.

This feels like a good pick for someone who cares more about what's in the glass than getting a viral photo of what's sitting on top of it.

Sometimes a spicy, well-seasoned Bloody with bacon is all I need.

...Okay, most of the time.

Credit: Surf Portsmouth via Facebook

Surf Portsmouth — Portsmouth, New Hampshire
99 Bow Street, Suite 200W, Portsmouth, NH

Kathie Quinn-King also recommended Surf in Portsmouth, and this one brings a seafood twist to the list.

That seems appropriate for a waterfront seafood restaurant.

I love a good Bloody. I love oysters. Bloody Mary Shooters

Combining the two feels either completely brilliant or like the beginning of a very long Sunday afternoon.

I'm willing to investigate.

Let's break this down. So Who Has THE Best Bloody Mary in New Hampshire?

After going through all of these, I don't think there's one answer.

Bacon? Absolutely. Pickles? Yes. Shrimp? Why not? A slider sitting on top? Now you have my attention.

If you want the full meal hanging off the glass, I'm looking at Tumbledown or Red's.

If you want to build your own, The Goat deserves a stop.

If you're a spice person like me, I'm extremely interested in Firefly's ghost-pepper vodka and Wild West Bloody.

And Poor Boy's combination of a chicken wing, black-pepper bacon, pickle and stuffed olive sounds like exactly what I want sitting next to my brunch.

But this list isn't finished.

Where's the New Hampshire Bloody Mary we're still missing? And more importantly: what makes yours the best?