Ormond Beach restaurants to compete in best bloody mary contest

Ormond Beach Observer
Business

What's makes a good bloody mary?

For Fugu Sushi Bar Manager Corey Welter, the secret is in the mix. The popular Sunday hangover cure containing vodka and tomato juice can be customized in different ways, and on Sunday, Nov. 29, six local restaurants will compete to see which has the best bloody mary in town.

Fugu Sushi Bar Manager Corey Welter makes a bloody mary at the restaurant bar. Photo by Jarleene Almenas

Fugu will be showcasing its wasabi bloody mary as a way to pay tribute to the restaurant's Japanese fare. Aside from the mix —which can contain Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, celery and different herbs — Welter's tip for a tasty bloody mary is to not skimp out on the quality of the vodka.

"You don’t want to give anybody a worse headache than what they started with, and then the garnish is very important," Welter said. "That’s always the wow factor in Bloody Marys.”

Fugu will compete against Lulu's Oceanside Grill, Riptides Raw Bar and Grill, the Wave Sports Bar and Grill, Rose Villa, and The Grind Gastropub. All six restaurants will set up tables on Fugu's front patio, where there will also be live entertainment. A panel of judges will taste each bloody mary entry and decide on a winner, who will take home a trophy. Welter said they're hoping the event is held annually, with the trophy traveling from each winning restaurant to the next.

Members of the community can also chose their favorite bloody mary with a $5 ticket that will allow them to taste each entry. The ticket also includes two raffle tickets. The proceeds from the event will benefit Embrace Families, a nonprofit that boosts child welfare services through foster care, adoption and mentoring.

It's a cause that Fugu General Manager Rosemary Neary said resonated with her. Embrace Families also recently launched a Holiday Rescue 2020 campaign that aims to provide over 2,500 gifts for families impacted by COVID-19 this Christmas, as well as 1,000 meals.

Neary added that she thought the community needed to come together after a difficult year. Being a new restaurant to the downtown, they wanted to start a local tradition too.

“I thought it would be a good idea for us to have a lot of fun in this year and then benefit those who were hit a little bit harder," she said.