The A’ole Pilikia, a Hawaiian-style bloody mary concocted by the adult beverage masterminds at cocktail and sausage den Ballyhoo, dominated the awards ceremony at Step Out Buffalo’s inaugural Buffalo Bloody Mary Fest, held yesterday at Shea’s Performing Arts Center. It took home the titles Buffalo’s Best Bloody and Fan Favorite, beating out the original bloody mary creations served by the nine other participating Western New York restaurants: Aroma on Bryant, Bar Bill, Buffalo Proper, Coles, Craving, Hydraulic Hearth, Oshun, Providence Social, and The Lodge.
Featuring flavors of Korean BBQ along with pineapple juice, cream of coconut, mango hot sauce, habanero, lime, and horseradish—and a garnish of grilled Spam and pineapple with a black volcanic salt rim—Ballyhoo’s A’ole Pilikia seems to be a riff on the tiki trend sweeping the cocktail world (as seen locally at Cantina Loco’s weekly CanTiki Tuesdays events and Pasion’s rum-heavy, island-inspired drink menu). And in the opinion of this writer, it mightily deserved its wins. No other bloody ventured as far from the classic recipe, and no other bloody was as impressively balanced; despite reading like a potential sugar bomb, the upfront floral bouquet and sweetness from the pineapple gave way to a slow-burning heat that made you want to keep sipping. And quite frankly, the tropical notes were a welcome break from the super savoriness of the nine other offerings. That said, my second favorite bloody mary was poured by Aroma on Bryant (inset), which was downright meaty thanks to the inclusion of beef reduction. Maybe I’m a fan of extremes.
As for the event itself, it was well done overall. The delightful MCs from Rise Collaborative kept the audience engaged for the duration, and the organizers made sure to have on hand local food vendors like Breadhive, Anderson’s, and Cream & Sugar to keep attendees’ stomachs padded with brunchy, carby fare. Further, the event exposed potentially new audiences to Seneca Street’s Tommyrotter Distillery, which not only supplied the booze for all the bloody marys served but provided samples of its vodka and gin (the latter of which, in particular, has my ringing endorsement).
I think, though, that the fest could have been broken out in to two shorter sessions. If entry was staggered between two start times, it may have alleviated the early crowds. And while Shea’s is certainly beautiful, it does pose circulation issues given its long, narrow corridors and turning staircases. Nonetheless, it was superb showcase of what Buffalo’s drink (and food) scene has to offer—one that has me thinking about all the possibilities for similar, cocktail-themed events. Moscow mule fest, anyone?