by jenna cederberg
photo by tom bauer

The cocktail might be complicated, but the tradition is simple.

Before University of Montana football fans head to their seats inside Washington-Grizzly Stadium, they reach for a Bloody Mary to get them ready for the action.

The tailgating must-have is a potent mix of ingredients, always including vodka and tomato juice but otherwise mixing variations of Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, horseradish and a host of other spices.

Don’t forget the toothpicks, because you can’t serve a Bloody Mary without its garnishes. Olives, pickles, beans, prawns, lemon slices, celery, asparagus. Its flavors are as diverse and robust as the colors of fall.

This is not just the usual whiskey or beer – which also flows freely during home-game tailgating events.

The Press Box Casino Sports Bar and Restaurant on East Broadway observes the Bloody Mary game-day tradition by offering fans its take on the drink made from a secret recipe and piled high with olives, lemon slices, celery stalks and its signature pickled green bean.

Traditionally a morning drink, the 16 ounces of spicy smoothness is a perfect warmup to beer and whiskey flowing throughout the day. Fans can take a quick walk across the Van Buren Street footbridge to grab a drink and brunch at the Press Box.

“A Bloody Mary just tastes so doggone good with breakfast. Add a Grizzly football game and you’ve got the perfect occasion for a Bloody Mary,” Press Box owner Gordi Fix said.

Lynette Dahm can tell you a thing or two about Bloody Marys. As a bartender at the Press Box, she makes hundreds each Saturday when the Griz are at home. She makes 20 gallons of Caesar mix (a Bloody Mary with clam broth) and 15 gallons of Bloody Mary mix on Friday.

That way, she’ll have it ready when the crowds flood the bar looking for cocktails before the game. It’s not unusual for the Press Box to serve 200 Bloody Marys and 250 Caesars on game day.

While she can’t reveal the “seven or eight” ingredients of the Press Box’s secret recipe, Dahm said the key is to keep all the elements of the drink intact. Even during the rush of game day, the Press Box doesn’t skimp on garnishes.

Those who set out to create their own Bloody Mary will find well vodka works fine for most mixes, Dahm said, as long as it is smooth.

The must-have garnish, Dahm thinks, is olives.

For a twist on the tradition tailgate toddy, Krisco Liquor on Reserve Street has cucumber or bacon vodka.

“Bacon vodka makes an exceptional Caesar or Bloody Mary. I think it’s the key to an excellent drink. For a different twist, we can add cucumber vodka as well,” said Jacque Thomas, president of Krisco Liquor.

You can find any number of pre-made mixes for Bloody Marys at Krisco, which also sells its share of whiskey in the fall. Krisco opens at 8 a.m. on home game-day Saturdays to make sure everyone can get their wares before tailgating begins.

The Press Box’s Fix puts it this way: Bloody Marys and football Saturdays in Missoula go together “just like baseball and hot dogs.”  

Jenna Cederberg is a reporter for the Missoulian. She can be reached at (406) 523-5241 or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Tom Bauer is a photographer for the Missoulian. He can be reached at (406) 523-5270 or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .