Best of Cleveland 2014: Bloody Mary Mix

Bloody mary mix

We'll gladly nurse a hangover if it means sipping on Pope's Kitchen's Bloody Mary Mix ($12) to help us recover. Made with tomatoes grown and canned in Sandusky County, owner Clark Pope whips up two flavors - regular and Mellow Mary - using lemon juice, lime juice, Worcestershire, fresh jalapenos and fresh horseradish, which he grates by hand. There's so much zing to his concoction, you can save money by skipping the premium vodka, Pope says. "There's so much intense flavor between the citrus, the tomato and the spice," he explains, "you're not going to get that subtlety." And while we like to load our bloody marys with olives, celery and pearl onions, he recommends topping off the drink with a breakfast staple. "I think the world is always a better place if there's bacon in it," he says, "just a long, thick piece of peppery bacon." popeskitchen.com