Duluth Area’s Best Bloodys, Beers Crowned, More Than $25,000 Raised At 2026 Bloody Bash Charity Event
An annual summer event in Hermantown, affectionately referred to as "A Sunday Funday for a Cause", was held yesterday, naming the best Duluth area Bloody Marys while raising a record amount of money for a charity.
The annual Bloody Bash, hosted at Skyline Social and Games, welcomed a crowd of nearly 600 people for a fun event on Sunday with beach party vibes, live music from The Northwoods Band, and plenty of fun.
A total of 10 local bars & restaurants and 8 breweries were all competing to be named best Bloody Mary and best beer chaser in this year's event. All attendees got to sample the different options and vote for their favorites while supporting the charitable cause the event helps.
That cause is the organization Never Surrender, which helps in the fight against ALS. Money is raised at this event through ticket sales, raffles, as well as food sales from a booth Upper Lakes Foods has set up, plus bar and food sales from Skyline, all going to the cause.
This year, the Bloody Bash raised an event record $25,337.50, nearly $900 more than the previous record set in 2025. That's absolutely awesome! A huge thank you to everyone in attendance and to all of the sponsors for making that possible!
Now, onto the contest winners...
Who won the awards for best tasting and best presented Bloody Mary and best chaser? Here's a look!
2026 Best Tasting Bloody Mary
In this category, McKenzie's Bar and Grill in Hermantown defended their title. Their 2026 spicy Bloody entry helped them win again in 2026 after earning victories in this category in 2024 and 2025.
Second place this year went to The Boat Club in Duluth, who also made a showing in the top three in the other Bloody category this year, too.
Third place this year went to Pike Lake Golf & Beach Club in Pike Lake.
2026 Best Presented Bloody Mary
A new competitor snuck in and claimed the crown in this category this year. The Rendezvous in Scanlon grabbed the top place. The 'Vous had a very "Minnesota" themed Bloody, with "Minnesota Sushi" and a hunk of Spam, as well as chips and Top The Tater as part of the garnishes that helped their drink win in this category.
Second place went to The Boat Club, who also took second place in the other category.
Third place this year went to Pike Lake Golf & Beach Club in Pike Lake.
2026 Best Beer Chaser/Snit
This category had another winner defending their title from the last couple of years. While a bunch of Twin Ports area beers and ciders had a solid showing in the voting, a different Minnesota beer kept the crown.
Third Street Brewhouse, who also won in 2024 and 2025, collected the hardware once again in 2026.
Coming in with a silver medal was Castle Danger, and Bent Paddle collected the third-place finish this year.
Plans are already being worked on for next year's Bloody Bash! Be on the lookout for more details soon for the event, which will be happening sometime in early August of 2027.
Quirky & Unique Minnesota Festivals And Events
Gallery Credit: Nick Cooper
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