Best Bloody Mary In America Going National From The Country's 10th Greatest Baseball Attraction-San Francisco's Lefty O'Doul's

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Baseball Great's Long Lost Secret Recipe Discovered - CNBC & SB Nation Honors For San Francisco Oldest Baseball Bar

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Oct 18, 2012, 07:05 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Baseball-themed restaurants make a great stopping point on any road trip. . . The granddaddy of them all is a dark-paneled haunt off San Francisco's Union Square. Before there were sports bars, there was Lefty O'Doul's, a homespun tavern that a retired baseball legend opened in his hometown. O'Doul may be the greatest player not in the Hall of Fame — after a dismal start as a pitcher, he reinvented himself as a hitter, winning two batting titles with a lifetime .349 average. He's not forgotten in San Francisco, where a bridge near AT&T Park is named in his honor.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121018/MM95601)

His bar is loaded with many of his personal photos, including shots of old pals like Babe Ruth. O'Doul also helped establish professional baseball in Japan. Ballplayers love to visit; Mark McGwire and the Giants' Barry Zito often stop in, and late Phillies' announcer Harry Kalas used to tickle the ivories and belt a few songs.

By Dan Fost, Special to CNBC.com

Lefty O'Doul's Bloody (Mary) Secret
Joe Rosato NBC Bay Area

A few years ago, a fantastic discovery was made in the rafters above Lefty O'Doul's gothic 30-foot ceiling. In a forgotten corner of what was once a Vaudeville theatre was a golf bag, minus the clubs. It was here that a true San Francisco treasure was found -- Lefty O'Doul's handwritten Bloody Mary mix.

Lefty O'Doul's original Bloody Mary mix is now available outside of San Francisco!
SB Nation Votes Lefty O'Doul's Best Bloody Mary In America

After four bars in four states across the width and length of the entire United States, the winner of the Best Bloody Mary is Lefty O'Doul's in San Francisco. The Bloody Mary at Lefty O'Doul's wins for several reasons: its classic recipe, the balance of the mix between peppery and fruity, and the attention to detail. (A short straw so you don't knock it over while talking? Just the right amount of garnish without turning a drink into a salad? It's the little things that count here.) Having ace barkeep and Casey Stengel nephew Paul Stengel mix it helped, too.