The Lavish Lobster Bloody Mary Making Waves at Claudio’s Waterfront
In the charming seaside village of Greenport, Long Island, a cocktail is causing quite the sensation at Claudio’s Waterfront. This isn’t your ordinary brunch beverage – it’s Captain Claudio’s Bloody Mary, a spectacular $120 drink that comes adorned with an entire Maine lobster draped dramatically over the rim of the glass. Since its debut last year, this extravagant creation has transformed from a novel menu item into a viral sensation that’s drawing crowds to the 155-year-old seafood establishment nestled on Greenport Harbor.
“Oh my God, they’re blown away. People are coming in just for it,” enthuses Celeste Fierro, the managing partner who dreamed up this oceanic libation. The luxurious bloody Mary doesn’t stop at the whole 1-and-1/4 pound lobster – it’s also garnished with eight plump shrimp, crispy bacon strips, olives, celery stalks, and grilled jalapeños for an extra kick. It’s as much a feast as it is a drink, making its steep price tag more understandable when you consider it’s essentially a cocktail and seafood platter combined. The spectacle of the presentation has made it perfect fodder for social media, with one TikTok video amassing an impressive 3.1 million views and counting.
The social media buzz has been instrumental in the drink’s growing popularity. “They’ve seen it on TikTok, Instagram. A lot of them are saying their friends had mentioned it,” Fierro explains. “We’ve had a ton of influencers come in. In the beginning, we were selling a few, now we’re selling anywhere from 20 to 25 a week.” The cocktail has become particularly popular for special celebrations – Fierro recalls a bachelorette party that ordered five for their table, creating quite the spectacle as they pulled apart their lobsters while snapping countless photos. It’s not just a drink; it’s an experience, a centerpiece, and a conversation starter all rolled into one glass.
Not everyone is enamored with the concept, however. Some social media commenters have expressed reservations about the unusual pairing. “I do not want my lobster mixed with my drinks,” wrote one skeptic. “That’s weird.” Another simply lamented, “Poor lobster.” Despite these dissenting opinions, the overwhelming response has been one of fascination and desire to try the elaborate creation. The sight of a whole lobster perched atop a bloody Mary has proven irresistible to many food enthusiasts and adventure seekers looking for a memorable dining experience they can share with their followers online.
Fierro doesn’t seem concerned about competition, believing the cocktail’s complexity and cost create natural barriers to imitation. “It’s a whole lobster, you know what I mean? I’m sure they’re not going to just be copying. I think you gotta put some love into it,” she notes with confidence. The labor-intensive preparation and premium ingredients make it a challenging item for other establishments to replicate profitably. Each drink requires careful assembly and presentation to achieve the jaw-dropping effect that has made it so Instagram-worthy. The combination of premium vodka, house-made bloody Mary mix, and the fresh seafood creates a flavor profile that’s as impressive as its appearance.
Interestingly, while the cocktail has been a hit for in-house dining, no one has yet ordered it for takeout – though Claudio’s is open to the possibility. “I think that would be cool to take it home and use it for dinner parties,” Fierro muses, already imagining new contexts for her creation. “No one has done that yet. But maybe if you put it out there we’ll post it [on social media].” This openness to evolution suggests the Captain Claudio’s Bloody Mary might continue to transform and inspire new trends in cocktail culture. For now, it remains a destination-worthy indulgence that embodies the theatrical side of dining out – where the experience and the story to tell afterward are sometimes worth as much as the flavors themselves.
