Mighty Caesar
All hail Caesar, king of the Canadian brunch. While Canadians might be better known for tasty exports like maple syrup or ketchup chips, there’s no denying that the Caesar is one of our most prized national delicacies. Hailing from Calgary, this zesty cocktail is traditionally made from Clamato juice (tomato juice + clam broth), Vodka, Tabasco, and Worcestershire sauce. A spicy flavor packed cocktail that puts the American Bloody Mary to shame. Soarey!
In Canada, it is a brunch staple and a patio weather go-to in restaurants across the country. Along with the red velvet pancakes, the Caesar was another indispensable part of our Sunday brunch with the girlfriends. Although this is considered an essential brunch drink, you can have Caesar any time of the day. Heck, I am even drinking one now as I am writing this piece.
Caesar vs Bloody Mary vs Michelada
What distinguishes Caesar from a Bloody Mary is the inclusion of clam broth. The cocktail may also be contrasted with the Michelada, which has similar flavouring ingredients but uses beer instead of vodka. The Americans have Bloody Mary, Mexicans have Michelada and Canadians have Caesar. If you know me IRL, you know my love for Caesar and Michelada knows no bounds.
My time in California has taught me that most people in the USA, especially the West Coast have no idea what a Caesar is. In fact, while my husband and I were dating, I recall telling him “I love Caesars” and the poor guy was a little perplexed by my obsession over a simple salad. It wasn’t until our trip to Canada he understood what I meant and since then I have converted him into my Canadian ways. Keeping up with my Canadian brunch tradition, when we go out, I always order a Michelada. But at home, I have developed my own Caesar recipe out of bare necessities.
*cue my husband singing*
“It’s the bare necessities, the simple bare necessities, so grab a Caesar drink and join the dance!”
Like most cocktails, it can be made under 5 minutes but the best part is, it has snacks built right in! Not only have we perfected this fiery elixir, we have taken the garnish game to a whole new level, trading in the boring and lonely celery stick and pickle to extravagant additions like chicken wings, lobster tails, shrimp, oysters, grilled cheese, sliders, and bacon. Or better yet, maple glazed bacon. God! I am such a Canadian! Whatever it is that you chose, I urge you all to garnish it with a nice thick-cut of maple-glazed bacon. I know, I think I’ve won the Canuck Queen Award with this baby. Or as my husband calls me, Khaleesi of the Great White North. Hehe Dracarys!
Oh no, we are so not tipsy, not at all! Next up is the timeline of the Caesar followed by my personal recipe.
Timeline of the Caesar
1953 | Manhattan, NY - “Smirnoff Smiler”
The original cocktail vodka with seasoned tomato and clam juice debuted at the Polonaise nightclub by owner Paul Pawlowski.
1959 | Manhattan, NY - “Gravel Gertie”
Cartoonist and creator of "The Addams family", Charles Addams claimed he invented the "Gravel Gertie", a cocktail of clam/tomato juice and vodka seasoned with Tabasco sauce.
1962 | Dallas, TX - “Imperial Clam Digger”
Carl La Marca, bar manager at the Baker Hotel added a basil garnish and dash of lime to an existing version of the Smirnoff Smiler.
1968 | Manhattan, NY - “Clam Digger”
Seagram president Victor Fischel and Mott's Clamato marketer Ray Anrig claimed to have invented the seasoned tomato/clam/vodka cocktail. From late 1968 to the end of 1969, Seagram and Mott's ran a major advertising promotion of the Clam Digger cocktail recipe in national magazines. Here’s one of the original ads.
1969 | Calgary, AB - “The Caesar”
Walter Chell, restaurant manager of the Calgary Inn, today the Westin Hotel devised the cocktail after being tasked to create a signature drink for the Calgary Inn's new Italian restaurant.
It seems like none of these cocktails mentioned prior took off the way Caesar did in Canada. It was an immediate hit with the restaurant's patrons, claiming it "took off like a rocket". Within five years of its introduction, the Caesar had become Western Canada's most popular mixed drink.
Walter mixed vodka with clam and tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, and other spices, creating a drink similar to a Bloody Mary but with a uniquely spicy flavor. His inspiration came from Italy, recalling his childhood in Venice, where they served Spaghetti alle vongole, spaghetti with tomato sauce and clams. He reasoned that the mixture of clams and tomato sauce would make a good drink, and mashed clams to form a "nectar" that he mixed with other ingredients. According to his granddaughter, Walter’s Italian ancestry led him to call the drink a "Caesar".
Today, Motts claims that the Caesar is the most popular mixed drink in Canada, estimating that over 350 million Caesars are consumed every year. It is also considered a popular hangover cure. A study by the University of Toronto released in 1985 showed that drinking a Caesar when taking aspirin could help protect a person's stomach from the damage aspirin causes, as compared with drinking plain tomato juice. I am not sure about the effectiveness of this claim but this gives me yet another excuse to have a Caesar.
Want to hear the most Canadian thing ever?
In 2009, contests held across Canada to celebrate the cocktail's 40th anniversary encouraged variants that featured the glass rimmed with Tim Horton’s coffee grinds, Caesars with maple syrup, and Caesars with Canadian bacon-infused vodka. We love it so much that a petition was even launched that year in the hopes of having this glorious cocktail be recognized as the nation's official mixed drink. Gosh, Canadians!
Oookay enough history lesson for now. I am going to share my Caesar recipe with you on this fine Sunday afternoon!
Recipe: Mighty Caesar
Serves: 2-4
Preparing the Rim
Celery Salt - ¼ cup
Montreal Steak Spice or Tajin - ¼ cup
Lime Wedges - 2-4
Mix the Celery Salt and Montreal Steak Spice or Tajin and spread onto a small plate. Rub the rim of a 12-ounce glass with a lime wedge. Turn the glass upside down and flip the rim of the glass into the celery salt and spice mix. Repeat with remaining other glasses.
Note: You can store the salt and spice mix in a jar and use it for other spicy drinks like Margarita, Michelada, Bloody Mary etc.
Making the Drink
Vodka - 8-16 oz, 2 oz per person or 4 oz if you like it boozy ;)
Mott’s Clamato Juice - 24-32 oz
Worcestershire Sauce
Hot Sauce - Tapatio or Frank’s RedHot. Yes, I do put that shh… on everything! You can choose any other hot sauce to your personal preference.
Ice Cubes
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Fill each glass with ice cubes. Divide the vodka equally between the glasses. Then do the same for the Clamato Juice. Season each Caesar with ¼ tsp of fresh ground black pepper and several dashes of Worcestershire and Hot sauces, to your desired spiciness. I love mine spicy so I put 3 dashes of Worcestershire and 8 dashes of Tapatio. Stir each cocktail with a stir stick.
Can I make this without Alcohol?
Absolutely! I have had it both ways and it’s just as good. All you have to do is omit the vodka. In Canada, we call it a Virgin Caesar. It’s actually quite common in Canadian restaurants, where you have the option to order a Regular Caesar or a Virgin Caesar.
Garnish on Garnish on Garnish!
Go crazy. No seriously, go crazy! You can put whatever you want. You can keep it simple and garnish it with celery sticks, pickles and remaining lime wedges. Or you can be excessive and put lobster tails, cocktail shrimps, grilled cheese, sliders, chicken and waffles and the list goes on. You name it and somewhere some Canadian has done it.
If you ask me, the single most important garnish in a Caesar is the bacon. A piece of thick-cut crispy smoked bacon, that is! It can be pork, beef, chicken, turkey or carrot, ‘cause that’s your business, uh huh! I understand due to personal preference and religious restrictions not everyone can have regular bacon and not always have access to Halal or Kosher bacon either. Here is a great beef bacon recipe and the most adorable carrot bacon recipe.
Maple-Glazed Bacon. Say What!?
Thick-cut Bacon Slices - 4 (psst, you can make more. I won’t judge you.)
Maple Syrup - 2 tbsp
Smoked Paprika - ½ tsp
Arrange bacon slices on an oven-safe wire rack inserted inside a baking sheet so that the bacon sits on top of the rack and any fat drains underneath. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 350°F. We don’t want to cook the bacon fully, the exact baking time will depend on how thick your bacon is. Keep an eye on the bacon while it bakes, check around 8 minutes and then every minute or two after until it develops a pale gold color.
Combine the maple syrup and paprika in a bowl. Then use a brush to baste the maple syrup mix onto the bacon slices then place back into the oven for another 3-5 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Let it sit on the rack until cooled completely.
I garnished mine with a celery stick, maple-glazed bacon, cherry tomatoes, cornichon, mini salami sticks and bocconcini. This is perfect for a boozy at home Sunday brunch. Go on, be creative with your concoction. If you do recreate my recipe, make sure to tag me @thespiceodyssey on Instagram and/or Facebook.
