There is much debate as to whether or not Canada has a national dish. Ask around the country and you will get different responses from coast to coast to coast. But ask any Canadian what if there is a national drink and the reply comes easily – the Caesar.
The Caesar, not to be confused with a Bloody Mary, was created in Canada almost 50 years ago. The now classic cocktail was first invented in 1969 by restaurant manager Walter Chell of the Calgary Inn. He devised the cocktail after being asked to create a signature drink for the Calgary Inn’s new Italian restaurant. He mixed vodka with clam and tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, and other spices. The Caesar, as it came to be known, was like the cousin to the Bloody Mary but spicier and with a hint of the ocean. Very Canadian.
But why call it a Caesar? Apparently it was inspired by Chell’s Italian ancestry. He recalled that in Venice they served Spaghetti alle vongole in rosso, 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.
So why not celebrate National Caesar Day, May 17th, with some of these great cocktail recipes? We have included some unique variations on the classic drink inspired by the backgrounds of all Canadians. Some make up a large batch and invite over some friends. Cheers!
Classic Caesar with a Pickled Twist
Ingredients:
- 6 oz. Walter Craft Caesar Mix
- 2 oz. pickle juice
- 2 oz Wyborowa vodka
- 2-3 dashes Worchestershire
- 2-3 dashes Tabasco
- a squeeze of fresh lime juice
- freshly grated horseradish
- Montreal steak spice for the rim
- cracked black pepper
- toppings: celery, pickles, pepperoni – be creative
Instructions
- Rim glass with lime juice & Montreal steak spike
- Add vodka, pickle juice, fresh lime juice, sauces, spices, and horseradish – muddle
- Fill the glass up with ice and top up with Caesar mix.
- Garnish with your choice of toppings
The Maple Bacon Caesar
Ingredients
- 8 oz Walter Caesar mix
- 2 oz Wyborowa vodka
- 2-3 dashes Green Jalapeno Tabasco
- 1/2 oz maple syrup
- Walter Craft Caesar rim
- toppings: strip of bacon and a stalk of celery
Instructions
- Coat the rim of a tall glass with the maple syrup and rim with the Caesar rim mix
- Fill glass with lots of ice and add a little maple syrup, vodka, and caesar mix
- Garnish with strip of bacon and a stalk of celery
Spicy Kimchi Caesar
Ingredients
- 8 oz Walter Mild Spice Caesar Mix
- 2 oz Wyborowa Vodka
- fresh kimchi
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1/2 juice lime
- 2-3 dashes of Sriracha
- 2 roasted seaweed sheets
- salt and pepper
- toppings: cooked shrimp, kimchi, cucumber slice, fresh chili pepper
Instructions
- Chop up one of the roasted seaweed sheets, combine it with salt and pepper for the rim mix
- Moisten the rim of your glass with lime juice and coat with the seaweed rim mix
- In the bottom of your glass, muddle the soy sauce, sriracha, lime juice, vodka, and fresh kimchi
- Fill with lots of ice and top up your glass with Caesar mix
- Use a wooden skewer to pierce the seaweed sheet, shrimp, kimchi, cucumber slice and fresh chili pepper to garnish your cocktail
