Hail Caesar!
- May 14, 2009 4:47 PM |
- By Andree Lau
by Andree Lau, CBCnews.ca
We've all done it. Travelling in a foreign country, seized by a thirst for a Caesar, but answered by only a blank stare, or a suggestion of a (much lesser) Bloody Mary.
The Bloody Caesar is a uniquely Canadian cocktail, and you either love it or hate it. Me, I love it.
The Caesar was invented in Calgary in 1969. (CBC)
Created in 1969 by bartender Walter Chell to mark the opening of an Italian restaurant at the Calgary Inn (now the Westin Hotel), the Bloody Caesar sounds admittedly strange when you try to describe it to someone.
"Vodka, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and Clamato juice — you know, tomato and clam juice."
But it does make for a delicious concoction. Mott's, which liked Chell's idea so much it started producing Clamato juice later in 1969, says more than 350 million Bloody Caesars are served every year in Canada.
This year marks the savoury drink's 40th anniversary. The Westin in Calgary held a special event for the cocktail on Wednesday, inviting the mayor and the creator's family to unveil a plaque and sip on, what else, Caesars.
Mott's has created an online petition to get the Caesar declared Canada's national cocktail.
I know Clamato is also used in another cocktail, popular in the Prairies — the Red Eye, which mixes Clamato with beer. I don't think that one's going to give the Caesar much of a run for its money.
About the Authors
- Elizabeth Bridge is a producer with CBC's Digital Archives project. She got her start in the kitchen baking brownies and making fudge but is still trying to get pastry right.
- Andrea Chiu
is an associate producer at CBC Radio Digital. Though she loves to eat, cook and discuss food,
don't ask her to bake. It never turns out well. She tweets as @TOfoodie on Twitter and organizes food and wine events in Toronto called FoodieMeet.
- Amber Hildebrandt
works for CBCNews.ca in Toronto. Growing up on a farm in Manitoba, she acquired an insatiable appetite, but it was during a stint in Japan that she developed her discerning tastebuds and foodie ways.
- Tara Kimura
is a multimedia producer for CBCNews.ca.
- Andree Lau
is a CBC web reporter in Calgary. Her journalism career includes seven years as a CBC-TV reporter. Her own blog called "are you gonna eat that?" chronicles her eating adventures (including sampling snake and camel hoof tendon).
- Jessica Wong
is a CBCNews.ca writer who loves to eat and cook, as well as discuss, read and watch programming about food, sometimes all at once.
- Kevin Yarr
, CBCNews.ca's writer in Prince Edward Island, wrote about food and beer for national and regional magazines before joining the CBC. He acquired a desire for new tastes on his first trip to Europe, and an appreciation of eating locally and in season when he finally settled down on P.E.I.
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Comments (24)
Thanks, CBC... Now I have a craving!! Unfortunately, I am at work, AND it's currently eight in the morning.
I absoloutley love Ceasers. Every Sunday is time for "Ceaser Fever". Best drink out there hands down.
I am from the prairies, and I find the Red Eye a disturbing and strange concoction that people only seem to drink when they are in the wee early morning hours of a weekend binge, often whilst frying gargantuan amounts of bacon.
it's even better with a splash of red wine.
It's just a shame that Mott's has it all sewn up. I'd love to be able to order a Caesar that didn't have MSG in it.
Tell me about it. I have been living in Belgium for 4 years and often crave a caesar and of course, there are none to be found. One of the first things I do when I visit family in Ontario is to have a big, spicy caesar, and only then, do I feel like I am finally home!
Hail Caesar.
"Bloody" Caesar?
I thought the "bloody" prefix was used only by Americans so that they wouldn't think you were trying to order a salad.
Any true Canadian would unapologetically call it a Caesar, period. The bloody CBC should be ashamed for referring to this wonderful cocktail as anything else.
Am I wrong? Can anyone back me up on this?
Too bad it has to have the clam juice in it.
My Fave :)
Hail Caesar indeed! I am wondering if any CBC readers have tried the Caesar at Bar Chef in Toronto which makes all its own drinks. Curious to know if they make their own clamato juice. I went there with author of onefortheroad.biz who writes about cocktails every where she travels to and she gave the place a thumbs up but neither of us tried the caesar.
It's after six pm on the friday of a long weekend. All HAIL CEASAR!!!!! :) *long swig*
I work on cruise ships and no matter where I go bartenders look at me crazy when I ask if they can make one...I've almost given up!Never fear there are some random places in this world that can make them...although they usually forget the sauce or the rimmer...and most of all the celery! I am craving one right now. I can't wait to get home!
Much as I enjoy the Caesar, I think Canada's drink should have Canadian Club or something distinctly Canadian in it.
I've been living and working in Europe for almost 20yrs now, and every time I get back home, one of the first things I do is have a Caesar. I can still recall how dismayed I was to not find it on the cocktail list of any bar I went to when I first moved to Europe!
In reply to Mike's post about how it isn't a Bloody Caesar, all I can say is that while working my way through university (as a waiter and bartender) every restaurant / bar I worked in called it a Bloody Caesar. As it was on the cocktail list, I doubt there was any chance of Americans mistaking it for a salad had it not had the "bloody" prefix. Nothing wrong with calling it a Bloody Caesar, in my opinion. Although I agree that "Caesar" is usually sufficient, the "any true Canadian" assertion in your post is tendentious.
Boy I do miss clamato juice. I did find it once in a grocery store in Pattaya but never did find it again. Motts, how about exporting to Thailand?
To Mike: I've got your back... I've never heard of a Caesar being referred to as "bloody" until this article. It's a Caesar, period. But I fully support it's raise in stature to national cocktail. It's the colour of our flag, it's spicy, it's got vegetables and seafood, it's got Worcestershire sauce (a taste of our British heritage) and it's fortified with a hearty Northern alcohol (albeit from another Northern clime)... in short, it's about as Canadian as you can get! I do agree with Steve Kaldestad about the lamentable commercial monopoly on the main ingredient. I'm going to start making mine with actual clam juice and plain tomato juice.
i've made caesars with cc whiskey and it gives it a smokey flavor.....quite nice and a different spin on the fan favorite
I remember selling a whole bunch of Caesars in the bars. Always popular, and it somehow seems healthy!
Cheers Caesar!
I love Caesers! There is nothing more frustrating than visiting friends in the US and not being able to get a Caeser. We carry Bourbon, they should carry Caesers! I have found them in DUbai though!
Just thought I would say...ya to that. Its 55Deg C here today and I would give my left ... for a ceasar or 10, may in about 6 months.
Cheers and enjoy
Horseradish - must add one small spoonful of horseradish to the finished drink. Amazing.
Put the rimmer in the glass with horseradish and franks instead of tabasco. Swirl with vodka, worcestershire and then add the motts with pickled asparagus. Ceasar's ceasar, there you go friendo.
I have been drinking virgin ceasar's all week. I have an addiction to them when I add a dill pickle and a little of the pickle juice. Dying to try it with pickled asparagus.
Now off to try it with horseradish!
I love explaining to the Brits that we put tomato and clam juice together in a cocktail just to see their reaction. You can buy Clamato juice over here (albeit only in large supermarkets in the exotic foods section) but oh how I miss having Caesars on a patio in the summer in Canada!