Classic Canadian Caesar

Growing up, my mom had two, go-to drinks: A Vodka Tonic and a Caesar. Those quickly became my drinks of choice once I was old enough to order them. The Classic Canadian Caesar is similar to a Bloody Mary, but add clam juice and somehow it becomes Canadian! I miss going to a bar and ordering a Caesar and not having someone look at you like you’re crazy.

Mixing Traditions

In Wisconsin, if you order a Bloody Mary you get a sidecar with it. A small draft beer or stubby bottle. This is AMAZING! It’s 2 drinks in 1! I can’t order a Caesar at a bar here, but I can buy stubby bottles and have my Classic Canadian Caesar with a Sidecar! Somehow, this makes one of my favourite drinks even better.

You can find Clamato Juice in most major US grocery stores now. It’s usually the small bottles, and just the original recipe. This is perfect for me. Steve hates them, he hates any tomato juice based drink, so I don’t need a lot of mix. Anytime I am missing home, I weirdly crave this Canadian Classic.

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You know why people love Caesars and Bloody Mary’s so much? It’s the snacks. We made our Candied Bacon just so that we can put it in our Caesar today. Can you see it there, poking out of the back? My mom’s pickled beans also make a great addition, especially her spicy ones! If you really want to go for it, add some of the pickle juice to give the drink an extra dimension of flavour.

(Has anyone noticed my posts this week all have Canadian spelling?)

Make It Your Own

I love a lot of Worcestershire Sauce in my Caesar. Some people like a little horseradish, some prefer lemon over lime. You can take the Classic recipe and mix it to your liking. When I host, I often put out a Caesar Bar. Try it with Gin, or White Rye, or Tequila. Make your own snack stick. Like it spicy? Add some Tabasco or chipotle.

This recipe is part of our Canadian Week.