Classic Caesar

Happy Canada Day! Well, in fact Canada Day will be behind us when you read this post, but it was Canada Day that prompted us to try a classic cocktail we’ve been intentionally avoiding: the Caesar. History and marketing tell us that the Caesar was invented in Calgary in 1969. Good Canadians that we are, we felt a national obligation to give this cocktail a try.

The Caesar is now a ubiquitous drink, and many, many variations on the theme exist. Even the recipes for a “classic” Caesar vary. Here’s the version we made.

Ingredients

  • 1.5 oz vodka (we chose Alberta’s Glacier vodka to extend the Canadian theme)
  • 5 oz Clamato juice
  • 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 dashes tabasco sauce
  • sprinkle of celery salt
  • lemon wedge and celery stalk to garnish

Before mixing the drink, prepare a cocktail glass by wetting the rim with lemon juice and rimming with celery salt. Add a few cubes of ice to a prepared glass. Add vodka, Clamato juice, Worcestershire sauce, and tabasco sauce; stir. Sprinkle the cocktail with celery salt (or salt and pepper to taste) and garnish with celery stalk and lemon wedge.

The verdict: We’re happy to check this one off the list. Reactions were unenthusiastic. One of us found the cocktail undrinkable; one observed that being halfway drunk would make the drink more approachable. Two of us felt “meh” about it. In sum, not a cocktail we plan to make again soon.

But for all of you who enjoy a clammy–tomato-y punch in the mouth, cheers!

There were varying degrees of completion…

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