Discover Canada's Favorite Brunch Cocktail

Canada's Bloody Caesar is a delicious brunch drink whether you sip the tasty tipple in the Great White North or elsewhere. It's also the most famous vodka cocktail crafted with Clamato juice.

Bloody CaesarPhoto by2foodtrippers

Beloved in its home country of Canada, the Bloody Caesar flies under the radar in the US and around the world. In fact, many Americans have never heard of the classic Canadian cocktail or consider the Bloody Caesar to be weird since it's crafted with Clamato juice.

We're not like most Americans.

We have a sweet spot for Canada's Bloody Caesar just like we have sweet spots for the country's maple syrup, peameal bacon, poutine and smoked meat. Plus, we often have Clamato on hand since we use the clam-spiked tomato juice to make Mexican shrimp cocktails at home.

What Is the Bloody Caesar?

The Bloody Ceasar is essentially a Bloody Mary that's crafted with Clamato (clam-tomato) juice instead of tomato juice. The cocktail's other key ingredients include vodka, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and celery salt.

The savory red cocktail is wildly popular in Canada where Canucks sip Bloody Ceasars both at home and at bars. Some even imbibe the savory cocktail as a hangover cure. And, while it's not the country's official drink, Canadians celebrate the libation on National Caesar Day each year on May 24th.

History of the Bloody Caesar

Not surprisingly, the Bloody Caesar has Canadian roots. However, the cocktail wasn't invented in Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver as you might expect.

Instead, Calgary gets credit for being the city where Walter Chell concocted the first Bloody Caesar with an unusual roster of ingredients. Legend has it that Chell channeled his Italian heritage, drawing inspiration from Spaghetti alla Vongole, a classic Italian dish that's topped with tomatoes and clams.

Pro Tip: Order a Bloody Caesar at Calgary's Westin Hotel. This is the spot where Chell invented the drink in 1969. Back then, the hotel was known as the Calgary Inn.

Ingredients

Despite its obscure status in the US, you don't need a lot of special ingredients to craft a Bloody Caesar cocktail at home. Our recipe calls for the following items:

• 2 ounces vodka
• 4 ounces Clamato juice (chilled)
• 2 dashes Tabasco
• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon horseradish (optional)
• 1 teaspoon celery salt (for salt rim)
• 1 lime wedge (for salt rim)
• 1 celery rib (garnish)
• ice cubes

While you can get creative with most of these ingredients, Clamato juice, vodka and celery salt are non-negotiable. Together, they combine to create the drink's unique melange of flavors.

Clamato

As its name suggests, Clamato is a juice made with both tomato juice and clam broth. Its other ingredients include corn syrup, salt and a mix of spices.

Clamato is produced by Mott's, a company more famous in America for its apple juice. However, to be clear, there are no apples in Clamato, just a pleasant dose of seafood-tinged umami.

Vodka

Any vodka will work in this Bloody Caesar recipe. We typically use Absolut Vodka since that's the vodka that has a permanent spot in our liquor cabinet. The Swedish vodka has an ABV of 40%.

Celery Salt

While we usually associate celery with crudités, stews and stocks, celery salt is different. Its mix of salt and celery seeds brings earthy undertones to every sip of the Bloody Caesar.

To us, even though this unique spice powder is of the earth, its salty, herby flavors almost taste like something from the sea. It's a fantastic Clamato foil.

Additional Ingredients

While Clamato, vodka and celery salt are non-negotiable when it comes to Bloody Caesar cocktails, additional ingredients add to the drink's potent punch.

We include Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce in our Bloody Caesar recipe as well as horseradish. Feel free to follow our lead or experiment with your favorite hot sauces and condiments.

How to Craft a Bloody Caesar Cocktail

Once you gather the ingredients and tools, the first step is to create a celery salt rim on your glass. Start by rubbing a lime wedge around the top of the glass and then dip the glass on to a plate topped with celery salt. Swirl the glass in a circle until the rim is fully coated.

Fill the celery salt-rimmed glass half way with ice.

Measure the vodka and Clamato using a jigger or angled measuring cup. We use a Japanese jigger since it give us accurate measurements and minimizes spillage.

Pour the vodka and Clamato directly into the celery salt-rimmed glass.

Add dashes of Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco.

Optionally add a teaspoon of horseradish for an extra kick of flavor. We prefer our horseradish to be nose-clearing hot but you do you.

Gently stir. Be careful not to disturb the celery salt rim.

Garnish with a celery rib.

Feel free to ramp up this classic Bloody Caesar recipe. Options include using your favorite hot sauce brand instead of Tabasco and adding garnishes like bacon strips, okra, olives and pickles.

Variations

If you're like us, you'll love this classic Bloody Caesar recipe. However, we'll understand if you want to make the Canadian drink your own. Here are some ideas if you're feeling experimental:

• Replace the Clamato with tomato juice to craft a Bloody Mary.
• Meet at the border by blending the Clamato with tomato juice.
• Replace the vodka with beer to craft a Michelada.
• Replace the vodka with another liquor like gin, rum or tequila.

This recipe was originally published on 2foodtrippers. Consider subscribing to 2foodtrippers if you enjoyed it.