by Tirzah Hawkins

Created on: May 31, 2010

Bloody Caesars are a very popular drink in Canada, and some people are even petitioning for it to be the national drink.  More than 250 million of these drinks are consumed in Canada each year. 

There are two people credited for inventing the Bloody Caesar. The first Bloody Caesar made in Canada was in 1969 to celebrate the opening of a new restaurant in Calgary, Alberta called Marco's.  Bartender Walter Chell spent three months trying out different recipes before coming up with what is now Canada's number one selling cocktail.  The drink was made with tomato juice and mashed clams.

 Around the same time, the drink was made in Las Vegas by a bartender at Caesars Palace for Tony Bennett when he was performing there. 

 Making a bloody Caesar is very similar to making a bloody Mary. 

 You will need:

a glass

ice

lime or lemon wedge

celery salt

a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce

a few dashes of Tabasco

fresh horseradish

1.5 oz of Vodka

4-6 oz of Clamato Juice

celery stalk

marinated vegetables (optional)

ground pepper (optional)

 Start with a large highball glass or an old-fashioned class.  Dip the rim of the glass in water or rub the rim with the lime or lemon wedge to dampen.  Dip the rim in celery salt (a flavored salt made from ground seeds of celery or lovage).

 Fill the glass with ice.  Add Worcestershire sauce to taste; a few shakes of a bottle is normally sufficient.  Tabasco and a fresh horseradish are added for spice; you will vary the amount of these ingredients according to how spicy you like your drinks.  Add the vodka and finish filling the glass with clamato juice. 

 Garnishes are a must for a Bloody Caesar.  The important ones are a lime or a lemon wedge and a celery stalk.  Any marinated vegetables that you have can also be added for garnish.  Some people or restaurants also add a shrimp or prawn.

 Enjoy your Bloody Caesar, by drinking out of the glass rather than a straw to get the benefit of the taste of the celery salt.  Some say that once you have had a Bloody Caesar,  you will not want to drink a Bloody Mary again.

 The key ingredient in a Bloody Caesar is clamato; this separates this drink from a Bloody Mary.  Clamato is tomato juice a blend of spices, msg and clam broth.

 Bloody Caesars have become so popular that you can purchase a pre-mix to add to vodka,  but they always taste better when you mix your own ingredients and using regular clamato.  It is also easier to control the spice level this way.

 A Virgin Caesar can be made by leaving out the vodka. Wasabi or cayenne pepper can be added for additional heat. Other names for the drink include Caesar, Canadian Caesar, Salted Caesar and Clamdigger.

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