Patrick (Paddy) Moore A bold, briny classic with a distinctly northern soul
There are cocktails that belong to an hour, a season, or a particular corner of the world.
The Caesar belongs to Canada.
We pour it for leisurely weekend brunches, sunny afternoons on the patio, backyard barbecues, and those delicate mornings when the previous evening may have been just a touch too festive. It is savoury, spicy, refreshing and wonderfully excessive—especially once the garnish begins to resemble a small buffet.
Canada’s celebrated cocktail was created in Calgary in 1969 by Walter Chell, restaurant manager at the Calgary Inn, now the Westin Calgary. Asked to develop a signature drink, Chell drew inspiration from spaghetti alle vongole, the Italian dish of pasta, tomatoes and clams.
His creation combined vodka, tomato juice, clam nectar and seasonings to produce something similar to a Bloody Mary, but with a deeper, saltier and unmistakably Canadian character.
The drink caught on quickly. Within a few years, Caesars were being mixed from Calgary to the Atlantic coast—and eventually wherever Canadians gathered with ice, celery and a bottle of hot sauce.
Beyond Canada, however, the Caesar remains something of a delicious mystery.
As that famously Canadian advertising line once put it:
“Only in Canada, you say? Pity.”
So raise a glass to Walter Chell, to long weekends, and to a cocktail bold enough to wear a celery stalk as formal attire.
All hail Caesar.
The Classic Caesar
Ingredients
- 1½ oz vodka
- 4–5 oz Clamato juice
- 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
- 2–3 dashes hot sauce, or to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Celery salt
- 1 lime wedge
- Ice
For the Rim
- Celery salt
- Optional: a pinch of smoked paprika, chili powder or steak spice
Prepare
Run the lime wedge around the rim of a tall glass.
Pour the celery salt onto a small plate and gently roll the rim through it until evenly coated.
Fill the glass generously with ice.
How to Make It
Pour the vodka over the ice.
Add the Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and a grind of black pepper.
Top with Clamato juice and stir gently until chilled and well combined.
Taste and adjust the seasoning. A Caesar should have a little swagger, but it need not breathe fire.
Garnish
The classic garnish is a crisp celery stalk and a lime wedge.
But the Caesar has never been terribly interested in restraint. Consider adding:
- Green olives
- Pickled beans
- A small dill pickle
- Pepperoncini
- Cucumber
- Cheese cubes
- Cooked shrimp
- A strip of bacon
At some establishments, the garnish has been known to include sliders, chicken wings and other architectural features. Proceed according to appetite and available building permits.
Tasting Notes
Savoury tomato leads the way, followed by the briny richness of clam broth, bright lime and a warming flicker of spice.
Worcestershire adds depth, while the celery-salt rim delivers a fragrant, salty finish with every sip.
The result is bold, refreshing and satisfying—part cocktail, part appetizer and entirely Canadian.
Traveltini Tip
Chill the Clamato juice before mixing and use plenty of fresh ice. This keeps the Caesar crisp and lively rather than diluted.
For a gentler version, reduce the hot sauce. For something smokier, add a dash of chipotle sauce or smoked paprika.
And for the finest result, season gradually. You can always add more heat, but persuading it to leave is another matter entirely.
The Alternatini Caesar
For a non-alcoholic version, simply leave out the vodka.
Add an extra squeeze of lime and a splash of pickle brine for complexity. The result remains bright, briny and brunch-worthy—proof that the spirit of the Caesar does not depend entirely upon spirits.
