Feb. 03, 2010 - Issue #746: Spine

Provenance

History of the Caesar

As Canadian as back bacon, the Caesar, sometimes known as the Bloody Caesar, was invented in Calgary in 1969. In that year, bartender Walter Chell was asked by his boss at the Owl's Nest Bar at the Calgary Inn—now the Westin Calgary—to invent a new cocktail to help celebrate the grand opening of a new Italian restaurant called Marco's. Chell was only too happy to oblige and created a cocktail similar to a Bloody Mary, combining mashed clams, tomato juice, worcestershire sauce, vodka, salt, pepper and celery garnish after being inspired by the flavours found in spaghetti vongole.

The Duffy Mott company, in consultation with Chell, developed Mott's Clamato juice to aid in the creation of the drink and also capitalize on its burgeoning success and thus a Canadian legend was born. Attempts have been made to introduce the drink into other markets—most notably in America—but it has never gained any sort of traction outside of the land of moose and beavers.

 

RECIPE:

Ingredients
6 oz Clamato juice
1 1/2 oz vodka
2 dashes hot sauce
2 dashes worcestershire sauce
Celery salt
Pepper
Salt
Lime wedge
Celery stalk

Directions
Rim glass with lime wedge and then celery salt
Fill glass with ice
Add Worcestershire sauce
Add hot sauce
Add vodka
Fill glass to top with Clamato juice
Add salt and pepper to taste
Garnish with celery stalk and lime wedge

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