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The Caesar sits in a tall glass rimmed with celery salt and black pepper, its contents a vibrant reddish-brown, crowned with ice and a celery stalk, lime, and a pickled bean. This cocktail was invented in Calgary in 1969 by a bartender experimenting with unconventional ingredients, specifically the combination of Clamato juice (clam and tomato juice) with vodka. The drink's savory-spicy-umami profile was unlike anything seen in North American bars at the time, and it quickly became iconic across Canada. What makes the Caesar distinctly Canadian is not just its origin but its embrace of Clamato, which was a Canadian invention that might have seemed questionable to bartenders elsewhere.
On a small plate, mix equal parts celery salt and black pepper.
Rub the rim of a tall glass with a lemon wedge to moisten it.
Dip the moistened rim into the celery salt and black pepper mixture to coat.
Fill the prepared glass with ice cubes.
In a shaker, combine the vodka, Clamato juice, lemon juice, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.
Shake gently to mix.
Pour the mixture into the prepared glass over the ice.
Garnish with a celery stalk, lime wedge, and a pickled bean or olive.
Serve ice-cold in a highball glass with a celery salt–black pepper rim, lots of ice, and garnish with celery and a lime wedge.
Clamato is a blend of tomato juice and clam broth, created in Canada in the 1960s. It was considered an oddity initially, but it became the perfect base for the Caesar, adding umami depth and a subtle briny note that sets the cocktail apart.
No—it was deliberately created in 1969 by bartender Walter Chell at the Alberta Hotel bar in Calgary. He was experimenting with bold flavor combinations and landed on this distinctive drink that immediately became popular in Western Canada.
The celery salt rim adds a savory, slightly herbal note that complements the spice and umami of the drink. It also mimics the garnish tradition of other savory cocktails like the Bloody Mary.
The Clamato juice is essential to the drink's identity. Some bars offer variations using spicy Clamato or adding hot sauce differently, but removing the Clamato creates a different cocktail entirely.
The Caesar is typically enjoyed as a brunch drink in Canada, served ice-cold with plenty of ice. The garnishes—celery, lime, pickled beans, and sometimes shrimp—are meant to be eaten as you drink, adding layers of flavor and texture.