The Pickle: The Bloody Caesar Reinvented
Behind the wood. Saturday night. There's a stillness in the air that rushes over the bar and finds a home within me. Briefly. You can feel the wave of tension weaving its way towards the men in black-matching uniforms, warning us of something to come. The calm before the storm is at its breaking point. Three.. Two.. the doors open to a chorus of noise and commotion. The next six hours are a blur of activity with barely a second to catch your breath. Welcome to life behind the bar.
This was my old life before my new life. I spent years working in the restaurant industry and years behind the bar. It became my home for the better part of ten years and in that time I probably mixed over a million drinks. A million different times listening to someone step up and ask for something to take their pain away or celebrate an occasion with. I saw it all and I heard even more.
Aside from beer, the Bloody Caesar was probably the most popular cocktail around. Particularly in the summer. Especially in this country. I probably rimmed, poured and garnished tens of thousands of this cocktail in my old career and every single time it took my breath away.
Back in 1969 the bloody Caesar got it's start and was invented in Calgary by Walter Chell. It was created to celebrate the grand opening of an Italian eatery in the city. It was made up of vodka, Clamato juice, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce, and is typically served in a celery salt-rimmed glass with celery and lime.
The mystifying thing is how immensely popular this cocktail is in our country yet relatively unknown outside of our borders. They claim that over 350 million Caesars are consumed in Canada every single year. Really. And that's with 30 plus million residents. You do the math. We're not just a country of beer drinkers after all.
Mixologists today are often an extension of the kitchen. Long gone are the days of standard classics being made exactly how they were decades previously. There will always be an exception to that rule, but it's not unusual to see fresh herbs and infused-alcohol making its way into a cocktail at your local bar and restaurant these days. That's the case with the Bloody Caesar as well. At least that was the case when I made it.
The standard variety is still being served at many places but more and more people are taking liberties with the original recipe and putting their spin on the classic. That's what I've done here. Sometimes you assume a drink or dish is perfect the way it is and then realize just how amazing it can be if you tweak it to fit your palette and preference.
- pickled carrots and green beans, about 4 each
- 1 lemon, halved
- 4 cups Clamato juice
- 2 tbsp. pickle brine
- 2 tbsp. fresh grated horseradish
- 2 tsp. A1 steak sauce
- sea salt and cracked pepper
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon thyme, plus 8 sprigs for garnish
- 1 pickle, cut into 4 wedges
- 2 cups vodka
- ice
- 1/2 lemon for rim
- 2 tsp. each of celery salt/ground black pepper/chili powder
- Squeeze lemon halves into a large pitcher. Add pickle brine, A1 sauce, salt & pepper, horseradish, thyme, cayenne pepper and smoked paprika. Stir until combined. Add in ice, vodka and Clamato juice and stir to mix.
- Rub cut lemon half around outside edges of cocktail glasses. Mix celery salt,ground black pepper and chili powder on a plate and roll outside of glass around the mixture for the rim. (The rim mixture is not supposed to be in your cocktail, just on the outside of the rim)
- Fill the glasses with ice and pour the drink over top. Garnish with a pickle wedge, pickled vegetables and a couple sprigs of fresh thyme.
- Serves 4.
26 Comments:
I've been waiting for your post about this you started teasing us about it on Twitter. Bloody Marys are my absolute favorite drink - I consider myself quite the expert :) This looks AMAZING and I love your photo of this. Thank you so much for sharing :)
- t*
I love a good bloody caesar. A good friend of mine would whip one of these up at every party of hers I went to. When my husband and I were dating and I kept traveling to Vancouver, a bloody caesar was a must on Sunday mornings at brunch. Thanks for sharing!
Beautiful photo, this makes me so thirsty...
Thanks Tami! This has been my favourite drink since I was of age and I have it all the time! Thanks again!
Kimmy, you know how we do! I figured with a Canadian husband that you've had your share! Good to know!
Thanks Broderick! That's the point, right? :)
That is quite a drink you've mixed up there! Especially love the garnish. I can't wait to give it a try - countdown to the weekend has begun!
I'm your newest twitter follower (@edmontonjb)
Such a wonderful drink..
This drink looks like a little piece of heaven. I love Bloody Mary's, but I've never tried (or even heard of) a Bloody Caeser. Your photographs have completely sold me on the idea. Love the rimming of the glasses!
I cant wait to try this recipe! I pickle carrots and beans (among other things) and am happy to have another use for them. (besides eatting out of the jar with my head stuck in the fridge lol)
Wonderfully written blog
Tara Skewes
Hey Mike...I just wanted to say that my husband Jay is still so smitten by the pickle juice that was added to his Caesar at the cottage. I accidently threw out some pickle brine last week he was apparently saving for his next Caesar to mix up. NOW, I know better! Keep up the good work! Brigitte
Here in the US it is definitely the Bloody Mary that takes center stage. The Bloody Ceasar looks intriguing and since I just made pickles it sounds like a plan!
you version sounds very yummy!! I will have to try for sure!
Please enter me in the draw for the motts stuff!
This looks amazing! I have been dying to try my new Belvedere bloody mary vodka and this seems like the perfect complement! Thanks for sharing!
That looks sooo delicious! I am gonna make these for this weekend :)
I love Gin in my ceasars and highly recomend it if you haven't tried it yet!
This would be a great drink special anytime but I would love to serve this on the Ides of March..
Great photography and garnishes
deliciously done looks wonderful would love to enter the giveaway
torviewtoronto@gmail.com
toronto, ontario
Love Clamato, love the creativity of this drink. I haven't had Clamato in a year as it's not sold here in South Korea - but I fly out to Canada for my summer vacation in four days' time and you can bet I'll be asking the flight attendants for a can! Will be trying this recipe this summer when I can get all the ingredients.
In the Northwest States we call that a clamdigger. Been my favorite summertime drink for years. I take mine with a pickle and green olives - delicious!
I haven't heard of this drink before but it sounds delicious and your photos are certainly enticing.
I go back and forth on the Bloody Mary... probably because there are so many bad ones out there. But gosh darn it... when it's good, it's good. And this not only looks delicious, but it is such a wonderful take on the classic.
Mmmmm Clamato. Mmmmmm Bloody Ceasar.
Your blog is inspiring. I love the beautiful words you use to describe everything.
I love Caesars and haven't had one in years because no one knows what they are down here!!! Last time I had one was my post-wedding brunch, I believe. All the yanks at my out-of-towner brunch fell in love with them too!
I love "Your Bloody Ceasar's"...the best!!!!
Hope you had a great birthday :) Jean
it is always lovely to stumble upon a food blogger in Canada- we dont seem to be too many, or so i thought. x shayma
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