Hail Caeser...Cocktail Of Canada!!!

Thank you to Kyla for performing her magic on this awesome image she whipped up for me last night

Hail Caeser...cocktail of Canada!! No doubt, eh? In fact, the Caeser cocktail was concocted by Walter Chell, in what is now the Westin Hotel, back in 1969, right here in my home city of Calgary. Maybe that explains why I love them so much, especially with my wife's pickled Brussel sprouts as a garnish!! Delish!! haha!

Though the Bloody Mary is quite popular across the globe, the variation called the Caeser, made with Mott's Clamato juice is well known and well consumed pretty much exclusively in Canada. Interestingly, 'Clamato Juice' was first invented in 1966 in New York by two employees of Duffy-Mott, who combined tomato juice and clam broth in order to blend a Manhattan style clam chowder cocktail. Not sure what happened with their version but evidently Walter got a hold of the juice and created his own signature drink in honour of a new Italian restaurant opening in what was then the Calgary Inn.

Much loved across Canada, everyone seems to have their own variation, a customized or personalized blend of some sort, and I've seen (and sampled) many Caesers that came with some of the tastiest garnishes, including steamed clams, oysters, pickled asparagus, and my fave, as mentioned early, the home-made pickled Brussel sprouts. I've also seen some unusual, though still equally tasty, variations, like bacon crumbled in with the salted rim and a slice of crispy bacon wedged in the drink.

There's the Mexican version, with extra hot sauce and tequila instead of vodka. And, how about the folks who pour a bit of pickle juice in with the Clamato, to give it that extra pucker.

Jeesh, all this talk of Caesers is making me thirsty!! haha. I'll have to wait a few hours for work to be over and I can get home to mix one up!