This Caesar drink recipe is a classic Canadian cocktail. Made with Clamato, it's a spicy cocktail that's perfect for brunch. Simple and easy to make, it's similar to a Bloody Mary, but so much better!
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When we first visited Toronto, some friends introduced us to The Caesar drink. This classic Canadian cocktail can be found in every single bar in the city, and they are super popular as part of a lazy Sunday brunch.
Similar to a Bloody Mary, but in my opinion, much tastier! If you've looked at my Instagram in the last few months, you may have seen I'm a little obsessed with them!
Refreshing and with just the right amount of spice, find out why this is my favorite way to start the weekend!
Be sure to try my Prosecco Brunch Cocktail and Cotton Candy Cocktail too!
Why you will love this recipe!
- Quick and easy: It only takes about 5 minutes to make up these cocktails with just a few ingredients.
- Healthier: Ok, so it's a cocktail, so it's not super healthy, but it's pretty low in calories as vodka is the spirit used, plus there's lots of vitamins in the Clamato juice. You won't break your diet by enjoying one of these.
- Budget friendly: This is a pretty economical make at home cocktail. The ingredients will make up lots of drinks to keep you entertained!
Ingredients
- Ice cubes: A must for a refreshing sip.
- Vodka: Use your favorite vodka for this recipe. I like Grey Goose or Tito's.
- Tabasco Sauce: Use as much as you are comfortable with! This is what brings the heat!
- Worcestershire sauce: This gives the Caesar drink a wonderful umami flavor.
- Pickle brine: I use the brine from the pickled beans used for the garnish. It adds a great sharp tanginess.
- Clamato juice: This is what makes a Caesar a Caesar and is a non-negotiable ingredient.
- For the rim: Celery salt, black pepper and lemon.
- For the garnish: Lemon slice, lime slice and pickled beans.
How to make a Caesar drink
Be sure to scroll down for the full recipe!
- Rim the glasses.
- Add ice to the glasses and pour in the vodka.
- Add the tabasco, Worcestershire, brine and pepper.
- Top up with Clamato juice and stir.
- Add the garnishes and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Before I first tried a Caesar, I just assumed it was going to be the same as a Bloody Mary, I didn't really want one but our Canadian friends were super excited to introduce us to this Canadian classic. They explained that Caesar's were made with Clamato juice, not tomato....Clamato? What?! Tomato juice mixed with clam broth?!
I've never been a huge fan of a Bloody Mary, I find them too rich and often the tomato flavour (I know, they are 90% tomato juice!) can be overwhelming. The Clamato juice in the Caesar drink is an revelation! It is thinner than the usual tomato juice and there is more of a salty depth of flavour. I find them much easier to drink than a Bloody Mary, but with all those awesome spices still intact!
The other ingredient that may not be super familiar to non-Canadians are pickled beans and their brine. A small amount of of the brine is added to the cocktail to give it a salty, sharp edge and a couple of the beans are used for garnish.
Whilst the ingredients for a Caesar drink are not really played with too much, the garnish is where the creativity takes over! I've stayed pretty simple with mine (this time around!) as I just wanted the drink to do the talking, but some of the bars in Toronto go all out with the garnish! From bacon, to burgers to an entire roast chicken, the sky is the limit when it comes to the toppings on the caesar drink!
It all starts with that rim, and for me it's all about celery salt mixed with a little black pepper. You can get a tonne of pre mixed rims, but sometimes it's good to keep it simple! I went for a simple garnish of lemon and lime slices and a couple of those picked beans for an added bite.
The Caesar cocktail was invented in 1969 in Calgary, Alberta a restauranteur Walter Chell. He was the restaurant manager at the Calgary Inn, and tasked with making a signature drink for the opening night of their new Italian restaurant.
His inspiration came form the Italian dish, Spaghetti alle vogole, a dish with tomato sauce and clams.
Now, over 350 million Caesars are consumed in Canada each year, but the drink remains practically unknown in countries around the world.
Over the years, the humble celery stick garnish has been replaced and the pickle brine has been added. Every bartender has their own way of making their Caesar drink extra special.
Serving Suggestions
The Caesar drink should be made when it is ready to be served, luckily it only takes a few minutes! It can of course be enjoyed by itself (and I have on many occasions!), but it's a great drink to enjoy over brunch. Try it paired with:
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Don't make this cocktail ahead of time, or the ice will melt and dilute the drink.
- Add the ice to the glass first, so that the ingredients start to get chilled right from the beginning.
More Cocktail Recipes
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The Caesar Drink
Ingredients
For the rim
- 2 tbsp celery salt
- black pepper
- 1 lemon slice
To make the Caesar
- 6-10 ice cubes
- 2 oz vodka 60ml
- 6-10 drops tabasco sauce depending how spicy you like it
- 5 drops Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp pickle brine
- a good dash of ground black pepper
- clamato juice to fill the glass
For the garnish
- 1 lemon slice
- 1 lime slice
- 2 pickled beans
Instructions
- On a small plate, mix the celery salt with a couple of pinches of black pepper. Wipe a lemon slice around the top of the rim of a glass. Roll the rim of the glass in the celery salt and black pepper.
- Put the ice cubes in the glass and pour the vodka. Add in the tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, pickle brine and black pepper. Top up with Clamato juice and give it a couple of stirs.
- Add the lemon and lime slices, pickled beans and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Don't make this cocktail ahead of time, or the ice will melt and dilute the drink.
- Add the ice to the glass first, so that the ingredients start to get chilled right from the beginning.
- Nutritional values are an approximation based on one serving
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