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The Classic
CANADA’S NATIONAL COCKTAIL
The Classic
Caesar
The original 1969 Walter Chell formula — Clamato, vodka, celery salt rim, and three garnishes. The drink that should have replaced the Bloody Mary fifty years ago.
This is the version I make at home — close to the original Chell formula, with refinements that have become standard in Canadian bars. The Clamato does the heavy lifting and the celery salt rim announces the drink’s intention from the first sip.
Ingredients
- Clamato5 oz
- Vodka1.5 oz
- Worcestershire sauce2 dashes
- Hot sauce (Frank’s RedHot)3 dashes
- Prepared horseradish (optional)¼ tsp
- Fresh cracked black pepperTo taste
- Celery salt (for the rim)1 tbsp
- Smoked paprika (optional, for rim)½ tsp
- Celery stalk1
- Lime wedge1
- Pickled bean spear1
Instructions
- 1Mix celery salt and smoked paprika on a small flat plate. Run a lime wedge around the rim of a tall cooler glass and press into the salt mixture until evenly coated.
- 2Fill the glass with ice — large cubes if you have them.
- 3Add vodka, Worcestershire, hot sauce, horseradish, and a few cracks of black pepper.
- 4Top with Clamato. Stir gently with a long bar spoon — four or five turns is enough. Over-stirring breaks the body.
- 5Garnish with the celery stalk standing up, lime wedge on the rim, and a pickled bean spear across the top. Squeeze the lime into the drink before serving.
- 6Drink while the rim is still intact. The first sip is the celery salt; everything after is the drink itself.
Note A Caesar without a celery salt rim is just a Bloody Mary in a Canadian accent. The pickled bean spear is non-negotiable. Pickled asparagus or okra works in a pinch — a plain olive does not.