The 1-2-3-4-5 Caesar

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The 1-2-3-4-5 Caesar!

What more could a good Canadian kid (over the age of 19) want on a hot long weekend summer day?

For those non-Canucks who may not be as familiar with this cocktail, I will let you into the club.  A Caesar is a tasty mixture of Mott's Clamato juice (tomato juice mixed with clam nectar and seasonings), vodka, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, and spices, garnished with a spicy bean, celery-salted rim, and a lime.  No, no no no, it is nothing like the Bloody Mary.  A Bloody Mary is thick and tomato-soup like, and a Caesar is like a fairy princess magical unicorn ride.

This drink happily sits on the cocktail menu of every restaurant and bar in Canada, and I have noticed lately that this little Canadian gem may be working its way into the hearts of Americans. While you could never ever find Clamato juice in the USA a couple of years ago, now they even sell it by the warehouse pack at the Costcos across the border.   I also was able to enjoy a couple of Caesars on our Mediterranean cruise, which made me very, very happy.  Back in Canada, I saw a 'Caesar Starter Kit' at the grocery store the other day...awesome!!  At the liquor store last night I noticed that there are now four brands of pre-made Caesar coolers on the market, and picked up the Franks Red Hot Sauce version for a camping trip this weekend.

While the Caesar is Canada's cocktail, even a proud Canuck might be wondering what exactly the 1-2-3-4-5 Caesar is.  Well, I'm glad you asked!
I learned how to make the 1-2-3-4-5 Caesar from my friend April, who learned it from her brother, who learned it from someone else.  Thank you so much to that 'someone else,' and to April's brother, and to April for passing this recipe down the chain to me.  April and her boyfriend came over to our house the other night to watch the season premiere of Big Brother (seriously do all of my blog posts reference some reality TV show that I'm watching?), and we whipped up a whole bunch one or two of these puppies.

This is a great rendition of one of my favourite drinks.  Any time of the year...summer patio weather, Christmastime, Sunday Springtime morning hair of the dog.  The 1-2-3-4-5 Caesar...it's as simple as it sounds - just 5 easy steps to making the perfect Caesar every single time.

I've drunk heard about Caesar variations made with gin, horseradish, pepper vodka, muddled jalapenos, different types of hot sauce, or garnished with a prawn/beef jerky/lemon pepper rim/olive/carrot/celery/pickled asparagus/pepperoncini.  We even used a circa 1970's ice cream machine to freeze up some slushy Caesars while at a friend's cabin this summer.  See below:

The Beast

Slushy Caesar.  Good call.

I love me a Caesar.

Have a great long weekend everyone!  I'm off camping for a few days, then having a mother/daughter spa day with my best friend and our moms on Sunday, and then going to the Sublime concert on Monday...phewf - can't wait!

What's your favourite 'twist' on the Caesar?


Ready for the 1-2-3-4-5 Caesar?  Here we go:

Ingredients (to make one Caesar...pshaw, as if that would ever happen):
One tall glass
3 tbsp. fresh lime juice
3 tbsp. celery salt
Enough ice to fill a tall glass, plus three extra cubes
Wedge of lime
1 ounce vodka
2 splashes Worcestershire Sauce
3 quick shakes of salt
3 pinches of freshly ground pepper
4 splashes Tabasco Sauce
5 ounces Clamato Juice
A straw
Pickled beans (optional)

Directions
Pre-Step:  Before you get started with the ingredients, take out one large glass.

Like so.

Rim the glass with lime juice, then rim the glass with celery salt.



Fill this glass alllll the way to the top with ice cubes, plus 3 extra cubes of ice.  Add a wedge of lime to the rim.

I forgot to buy limes.  :(

Step One, One, One (Sorry, New Kids On The Block throwback)
Pour ONE ounce of vodka into the glass.

Step One

Step Two
Put TWO generous splashes of Worcestershire Sauce into the glass.

Step Two

Step Three
Put THREE quick shakes of salt into the glass, plus THREE pinches of freshly ground pepper.

Step Three

Step Four
Put FOUR generous splashes of Tabasco Sauce into the glass.

Step Four

Step Five
Pour FIVE ounces of Clamato Juice into the glass.

Step Five

Post-Step
Stick a straw and a pickled bean or two into the glass, and take a sip!


The Hubby's and April's and April's Boyfriend Brad's Review:  Soooooo good!

Recipe Source:  Someone April's brother knows.