The Bacon Caesar Finds a Home in BC

Canada’s “national” cocktail, the Bloody Caesar was invented in 1969 by bartender Walter Chell to commemorate the opening of Marco’s Italian restaurant at the Westin Hotel in Calgary, Alberta. Using Italian cuisine for inspiration he took the flavours of Spaghetti Vongole (spaghetti with clams) and came up with a mixture of hand-mashed clams, tomato juice, vodka, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and garnished it with a celery stick. He named the cocktail after Roman Emperor, Julius Caesar.

According to local legend, he served it to one of his first customers, an Englishman who after tasting the cocktail exclaimed that’s a good “bloody Caesar” and the name is now Canadian cocktail history. With the creation of Mott’s Clamato in the same year, the “Bloody Caesar” quickly spread across Canada. Today, the Bloody Caesar, is still Canada’s best known cocktail and is a permanent fixture on Canadian bar and restaurant menus from coast to coast.

While it is hard to pinpoint who first created the Canadian “Bacon Caesar”, there is no doubt that bacon is currently the “it ingredient” for a Bloody Caesar in British Columbia. From bacon infused vodka or bourbon to a garnish of bacon or a rim of bacon salt, we look at eight restaurants currently offering the “Bacon Caesar”:

Vancouver

Abigails Kitchen

“Ardbeg Bacon Caesar Supreme”

Made with smokey Ardbeg scotch, Mott’s clamato, chipotle Tobasco, and celery bitters. Served with a Cerignola olive and bacon salt rim.

Edible Canada at the Market

“Maple Bacon Caesar”

Made with vodka, clamato, Worcestershire sauce, bacon salt, and fresh horseradish. Served with a stalk of celery and maple candied bacon skewer.

Homer Street Cafe

“Bacon Caesar”

Made with house made bacon infused vodka, Dubonnet, celery bitters, house made spice sauce and clamato. Accompanied by a rim of house smoked dehydrated beach oysters and celery salt.

The Flying Pig

“T.F.P. Bacon Bourbon Caesar”

Made with house-made bacon bourbon, olive brine, Worcestershire sauce, siriracha chili sauce and clamato juice. Garnished with lemon wedge, olives and celery. Served in a mason jar rimmed with celery salt.

Victoria

The Jam Café

“Bourbon Caesar”

Made with Buffalo trace bbq bourbon, pickle juice & served with sugar cured bacon garnish.

The Pink Bicycle

“Bacon Caesar”

Bacon infused vodka Caesar garnished with a strip of bacon.

Okanagan

Local Lounge

“Bacon Caesar”

Made with Absolut pepper vodka, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, Montreal steak spice, lime, clamato and served with peppered bacon.

Whistler

Barefoot Bistro

“John Sezar”

Made with house made bacon vodka, spice and dehydrated beer rim. Served with an olive.

Make at home:

At Home with Lynn Crawford

Canadian celebrity chef Lynn Crawford’s just released new cookbook includes a recipe for making divine Maple Bacon Jerky and the perfect Bloody Caesar accompanied with Maple Bacon Jerky and a pickle.