Imagine you’re opening a restaurant and want to create a signature cocktail for your bar. Now, get out a pen and pad of paper and start writing down possible ingredients.
I can envision some of you listing such things as sparkling wine, tropical fruit juices, premium liquors, infused syrups and even cucumber. But did any of you write down clam nectar?
No one? I didn’t think so, and that’s not surprising.
That ingredient, also referred to as clam juice, would be nice to use in a chowder or cioppino, but who the heck would want that taste in a cocktail?
Let me introduce you to him: his name is Walter Chell.
According to the Calgary tourism website visitcalgary.com, Chell made his contribution to the cocktail world in 1969 when he was bar manager at the Calgary Inn, now the Westin Calgary.
Back then, Chell was asked to create a signature cocktail for the opening of the hotel’s new Italian restaurant, Marco’s.
Chell was born in Montenegro and his mother died during his birth. He was sent to Italy and was raised in an orphanage. That Italian upbringing played a role in deciding what to blend into his new drink, and he found inspiration for it in one of the restaurant’s menu items, spaghetti vongole (spaghetti with clams).
The story goes that Chell decided to mash canned clams into a mushy nectar, and combine it with tomato juice, spices, oregano, Worcestershire sauce and vodka. He finished off his drink with a crunchy celery stick and his signature cocktail was born, which he named after the Roman emperor Caesar.
Legend says the word “bloody” was added to the cocktail’s name after a British man, who frequented the bar, tried one and said: “Walter, that’s a damn good bloody caesar!”
In and around the time Chell was creating his cocktail, a California-based beverage company called Mott's (mottsclamato.ca) was also testing out a clam and tomato juice beverage. Mott's hired Chell and he helped them create a product they would call — you guessed it — Clamato.
This mixture made it easier for bartenders to create a bloody caesar, and that was a good thing, because the cocktail quickly became ridiculously popular and still is. Canadians now sip hundreds of millions of bloody caesars each year.
Looking to get in on this action, other companies have also begun to sell caesar drink mixes, such as Walter Craft Caesar Mix (waltercaesar.com). That product was named after Walter Chell. The company says it is crafted in small batches here in Canada and is made with natural ingredients, such as vine-ripened tomatoes and real clam juice.
French’s (frenchs.ca) has also recently introduced a caesar cocktail mix that they say is made with 100 per cent Canadian tomatoes and is bottled in Canada.
These products taste quite a bit different than Clamato. For example, I found the Walter Craft Caesar Mix product to be much fuller and sharper tasting and thicker in texture. The French’s product is also a bit thicker than Clamato, has a deeper red colour and their original caesar mix had a subtle carrot taste, thanks to the addition of carrot juice extract.
If you’ve never read the label of these products, just so you know, the original type of Clamato lists the liquid sweetener glucose fructose and food additive monosodium glutamate near the top of the ingredient list. As noted, the Walter craft products says it is made with all natural ingredients, but it does contain sugar, and so does French’s original caesar mix, with it being the third ingredient listed.
One way to control what goes into your bloody caesar cocktail mix, as Walter Chell discovered way back when creating his cocktail, is to make your own. I did that recently and you’ll find my easy to make recipe for it below.
Seafood Bloody Caesars
This version of the classic cocktail is a drink and seafood snack all in one glass. You can buy the seafood items listed at most supermarkets selling a good range of seafood.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: none
Makes: two servings
2 tsp lemon juice
• celery salt or mix of coarse sea salt and black pepper, to taste
3 oz. vodka
• a few dashes Worcestershire and Tabasco
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups cold store-bought or homemade caesar drink mix (see recipe below), plus more as needed
2 (10-inch or so long) celery stalks with leaves
2 lemon wedges
4 large, cold, cooked and peeled prawns
4 pickled beans (optional; see Note)
1 small cold, cooked lobster tail, split in half lengthwise, or 2 snow crab claws
2 sticks of candied salmon or salmon jerky
Place the lemon juice and celery salt (or mix of coarse salt and black pepper) on separate small plates. Invert two tall, 14- to 16-oz glasses, and swirl and coat their rims in the juice. Now coat rims with celery salt (or coarse salt and black pepper).
Put a celery stalk in each glass. Now fill each glass 1/2 to 2/3 full with ice. Divide the vodka between the glasses, then add the Worcestershire, Tabasco and black pepper. Top up the glasses with the caesar mix. Garnish the rim of each drink with a lemon wedge and set two beans in each drink, if using. Hook two prawns on the rim of each glass, then nestle a 1/2 lobster tail (or crab claw) and stick of candied salmon on each drink and serve.
Note: Pickled beans are sold in the pickle aisle of many supermarkets.
Eric’s options: To make a more classic bloody caesar, simple omit the seafood and beans from this recipe. To make an alcohol-free drink, omit the vodka.
Eric’s Homemade Caesar Mix
When creating this easy-to- make Caesar mix, I opted to go more on the mild side, because I knew that when I use it to make a bloody caesar I would also be spiking that drink with added Worcestershire, Tabasco and black pepper. That said, once made, taste it, and, if desired, kick up its taste a little more by whisking a bit more of the flavourings listed.
Preparation time: a few minutes
Cooking time: none
Makes: about 3 2/3 cups (enough mix for about four drinks)
2 1/2 cups tomato juice
1 cup clam juice
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp prepared, hot horseradish (optional)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder
• fine sea salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Place first seven ingredients in a bowl and whisk well to combine. Taste the mixture and season with salt and pepper. Transfer caesar mix to a jug or jar and cover and refrigerate until needed. Can be made many hours before needed. stir before using.
Eric Akis is the author of eight cookbooks. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
