The Mary Chronicles: Bloody Canadian

According to the Cookin' Canuck, aka Dara Michalski, there are 350 million Caesar cocktails consumed in Canada each year. That's out of a total population of 34 million. Dara speculates the reason for this lopsided statistic is that "either we’re filling up the mountain water holes with Caesars (which might explain some of those drunken moose stories) or we think these cocktails are pretty darn tasty."

Wikipedia authoritatively states that "it was invented in Calgary, Alberta, in 1969 by restaurateur Walter Chell to celebrate the opening of a new Italian restaurant in the city. It quickly became a popular mixed drink, but remains virtually unknown outside Canada."

My new favorite "Hott" sauce.

Its primary ingredient is Clamato (Wikipedia charmingly refers to the name as a "portmanteau"…classy!), a combination of clam juice, spices and tomato juice made by the Mott's company. Dara reports that in 2009 there was a push to make the Caesar the national drink of Canada. Ultimately unsuccessful, before the dust had settled the drive spawned a boycott of Mott's, an American company rumored to be behind the attempt. Quel scandale!

Thinner than tomato juice, it makes a much lighter, less tomatoe-y drink than a traditional Bloody Mary—and the clam flavor is almost undetectable, so don't let that part put you off. Dave, who's been intrigued by Bloody Marys and is bent on perfecting his own recipe eventually, made our Caesars without the celery salt rim and used a locally produced hot red sauce from NW Elixirs called Hott Sauce. A deeply chile-flavored sauce, lighter on the vinegar than Tabasco, it's starting to find its way into several sauces and dishes where I'd normally use Tabasco or Sriracha. (More on that later.)

Our neighbors to the north have also maintained the tradition of condiments in their version, for which I thank them, since I find it, like olives in a martini, one of the delights of the drink. Definitely worth raising a glass to!

The Caesar Cocktail

Adapted from Dara Michalski's recipe at Cookin' Canuck

Makes 2 cocktails

2 Tbsp. celery salt

1 lime, cut into 8 wedges

Ice cubes
2 oz. vodka

6 oz. Clamato juice
Several dashes of Worcestershire sauce for each
Several dashes of Tabasco sauce for each

2 long ribs of celery

2 pimento-stuffed olives (optional)

Spread the celery salt onto a small plate. Rub the rim of one 12-ounce glass with a lime wedge. Turn the glass upside down and dip the rim of the glass into the celery salt. Repeat with remaining glass. Fill each glass with ice cubes. Divide the vodka equally between the 2 glasses. Pour Clamato juice into each glass. Season each Caesar with several dashes of Worcestershire and Tabasco sauces, to desired spiciness. Stir each cocktail with a stir stick. Garnish with celery sticks, olives and remaining lime wedges. Serve.

The Mary Chronicles: Bloody Good!

You gotta love a husband who walks in the door after a long day at work, breathes in the smell of the tomatoes that have just come off the grill and says, "I bet that would make a great Bloody Mary. Want to try one?"

The only answer I ever have to questions like that is, "Yes, please!"

So we hauled out our Bloody Mary bible, Judy Bennett's "Bloody Marys: Sanguine Solutions for a Slew of Situations," and, using her basic recipe, made what I think even Fernand Petiot, the guy who is credited with first combining tomato juice and vodka, would consider a fine addition to the genre.

Smoky Mary

Adapted from "Bloody Marys: Sanguine Solutions for a Slew of Situations," by Judy Bennett

Makes one drink

2 shots Monopolowa Vodka
2 shots smoked tomato sauce*
2 tsp. lemon juice
2-4 dashes salt
2 dashes black pepper
2 dashes cayenne
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 lime wedge, to serve

If you're like me and don't strain your tomato sauce when it comes off the grill, just put a half cup or so of sauce into a blender and blend till smooth. Put all ingredients except for the lime into a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake and strain into an Old Fashioned glass. Gently squeeze the lime wedge over the drink so you extract some of the juice but don't deform the fruit. Drop the wedge into the glass before serving.

Part of the delight of a Bloody Mary for me is the condiments that come with it, often derisively referred to as "salad." The best pickled vegetables are made by the folks at Mama Lil's, especially their pickled asparagus and pickled beans. Throw in a spear of celery and an olive and it's practically a meal.

* You could also use canned fire-roasted tomatoes instead of tomatoes roasted on the grill.