History

Virtually every bar in Canada can make you a Bloody Caesar, it's pretty much Canada's national drink. It may seem odd that a drink invented in Canada took the name of Rome's most famous emperor, but though its origins are Canadian its inspiration is very much Italian.

Charged with inventing a signature drink to celebrate the opening of Marco's Italian restaurant at the Calgary Inn in 1969, Walter Chell was inspired by the flavours of Spaghetti Vongole (spaghetti with clams) and named his new cocktail after the Roman emperor.

The typical finish to what Canadians simply call a Caesar is to wet the rim with lemon juice and then dip the glass in celery salt. However, the Caesar actually lends itself to an array of garnishes. Celery and a lime wedge are more traditional, but since the Caesar has become so popular, restaurants and bars have felt the need to customise the garnish to make their version unique, adopting anything from olives and peppers to pickled asparagus and shrimp. Some drinks end up looking more like an appetiser! I've gone for the elegant and deliciously crunchy green bean to garnish ours.