The History of the Bloody Caesar

Our civilization has been built on the sturdy shoulders of the fearless pioneers and dreamers who came before us: those who looked into the unknown and ventured forward with hope, optimism, and courage. Where would we be without the likes of Neil Armstrong, Amelia Earhart, or Sir Isaac Newton? Fortune favours the bold, and these people were undoubtedly that. They have paved a path for us to walk on through their ability to stand at the edge of the frontier, look out into the mist, and bravely step forward.

As odd as it may sound, the same can be said about those who are brave enough to explore the vast world of food and drink. For the sake of our culinary diversity, countless chefs, foodies, and curious citizens have pushed the boundaries of what we can eat in an attempt to discover new levels of clever cookery. Surely, many of these edible explorers have paid the ultimate price to find new ways to satisfy the tastebuds. At the absolute least, they have certainly endured varying degrees of gastrointestinal distress along the way.

After all, who among us could look at a lobster and see its potential to be one of the finest dishes the sea has to offer? Who could see an octopus gracefully swimming and have the urge to deep fry and dine on its tentacles? What kind of lunatic could watch a chicken lay an egg and think to themselves, ‘I wonder what that thing tastes like’?

Regardless of their varying levels of sanity, we want to thank these individuals for giving us the opportunity to enjoy unorthodox recipes we would’ve otherwise ignored. One of these has become the unofficial cocktail of Canada, the Bloody Caesar. A truly odd recipe, The Caesar’s list of ingredients reads more like directions for making soup than a cocktail but somehow, when served over ice, it becomes the perfect daytime drinking delight. Full of flavour, colour, and spice, the Caesar is a symbol of Canada and an essential vodka cocktail, so we thought we’d add our own Heretic twist to it.

The addition of pickle juice, lemon juice, and horseradish give an extra boost of flavour, but the real secret lies in the rim. Rather than using celery salt, we dress the rim with a healthy serving of Montreal steak spice, giving you a salty smack with each sip. It’s the perfect Canadian cocktail to pair with your back bacon and eggs. Enjoy one with friends at your next Sunday brunch, and you’ll see why we call it the Heretic Hangover Helper.