Bloody Caesar Recipe: How to Make the Classic Caesar Cocktail

The Bloody Caesar is Canada's national cocktail: vodka, Clamato, Worcestershire, and hot sauce over ice in a glass rimmed with celery salt. It looks like a Bloody Mary, but the Clamato gives it a savory, lightly briny taste that tomato juice alone doesn't have.

Here's the classic Bloody Caesar recipe, the easy version we make with Stu's, how a Caesar differs from a Bloody Mary, and the story of how a Calgary bartender turned clams and tomatoes into a national drink.

What Is a Bloody Caesar?

A Bloody Caesar, or just a Caesar, is a cocktail made with vodka, Clamato (a blend of tomato juice and clam broth), Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and spices. It's served over ice in a tall glass with a celery salt rim, a celery stalk, and a lime wedge.

You'll also see it spelled "Bloody Cesar," and some Americans call it a Clamato Bloody Mary. It's the same drink.

Classic Bloody Caesar Cocktail Recipe

Makes 1 drink. About 3 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz vodka
• 5 to 6 oz Clamato juice
• 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
• 2 dashes Tabasco sauce or your favorite hot sauce
• 1/4 tsp prepared horseradish (optional)
• A squeeze of lime or lemon juice
• 1 pinch celery salt and 1 pinch black pepper
• Celery salt for the rim
• Lime wedge and a celery stalk for garnish

Instructions

1. Rub a lime wedge around the rim of a tall glass and dip it in celery salt. Here's how to salt a rim cleanly.
2. Fill the glass with ice.
3. Add the vodka, the dashes of Worcestershire and Tabasco, the horseradish, and the celery salt and pepper.
4. Top with Clamato and stir to combine.
5. Squeeze in the lime and garnish with the celery stalk.

The Caesar is meant to be on the lighter side. Start with about 1 part vodka to 4 parts Clamato and adjust from there. Some bars add a pinch of MSG or a spoon of pickle juice for more savory punch. You'll also see bottled Caesar mix, which is Clamato with extra seasoning already in it.

The Easy Way: A Bloody Caesar with Stu's

The classic recipe asks you to measure out Worcestershire, hot sauce, celery salt, and pepper every time. Stu's does that part in one pour. It's a liquid seasoning built on Worcestershire, pickle brine, celery salt, and a balanced spice blend.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz vodka
• 1 oz Stu's Classic
• 5 1/2 oz Clamato juice
• Celery salt rim, lime wedge, and celery stalk

Instructions

1. Rim a tall glass with celery salt and fill it with ice.
2. Add the vodka and Stu's.
3. Top with Clamato, stir, and garnish with lime and celery.

Want a little smoke? Use Stu's Smoked Jalapeño, which is built on a custom chipotle hot sauce. For more heat, add a few drops of our Hot Drops.

Bloody Caesar vs. Bloody Mary

The two drinks share almost everything: vodka, a savory tomato base, Worcestershire, hot sauce, and a big garnish. The difference is the juice.

	Bloody Caesar	Bloody Mary
Base	Clamato (tomato juice and clam broth)	Tomato juice
Flavor	Savory, lightly briny, a little thinner	Richer tomato, thicker body
Rim	Celery salt	Celery salt, or none
Where it's from	Calgary, 1969	Usually credited to Paris or New York in the 1920s and 30s

The clam broth adds a little brininess and savory depth without making the drink taste fishy. If you like a Bloody Mary but want something a little lighter and more savory, try a Caesar. Our Clamato juice guide covers the juice itself, and our easy Bloody Mary recipe covers the original.

Where the Bloody Caesar Came From

In 1969, Walter Chell was asked to create a signature drink for the new Italian restaurant at the Calgary Inn in Calgary, Alberta. He took his inspiration from spaghetti alle vongole, pasta with clams and tomato sauce, and reasoned that clams and tomatoes would work in a glass, too. His first version used mashed clams mixed with tomato juice, vodka, Worcestershire, and spices.

He named it the Caesar, a nod to the Italian restaurant. In Canada it's still usually just called a Caesar. Outside Canada, "Bloody Caesar" is the common name, which ties it to its cousin, the Bloody Mary. The drink spread across Western Canada and then the rest of the country, helped along by Mott's Clamato, which came out around the same time and made the clam part easy.

Chell wasn't the first to mix clams, tomato, and vodka. In 1953, a New York nightclub served a vodka, clam, and tomato drink called the Smirnoff Smiler, and columnist Walter Winchell wrote about it. A Clamdigger cocktail with vodka and clam and tomato juices was promoted in the late 1960s. But the Caesar is the one that stuck. Calgary declared a Caesar Day on May 13, 2009, for the drink's 40th anniversary, and it's widely called Canada's national cocktail. Few drinks are as tied to one country as this classic Canadian cocktail.

Bloody Caesar Garnishes

Canadians don't hold back on Caesar garnishes. Start with the classics and go as far as you like.

• Classic: celery stalk, lime wedge, a pickled bean.
• Loaded: a bacon strip, a cooked shrimp, a pickle spear, or pepperoncini.
• Over the top: a slider on a skewer, a fried chicken wing, or a lobster tail.

The rim matters more than any of them, because it's on every sip. Celery salt is classic, and our Key Lime Rimmer adds bright lime if you want a change. For more ideas, see our Bloody Mary garnish guide.

Bloody Caesar Variations

• Virgin Caesar: skip the vodka. 1 oz Stu's plus Clamato and ice is still a great drink. Our Virgin Mary post has more zero-proof ideas.
• Gin Caesar: swap the vodka for gin, like a Bloody Mary with gin.
• Tequila Caesar: use tequila and Smoked Jalapeño.
• Beer Caesar: Clamato and beer with lime is close to a michelada.
• Pitcher Caesars: scale the recipe up for brunch with our Bloody Mary pitcher recipe, using Clamato in place of tomato juice.
• Caesar bar: set out Clamato, Stu's, and garnishes and let guests build their own, like a Bloody Mary bar.

Tips for a Better Caesar

• Keep it cold. Chill the Clamato and the vodka, and use plenty of ice.
• Stir, don't shake. A gentle stir keeps the drink smooth.
• Taste before you garnish. Adjust the heat and salt first.
• Use a neutral vodka. The Clamato and seasoning carry the flavor. Our guide to the best vodka for a Bloody Mary works here too.

Bloody Caesar FAQ

What's the difference between a Bloody Mary and a Bloody Caesar?

The juice. A Bloody Mary uses tomato juice, and a Bloody Caesar uses Clamato, which is tomato juice blended with clam broth. The Caesar is a little lighter and more savory.

Why is it called a Bloody Caesar?

Walter Chell created it for an Italian restaurant in Calgary and named it the Caesar. Canadians mostly still call it that. "Bloody Caesar" links it to the Bloody Mary.

What came first, the Bloody Mary or the Caesar?

The Bloody Mary, by several decades. The Caesar was invented in 1969.

What does a Bloody Caesar taste like?

Savory, lightly briny, and a little spicy, like a lighter Bloody Mary with more depth. It doesn't taste fishy.

Can I make a Caesar without Clamato?

You can mix tomato juice with a little bottled clam juice, but Clamato is easier and more consistent.

Does Stu's contain any allergens?

Yes. Stu's contains fish (anchovy) and mustard. Clamato also contains clam.