I love a good Caesar. It’s probably my favourite mixed drink of all time.
Photo by hfabulous on Flickr
To me, a well prepared Caesar is a perfect storm of delicious tastes: Tomato, heat, piquancy, tartness, salt, brine, that slightly bitter edge and not to mention a wee dash of booze…
Heaven.
It’s all I could ever ask for (and more) in a drink.
If you’ve never tried one before, or think the concept of a salty drink sounds odd, think again.
The whole is definitely mightier than the sum of its parts, especially paired with brunch – the Caesar is most certainly a beverage that pairs well with food, day or night.
Did you know it’s also Canadian? The Caesar cocktail was first concocted in 1969 by a bartender in Calgary. (See Wikipedia entry here for more.)
To kick off summer, I thought I’d post a short but sweet list of my favourite Caesars in Vancouver.
And what’s more, all of these fine establishments have patios!
I’m telling you, Caesars and sunshine were meant to be – after all, Caesar was a Roman, and the Romans were sun worshippers, were they not?
So enjoy this post, and then get out there and enjoy a Caesar in the sun!
Vancouver’s Best Caesars
(or, “Where will VVV be this summer?”)
| Location | Price (approx.) |
Serving Size | Heat | Spirit | Garnish | Overall |
| Caffe Barney (Main @ Broadway) |
$5 | Rocks glass | Medium | Vodka, Guinness | Pickled beet, lime | 3.5 / 5 Two drink minimum: This one’s on the small side |
| Cascade Room (Main @ East 10th) |
$9 Bloody Mary |
Pint glass | Hot (horse-radish) |
Vodka | Spicy bean, lemon | 3.5 / 5 A thick brew with lots of bite, needs more beans |
| Coast (Alberni @ Thurlow) |
$9 Decked Out Caesar |
Tall flute | Mild | Vodka | Tiger prawn, celery | 4 / 5 The giant prawn makes up for the watery drink |
| Stella’s (Commercial @ Charles) |
$8 Great Caesar’s Ghost |
Daiquiri glass | Hot (sambal oelek) |
Lemon Vodka | Spicy bean, lime, cilantro | 3.5 / 5 The Genghis Khan to the regular Julius Caesar |
| Timbre (Commercial @ East 3rd) |
$8 | Pint glass | Medium-Hot | Vodka (double) |
Cocktail prawn, lime, lemon, olives, spicy beans | 4.5 / 5 Amazing value. Who needs dinner when you have this much garnish? |
Hi Debbie! You know what’s funny? I’ve been to your blog before, even before we met! This just goes to show what a small world it is here in Vancouver (and on Twitter).
I LOVE CAESARS! And I love this review post that you’ve done on the various Caesars in the city. Just reading about each one made my mouth water, so now I’m craving a Caesar at 2:40am lol
Any way, looks like I have a few new Caesars to try. My current favourite is the Caesar at the Keg (extra spicy, of course) because it usually comes with a spicy bean and celery. I like places that use horseradish, it’s different and adds a unique flavour to the overall drink.
Totally such a small world, and so nice to meet you last week! I look forward to the next gathering. Perhaps we can go to the new Keg in Yaletown and have some Caesars on their patio (I heard the view’s gorgeous)!
Hmmmm…not much of a Caesar girl! But maybe I’ll have to venture out now that I’ve given up wine and beer! *gasp* Lovely to meet you tonight!
It was great to meet you too! Great blog – I will have to pick your brain for sweet recipes one of these days. Enjoy the sun!
You may just have to add the Caesar’s at Society on this list! Let’s go try some other Caesars sometime!