For the millennial, brunch is boss. Whether it's because millennials don't work 9-5 jobs or that no one wakes up early for Sunday church services or they're just plain lazy be prepared to wait in line anytime after 10 AM. Restaurant raconteur, Anthony Bourdain has a disdain for brunch, "horrible, cynical way of unloading leftovers and charging 3 times as much as you ordinarily charge for breakfast. It's the least popular shifts for cooks. I've all sorts of deep, highly traumatic memories of my years cooking brunch...hideous." I couldn't agree more. However, there's a saving grace, brunch booze. Mimosas are safe and tame fare but sometimes you need something more to take the edge off. Tomato-based drinks. There are 3 tomato-based drinks that are most popular: the Caesars, the Bloody Mary and the Michelada. If you're a smart cookie, you'd notice that those drinks are the most popular drinks in Canada, USA, and Mexico. Each drink has its own regional difference, but each one is special in its own right and I decided to spend a Sunday creating all three.
Honestly, I never knew how much Canadians love the Caesars. I've worked in bars near the Canadian border and they would have some cans of Clamato stocked. I had no clue about what it was. Clamato is a mix of tomato juice concentrate, spices, and clam broth. I never drank it because I thought it was meant to drink straight from the can and who under the age of 50 drinks tomato juice? The "bloody" Caesar was created in Calgary, Alberta in 1969, Walter Chell mixed vodka with tomato and clam juice, dashes of Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, celery salt, and pepper. Mott's, that makes Clamato, claims 350 million Caesars are consumed annually. When vacationing in the birthplace of the Caesar, my girlfriend and I decided to see what those Canucks were raving about. We went to the beer store and while picking up some beers, we made a decision, perhaps inebriated, to buy a can of lime Clamato. I couldn't finish my drink, We never got the necessary vodka to cut the sweetness of the lime and tomato. Regardless, you could taste the subtle taste of the clam juice.
A few weeks after our trip, I decided to make my own versions and first I was going to try to make the Caesar. I found it was pretty simple to make, it was easy to pick up a thing of Clamato juice, a lemon and lime, vodka and we already had the Worcestershire sauce and I used Frank's Red Hot. I don't like Tabasco sauce. It is supposed to compliment the smoky flavor of the Worcestershire sauce. I'm a Buffalo guy and we just don't do Tabasco. After making a few, I could understand some of the allure behind it. I was super easy to make. It wasn't a sweltering day, but a Caesar could be a refreshing drink.
Traditional Caesar Recipe
- 8 oz Clamato juice
- 2 oz vodka
- 2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
- 2 dashes hot sauce
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- Lime wedge & celery stalk for garnish
Origin stories for the Bloody Mary aren't as easy as the Caesar. Unlike the politeness of their neighbors to the north, many people claim to be the creators of American's best-known breakfast cocktail. The only thing that people can agree on is WHEN the drink was made, in the late 1920s or 1930s. People can't even agree on the naming of the drink. Queen Mary of England, you know the name you repeat 3 times in front of your bathroom mirror on Halloween is allegedly the inspiration behind the naming of the drink. Do you know where hot dogs come from? Who cares, just as long as they're delicious.
When at the liquor store, I couldn't remember which spices we had, so we opted for a Bloody Mary mix. Again, this was my first time making this cocktail but as I was following the recipe, it didn't seem like I was making enough. It called for 1/4th of a cup of tomato juice. It skewed on the saltier side.
Bloody Mary
- 4 parts tomato juice (8 oz)
- 2 parts vodka (I went with 3 oz)
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 tsp horseradish
- 2 dashes of hot sauce
- 1 pinch of salt & pepper
- 1/4 tsp lemon juice
- Celery stalk (for garnish)
- Ice
The Michelada is another drink that I was unfamiliar with until I moved to the West Coast. The Bloody Mary reigned supreme throughout the East Coast. Despite regional differences, the core of the drink stayed relatively the same. With the obvious Hispanic influence, I started noticing this drink more. I noticed that it sometimes had a spicier taste which I usually prefer but I could see the excess alcohol burn out of my skin through Tabasco sauce and humidity.
Micheladas have a simple history compared to its American "primo." In Central Mexico, Michel Esper ordered his beer with ice, lime, salt and a straw. I've seen American drunkards do similar. My mom tended bar at a golf driving range in rural Western New York. Locals would order beers with ice and salt. Allegedly, they said it made their drinks stronger, despite conventional wisdom and actual science.
Deep in recesses of a cooler in your local beer store, you'll find prepared Micheladas. Trust me, you will find liquid gold in the cooler section. Many people are afraid to go in, which I understand, it's cold in there. Depending on the store, you'll normally see domestic American adjuncts in 30 packs. This is also where you would find your Clamato and Budweiser Chiladas and Miller Chills. About 10 years ago, "Big Beer" decided to make a splash in the market to market to the brunch crowd. I'm not quite certain about the results but the marketing had subsided.
Working Man's Michelada
- 25 oz tallboy of Bud Light Lime
- prepared Clamato juice
- 2 oz vodka
- Hot sauce
- Salt & pepper
Also, brunch gives us a chance to debrief. I remember a few times where I remember meeting up with friends for a little hair of the dog and asking them to fill in the blanks from the night before. "I did what?" "She said that?" "Oh my God, I can't believe she thought that I was a plastic surgeon, I live in a studio apartment!"
Today was fun too. Luckily, I have someone in my life that wants me to explore my thoughts on this page. She helped by purchasing the necessary ingredients for this project. I had fun trying to make these drinks and I'd love to do this more in the future, perhaps perfecting my own versions. That's the fun of it all. Sure, some people put a lot of stock into "mixology" but really it's about crafting a product that brings people together and have a good time.
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