All Hail the Mighty Ceasar!

Imagine, just for one moment, that your eyes are closed, but all of your other senses are heightened. You reach for an ice cold glass and place it to your lips in anticipation of the refreshing and tangy taste that will meet your taste buds. First comes the savory hit of rim-seasoning followed by the rush of cool liquid that your ears can now hear caressing over the cubed-ice as it makes its way to the tip of your tongue. At last, you open your eyes, and realize as the flavors coalesce in the back of your pallet, that you are drinking a Ceasar.

Perhaps what makes the Ceasar such an inspiring drink is its unique ability to capture each dimension of the human senses and foster that resident association within our minds of having a drink or relaxing with the joy that this cocktail brings. It is a diverse beverage in that you do not need a specific season or occasion to match with it. You can enjoy a Ceasar on the dock during a stay at the cottage, on the beach or the golf course to cool-off, before a large dinner to cleanse the pallet, or just relaxing at home with friends or that special someone.

Even if you do not enjoy alcohol-based drinks or choose not to drink alcohol for medical or personal reasons, the Ceasar can accommodate! All you need to do is take all of the same steps, but conveniently 'forget' to put the vodka into the mix. You can further spice-up the flavor of this treat in non-alcoholic (virgin) and alcohol-included editions by being creative with your garnishes. Some really nice and well-known flavor combinations in this regard include green olives, pickled-spicy beans or hot-peppers, and the classic piece of celery. You can even attach these garnishes to a festive or themed parasol to make the drink more vibrant and lively.

I have been making Ceasars for a decade now at family gatherings, parties, cottage-trips, you name-it and I usually receive request to whip one up once word has spread that I make one of the meanest mixes around. Even before I was legally able to purchase alcohol in my hometown, I was whipping-up these cocktails, as a family-member stumbled onto a non-alcoholic version I had produced during a vacation at the cottage.

With such time-spent crafting this drink, one acquires the experiences to understand what will enhance the components and flavors of the drink. Now you can pour these years of toiling into a tasty experience from the comfort of your own home:

Home-Style Rim Seasoning

• On a plate, spread-out approx. 1/4 cup (2 ounces) of purchased rim-seasoning
• Add 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) of brown sugar
• Add 1/2 teaspoon of sea-salt and black pepper each
• Use your fingers to bring the ingredients together on the plate in a way that creates a balanced mix using all of the components

The Perfect Ceasar

• Use an old jam or mason jar and slice a lemon wedge that you can use the juices from in order to wet the rim of the glass
• Turn the glass up-side down and press the wet rim into your home-style rim seasoning mixture
• Add as much ice as you like to the glass after you have treated the rim
• Pour 1 1/2 ounces of vokda over the ice
• Sprinkle in a pinch of your rim mixture along with some sea salt and black pepper again
• Squeeze some more juice from your lemon in with the vodka and spices
• Add one to two shakes each of Pepper sauce and Worcestershire sauce
• Fill the rest of the glass with purchased clam-based cocktail juice (or try v8 if you have shellfish concerns)
• Mix contents thoroughly with a spoon
• Garnish with celery or whatever seems tasty and fun