Welcome to the Vancouver Foodster Caesar Challenge. Restaurants and bars from all over the city were invited to enter their caesar cocktail creations into this challenge, most have created a special cocktail creation just for this challenge. Each restaurant/bar will be featuring their caesar cocktail creations on their menu from March 12 – April 5, 2015.

How Does this all Work? For the public challenge, you are invited to go out and order any or all of the caesar cocktail creations in this challenge, then you decide who you think has the best caesar cocktail creation for the People’s Choice award winners. 

Share your experiences: Tweet (and don’t forget to tweet or instagram your photos) throughout the challenge, our twitter and instagram address is @vanfoodster and the hashtag is #CaesarChallengeYVR please include this hashtag in all your tweets during the challenge.

Voting criteria –  some things to help you judge your favourite caesar cocktail creations – keep these things in mind: originality, creativity, uniqueness, traditional, non-traditional, price, value and most importantly taste.

Get some friends together and make a day or night of it, visit 2 places or more and taste the different cocktail creations or go solo or with a friend– just remember to VOTE for your favourites

Here are the 11 Caesar creations in this challenge, listed in no particular order other than when they were received by us.

 

Earl’s Restaurant

Earls Signature Caesar

Price: $7.75

Description: An Earls favorite, our signature Caesar blends the classic vodka and clamato with our special 12-spice blend and a jerky stick garnish

Ingredients: smirnoff vodka, clamato + signature spices, beef stick

Created by: Cam Bogue, Beverage Director

Offered: All the time

Earl’s Restaurant

Earls Yaletown

1095 Mainland Street, Vancouver

Tel: (604) 688-4990

Web: https://earls.ca/

Twitter: @EarlsYaletown

and

Earls Test Kitchen

905 Hornby Street, Vancouver

Tel: (604) 682-6700

Web: https://earls.ca/

Twitter: @earlsTK

 

CAVU Kitchen Bar

The Caesar Gonzalez

Price: $10.50

Description: Spicy Mexican take on a Caesar with Patron Tequila, lots of Fresh Lime & Splash of Corona

Ingredients: Patron, Fresh Lime, Cholula, Walter’s Caesar Mix, Worcestershire, Jalapeno pulp, Corona, cracked pepper & Salt. Garnish –Fresh Jalapeno, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Pickled Carrot, Lime wheel, Lime Zest, Cherry Tomato, Cilantro Sprig

Created by: Allison Bown

Offered: Lunch & Dinner time.

CAVU Kitchen Bar

5911 Minoru Blvd , Richmond

Tel: 604-232-5001

Web: http://www.cavukitchenbar.com/

Twitter: @CAVUKitchenBar

 

The Boathouse Restaurant

Showboat Caesar

Price: $9.99 single, $11.99 double (with oyster); $7.99 single, $9.99 double (without oyster)

Description: This is a classic style caesar with a focus on harmony between the beverage and the oyster garnish. The freshly shucked oyster garnish is meant to be enjoyed with the caesar as a literal cocktail sauce. The lemon cayenne pepper rim also brightens the aroma and flavour of both the caesar and the oyster.

Ingredients: Smirnoff Vodka, fresh horseradish, worcestershire sauce, fresh lemon juice, clamato, and cholula hot sauce. Garnished with a freshly shucked oyster and a lemon cayenne pepper rim.

Created by: James Franey

Offered: Brunch, Lunch, and Dinner.

The Boathouse Restaurant

1305 Arbutus Street

Tel: 604) 738-5487

Web: http://boathouserestaurants.ca/

Twitter: @BoathouseBC #Kitsilano

 

The Belmont Bar

Out, Damned Spot

Price: $11 (Happy Hour $9)

Description: It all begins Belgian Endive infused Ketel One Vodka with a butter wash.  Our Caesar is then spiced with Tabasco hot sauce and a house made vegan Worcestershire sauce, filled with Clamato and fresh lime juice.  The finishing touches are celery bitters and an Endive boat filled with Belmont pickles.  Even Shakespeare may have approved.

Ingredients: Caesar:  Ketel One Vodka, Butter, Belgian Endive, Gherkins, Cauliflower, Carrot, Clamato Juice, Lime Juice, Celery Bitters, Tabasco, house Worcestershire.

House made vegetarian Worcestershire:

Tamarind paste, red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, basalmic vinegar, yellow onion, birds eye chili, jalapeño, garlic, black pepper, kosher salt, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cardamom, yellow mustard seed, and black mustard seed, brown sugar, cinnamon.

Salt Rim:

Kosher salt, chili powder, paprika, black pepper, brown sugar.

Created by: Daniel Branson

Offered: Monday to Saturday, from 5pm until dinner service ends at 10 pm.

The Belmont Bar

1006 Granville Street, Vancouver

Tel: (604) 605-4340

Web: http://www.belmontbar.com/

Twitter: @BelmontBar

 

Pinnacle Pier Hotel

 

West coast Salmon Gin Caesar

Price: $7

Description: made with local Victoria Gin, house made horse radish, and a tasty piece of candied salmon, spicy bean & blue cheese stuffed olive! But most importantly, the rim is a ground smoked bacon & Cajun spice!

Ingredients: Victoria Spirits Gin, horseradish, candied salmon, blue cheese, olive, bacon, Cajun spice.

Created by: Lobby Bartender’s creation (Dean, Ali, Vanessa and Jason)

Offered: All the time

Pinnacle Pier Hotel

138 Victory Ship Way, North Vancouver

Tel: 604-986-7437

Web: http://pinnaclepierhotel.com/the_lobby.html

Twitter: @PinnaclePier

 

12 Kings Pub & Grill

 

The Otebb Caesar

Price: $12

Created by: Matt Hassen

Description:

Ingredients: Russian Standard Vodka, Walters Caesar Mix, Fresh Lime Juice, Horseradish, Sriracha Sauce, Worcestershire

Rim: Crushed Cool Ranch Doritos, Maple Bacon and Peppered Bourbon seasoning

Garnish: Prosciutto Cup, Lemon Pepper seasoned fresh crab meat , Julienne carrots, cucumber and radish, Smoked Porter floated on top to create a cioppino sensation with the mix and fresh crab meat

Offered: All the time

12 Kings Pub & Grill

395 Kingsway

Tel: (604) 558-1208

Web: http://www.12kingspub.com/

Twitter:@12KingsPub

 

Milestones Grill & Bar

West Coast Fixer

Price: $15

Description:  The mix is Walter and we have added Sauza tequila as well as Howe Sound IPA. We have a culinary garnish of a crab roll, shrimp skewer, pickle, cherry tomato, lime wedge, and lemon.

Ingredients: Walter Caesar mix, worchester sauce, tobacco sauce, kosher salt, sauza rail tequila, howe sound IPA draught, crab salad, Hawaiian bun, shrimp skewer, steak spice, lemon, fresh basil, lime wedge, pickle, cherry tomato

Crab salad: pasteurized crab meat, mayonnaise, fresh cut salsa, green onion, garlic in oil, kosher salt, black pepper

Created by: Executive Chef Jason Rosso and National Beverage Manager Nathan Cameron.

Offered day and night (all day).

Milestones Yaletown

1109 Hamilton Street, Vancouver

Web: http://www.milestonesrestaurants.com/

Twitter: @MilestonesYale

 

And

 

Milestone’s Robson

1145 Robson Street, Vancouver

Web: http://www.milestonesrestaurants.com/

Twitter:  @MilestonesRBSN

 

Stateside Craft

B&C Craft Caesar

Price: $6 single & $8.50 double

Description: Ground pepper and pink Himalyan sea salt rim. Obviously Vodka. House made Clamato, made with roasted veg, fresh Roma tomatoes, red wine, secret spices & herbs and clam nectar. Garnished with bacon, Jerky Baron fresh beef jerky stick, a Prawn and assorted pickled peppers and veg.

Ingredients:

Created by: General Manager Benn McGuire & Bar Manager Colin Bussiere

Offered: all the time

Stateside Craft

1601 Commercial Drive

Tel: 604-620-0048

Web: http://www.statesidecraft.com/

Twitter: @statesidecraft

 

American Grille

The Kuno Caesar

Price: $9

Description: In-house basil infused gin, hand pressed fire roasted tomato and clam nectar (Caesar mix) topped with a cucumber boat with dill cream cheese, local baby heirloom tomato, nori, salmon gravlax

Ingredients: In-house basil infused gin, hand pressed fire roasted tomato & clam nextar, wasabi, soy sauce, black sesame seed & togarashi rim. Garnish: Cucumber boat w/ dill cream cheese, local baby heirloom tomato, nori and salmon gravlax

Created by: Elisa Rutigliano and Jessi Leak

Offered: Lunch and dinner daily

American Grille

7571 Westminster Highway, Richmond

Tel: 604-232-2804

Web: http://american-grille.com/

Twitter: @GrilleYVR

 

U & I Thai

 

U&I Thai Caesar

Price: $9.95

Description: A delicious blend featuring exotic spices and ingredients creating a mouth full of delicate flavour that tingle your taste buds. On the palate the taste is fresh and green, with the clearly defined flavours dancing on your tongue.  Caesar connoisseurs will appreciate this unique blend of spices and find it hard to stop at just one.

Ingredients: Tamarind juice, dried Chinese plum, garden fresh Galangal root, Basil and Lemongrass is added to the Clam Cocktail base and seasoned with black pepper, salt, Tabasco

Lea & Perrins, and  Angostura Bitters.

Created by: Chef A-guan Phutyeam and Mr. Kittipoj  Chidjarean

Offered: All the time

U & I Thai

3364 Cambie St, Vancouver

Tel: (604) 875-6999

Web: http://uandithai.com/

Twitter: @uratomjit

 

 

Salida 7

The 7th Exit

Price: $12

Description: with gin, sherry, beef broth, sangrita and Dickens organic caesar mix with pickled spot prawn garnish and a horseradish foam and serrano chili sea salt rim.

Ingredients: Gin, Fino Sherry, Beef broth, Sangrita, Celery bitters, Dickens Organic Caesar Mix, Serrano chili infused salt rim, Horseradish Foam

Garnish: Pintxo  – Jalapeño pickled spot prawn, marinated zucchini and smoked chorizo.

Created by: Nathan Jackman

Offered: Tuesday – Sunday after 5pm

Salida 7

52 Alexander Street, Vancouver

Tel: 604 569 3088

Web: http://www.salida7.ca/

Twitter: @salida7gastown

 

Make sure you pick up one of the Caesar Cocktail Challenge postcards available at each of the participating restaurants and keep a record of your favourite Cocktail creations. Remember to Vote for your favourites daily, all the voting details are at

https://vancouverfoodster.com/caesar-challenge/

Our Media judges for this challenge are:

Joe Leary

Host of Just Here for the Beer Radio, Broadcaster, Feature Writer/Columnist for 24 Hours Newspaper, Feature Writer BC Lions Magazine

Twitter: @reallyjoeleary

 

Aaron Alexander

Writer and Creator of BC BuzZ….Plus a film fanatic, music lover & lover of the arts!

Twitter: @aaronmalexander

 

Dianne Chow

Writer and Creator of http://fabulouslyfrugalinvancouver.com/

Twitter: @FabFrugalVan