There are Caesar drinks and then there are Caesar drinks that serve up like a meal.
You’ve never experienced a Caesar-like the ones at the Gunbarrel Saloon at the Apex Mountain Resort village.
These ones have the Worcestershire sauce and season salt pepper rim, but with the ‘Royale with Chaesar’ and the ‘Ain’t No Thang,’ you get so much more than a celery stick of pickled bean.
There aren’t a lot of places in town offering up monster-meal Caesars - but if there are any others in Penticton, let us know. The next closest locations for a meal Caesar is Kelowna.
The allure of the Caesar is they are exclusively Canadian. Travel anywhere in the world and ask for a Caesar and you’ll get a Bloody Mary.
What sets the Caesar apart, is it is made with the tomato and clam juice mixture named Clamato.
The classic version of Canada’s national drink starts with celery salt and ground pepper for the rim; vodka for the alcohol; hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce; clamato juice; and finally a lime wedge and crisp celery stalk for garnish.
In this year’s Mott’s Clamato Caesar challenge Kelowna’s Train Station Pub receive an honourable mention for their Station Caesar. A Saskatoon pub won top Caesar.
Urban Distillery in Westbank gave Kelowna Capital News its own private tasting, ahead of National Caesar Day on May 19.
At the heart of the Canadian favourite is Urban Distillery’s own dill pickle-flavoured vodka, aptly named “The North Calls.”
“I mean, it’s truly a Canadian drink,” said Mark Spurgeon, who noted that the caesar was invented in Calgary in the 1960s.
VIDEO: What makes the best caesar?
READ MORE: Three local bartenders competed to make the best Caesar in Penticton
If you do stop in at the Gunbarrel, you’ll have a few options to choose from too, with three different monster Caesars at the slope-side chalet pub.
First one is ‘Ain’t No Thang’ featuring hot wings and a stack of onion rings.
Next up is the ‘Royale with Chaesar’ which is served up with a Royale burger and onion rings.
Last but not least is the Grilled Caesar which has a grilled cheese sandwich and onion rings on the side.
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