Highlands Golf Course 16/20

Reviewed by Bryce Zimmerman

Highlands is a semi-private golf course in town, and what comes with that is a bit of the old style country club feel. They have a club house with an awesome view of the river valley, and big windows with loads of natural light. As a place to have a bite to eat or a drink, it is pretty awesome. One downside is that they do not allow jeans, and you must wear a collared shirt. Now I don't mind this, because if they care about a dress code, they most likely care about the food and drink they serve.

This was absolutely correct as their Caesar was the best one I have had to date! It was elegant and spiced to perfection. This being a fancier dinner, I had to prevent myself from downing the whole thing in one go. It was that good! And no straw! The real good Caesars don't have straws! Remember that.

It was served in a nice, but not typical glass with a lime and pickled asparagus. The rim was salted very evenly and the right amount. Now the flavor, the flavor was unbelievable. It started out with the briny taste of the clam and went through the worchester and the tomato, finishing with a spicy kick that let itself out slowly and made for one of the most savoury tastes I have ever encountered.  I  guess that's what happens when you have a full time bar tender on staff at a place that takes it's quality seriously.

Price: $8

Taste: 5/5
Creativity: 3/5
Garnish: 3/5
Bang for your buck: 5/5

Total: 16/20

Verdict: If you want the real thing, this is perfection.

Hundred Bar & Kitchen Louisiana Caesar 13/20

By Bryce Zimmerman

My friend Lydia and I went to Hundred because we heard they had a bunch of types of Caesars. Their Caesar list is the biggest I have yet to come across with a whopping eight types of the beverage including the classic!
I was so excited that I opted for the Louisiana Caesar off the start rather than the classic. It arrived with a lime, pickled bean, and two olives. It's safe to say that is the most robust garnish I have had yet. The rim spice was Cajun seasoning and while it seemed like a good idea, it wasn't really punchy enough for rim position. It would have been better just in the drink. The absolut was a nicer choice than Smirnoff and I think it tastes better. Overall it was pretty tasty but I think the Louisiana part could have been played up much better. It honestly tasted extremely similar to a regular Caesar.

 Price: $6.50 (but the menu said $7?)

 Taste: 3/5
Creativity: 4/5
Garnish: 3.5/5
Bang for your buck: 2.5/5

Total: 13/20

 Verdict: A good idea, moderately executed

 http://centuryhospitality.com/index2.php

The Pourhouse 14/20

Reviewed by Bryce Zimmerman

It's always nice to be surprised. I recently went to The Pourhouse on Whyte Avenue for dinner with a couple friends, and it was not even remotely my first choice, but it was two to one so I begrudgingly accepted my fate. It turned out to be far less of a yuppie bar, and actually had a surprising depth to the food and drinks. Most Edmonton establishments have an interesting name, but don't stick to the theme of it, however The Pourhouse does have an extensive beer collection, and offers limited runs of exotic beers that stay on the menu until they run out of stock, then it's on to something new.

On the Caesar front, they definitely did not overlook the drink. In fact, they had their own version of it. It's called The Pourhouse Caesar on the menu and for 9 bucks it has two ounces of Skyy vodka. Now compared to most, I think that is a pretty good deal in terms of alcohol for dollars. Now to make it their own they added a bit of horseradish, and rimmed the glass with Montreal Steak Spice. The montreal steak spice is always a nice touch. It has a bit more of a pronounced flavor with less of a salt kick. This means it isn't quite as bright of a finish. The horseradish adds some good flavor, and makes it taste similar to cocktail sauce. I liked the variety, but I wouldn't want to drink it all the time. The overall taste of the Caesar was nice and spicy without being overpowering, and the garnish was fairly usual, but I will always take the bean over the celery since I loved pickled things.

Price $9 (two ounces of vodka)

Taste: 4/5
Creativity: 3.5/5
Garnish: 3/5
Bang for your buck: 3.5/5

Total: 14/20

Verdict: A Caesar with a twist that isn't a miss.

http://www.pourhouseonwhyte.com/

Dadeo Caesar 10/20

Reviewed by Bryce Zimmerman


Dadeo is a really cool little restaurant specializing in Cajun food and they make it well too. It may not be the fanciest of places, but it's always busy, which is a testament to the taste. They tend to do things a bit differently there and that was one of the reasons my compatriots and I speculated that it would have a nifty Caesar. I am sad to say that I was disappointed in that regard. While the caesar itself was classically tasty, it lacked a certain refinement that could have made it excellent.
The drink itself came in a smallish glass that I wouldn't call handsome. It was a bit ugly really. I know that the presentation does not affect the flavour per se, but it really does affect the experience, and the experience is something I relish. The glass was nicely rimmed with celery salt and the garnish was a smallish bean and traditional lime. It came with a straw, which while it aids in stirring, is still an unnecessary risk of eye poking. I really need to find out if the original Caesar had a straw. My bets are that it did not. Anyways, for 6 bucks it wasn't great or awful, but fairly run of the mill.

Price: $6

Taste: 3/5
Creativity: 2/5
Garnish: 3/5
Bang for your buck: 2/5

Total: 10/20

Verdict: It's a Caesar, but without the reputation.

http://www.dadeo.ca/

Edmonton Capitals Baseball Stadium Canned Caesar 4/20

Reviewed by Bryce Zimmerman

Mott's does a good job of promoting the Caesar as a drink throughout Canada since they are the purveyors of the key ingredient - Clamato Juice. Based on that, it would seem as though they would make their canned Caesars as tasty as they can. This was a sore disappointment.
I was at the Edmonton Capitals home opener having a good time heckling and drinking, and we decided to get a can of Caesar since, lets face it, Caesars rule. However, this offering was definitely a failure - from the tacky blue can product design to the taste. I know that the blue can is the regular Caesar and the red can is the spicy one, but I would just like to say that blue is not even remotely a colour I associate with Caesars, so already my mind is thinking otherwise to this can of Caesar. Crack the top, take a swig, and honestly it's straight Clamato with a bit of vodka. No spices, nothing beyond regular Clamato. I do enjoy Clamato alone occasionally, but when I want a Caesar it is definitely for the spices, and this one had nothing. It was definitely not worth it. I am sad that a product exists that will give the Caesar a bad name.

Price: $6

Taste: 1/5
Creativity: 1/5
Garnish: 1/5
Bang for your buck: 1/5

Total: 4/20

Verdict: It shouldn't even be called a Caesar.

Packrat Louie's 14.5/20

Reviewed by Bryce Zimmerman

Tyler and I had some time to kill on Whyte recently and of course decided to get a Caesar somewhere. The final decision was made between the Keg and Packrat Louies by flipping a coin through the sunroof of a moving car. Heads came up, and off to Packrat Louie's we went.
It turned out to be a great decision, as we saw our friend Alex, and she brought us some of the tastiest Caesars I have had the pleasure to drink in this city. It was brought in a glass that was more reminiscent of a tropical drink, and while it was labelled with a Bacardi Limon Caesar recipe, it was definitely not that. Rather, it was a bright tasting Caesar that was light on the palate. Sometimes the drink can be a bit cumbersome, but the combination of ingredients in this Caesar brought a very refined taste to the table.
Packrat Louie's Caesar definitely had a bit more kick to it than other Caesars I have tasted on this blog, which is something that I really enjoy. I'm a bit of a spicy fanatic. The other flavors were crisp and refreshing, with just the right amount of Worcestershire sauce. The garnish of the bean added a bit of the tangy vinegar side, and the olive just added an extra garnish element that goes great with the drink.
For $6.50 I know I would definitely go to Packrat Louie's patio and enjoy this drink on a beautiful day.

Taste 4.5/5
Creativity 3/5
Garnish 3/5
Bang for your buck 4/5

Total 14.5/20

Verdict: If you're craving the classic Caesar done up right, this is it.

Hudson's West Coast Caesar 11/20

Reviewed  by Jessica Kyca

I guess i should start this post by admitting that i went to Hudsons on whyte… and it wasn’t to enjoy the company of my gravity pope brigade for the embellished $10 nacho day (sunday.. the only day anyone with an ounce of pride should be at Hudsons).  Prepared to indulge into a boilerplate of a caesar with added touches of charm, the west coast flavor caught my eye.  This caesar was, quite possibly, the distant relative of the Moxies Classic Caesar, which has been ingrained in my mind.  The Hudsons “West Coast Caesar” came equipped with HP sauce and a Montreal Steak Spiced rim.  The steak spice was a sultry addition.  Traditional celery salt can sometimes be a bit too salty.  The steak spice had more flavor with a bit of crunch.  I like to take my caesar sans straw, however, the straw was required to continuously stir the beverage, as the ever so tasty HP sauce would sink to the bottom of the glass.  All in all, from a quasi vegetarian point of view, this is the closest I’ve been to a steak in years, and it didn’t make me want one.  Unlike Bryce’s East coaster, the west coast name fit into the ordinary small town alberta love of the barbecue. 

Here’s a note to all bartender extraordinaire, lemon or lime, one or the other, this is a caesar, not a sprite commercial.  Standing high above the glass like a soldier graced the  presence of the traditional celery in perfect form.  Celery is, i believe, a very nice touch as it is a nice treat to feast your appetite on, and the slight bitter yet refreshing taste compliments the sharp tart yet sour concoction, with just the right amount of ice.  

Taste: 3/5

Creativity: 3/5

Garnish: 2/5

Band for your buck: 3/5

Total: 11/20

Verdict:  grilled to ordinary perfection.

http://www.hudsonstaphouse.com/e/edmonton.html