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

Hudson's East Coast Caesar 12/20

Reviewed by Bryce Zimmerman

So Jess and I decided to go try out the Caesars at Hudsons on Whyte today since they actually offer a few different twists on the classic Caesar. While there are 6 on the menu, the variations are slight, and two of them just have a different hot sauce of varying intensity (one being insanely spicy, which I will have to go back to try). However the saving grace comes in the form of the East and West Coast Caesars which have a bit of a twist to them. I'll leave the West to Jess as I travel to the East.
The East Coast Caesar starts off with the same ingredients that make up a regular caesar, but adds in some Jalapeno Tabasco as well as black pepper. This provided for a very peppery and bright tasting Caesar. In combination with the regular ingredients this was a good tasting drink, but I wouldn't say that the 'twist' really added much to the overall flavor of the drink. I still enjoyed the flavor but it wasn't anything really different. One qualm I have is that while the flavor's employed worked, it wasn't exactly what I would call east coast. I'm not sure how adding black pepper and jalapeno tabasco make it that way. It would have been nice to throw some atlantic flair in with perhaps an interesting shrimp garnish, or perhaps a dash of fish sauce. Something to make it truly maritime.
Speaking of garnishes, This one was about as standard as they come with celery, lemon, and lime on the traditional Collins glass. While that's nothing to scoff at, it certainly could have been an avenue explored in keeping with the theme. And it came with a straw. They are still unnecessary for the Caesar.
Price was $6.45

Taste 4/5
Creativity 3/5
Garnish 2/5
Bang for your buck 3/5

Total 12/20

Verdict: For a promising title this Caesar delivers little more than the usual

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

Cactus Club 14/20

Reviewed by Tyler Adam

Upon seating at The Cactus Club, a chique North Vancouver restaurant's Edmontonian installment, our enthusiastic waitress took drink orders and naturally a cool glass of the drink that gives this blog life was my simple request; and as a patron of this blog getting an idea of how this West Coast eatery can proliferate onto Albertan soil and brazenly represent our cocktail was my duty. Before too long a tumbler, filled to the salty brim with the intoxicating red elixir, is presented to me and my envy stricken table mates. The Caesar came as advertised - well spiced, impeccably garnished and with an amicable dose of a mid-shelf vodka. Being as objective as I can, I am comfortable saying that in terms of flavour this likely wasn't the most delicious Caesar I, as a connoisseur of sorts, have sampled but it was highly refreshing and is definitely up high on the list. I personally wasn't fond of the Borettane Onion, it was the other garnishes that impressed me. The onion was too sweet for my taste, and didn't necessarily compliment the rest of the drink but the Vermouth-soaked, Peruvian Pepper-stuffed Olive and the Fresh Bocconcini really took this drink home. The salty rim wasn't your typical store bought celery salt either, another refreshing twist. I'm kind of a sucker for tradition so the pickled flavour of the olive was my favorite of the 3 garnishes but the cheese was a really nice touch. Cactus Club has indeed put forth a really nice variant on a classic while staying true to the drink. Walter Chell would be proud.

Priced at 6.75 (5.50 on Sundays!) you get what you're paying for, albeit a little pricey, Cactus Club delivers on providing a classy variant on a refreshing cocktail.

Taste 4/5

Creativity 3/5

Garnish 4/5

Bang for your Buck 3/5

Total 14/20

Verdict: Go to Cactus Club for the food but certainly give this Caesar a try.

http://www.cactusclubcafe.com/

Original Joes 13/20

Reviewed by Bryce Zimmerman

I recently went to the 102nd Avenue and 125th Street location of Original Joes and of course I ordered a Caesar. It wasn't anything particularly special to look at, but very much a traditional presentation with the Collin's glass and all. The garnish of the dual lemon lime combo was nice, and something that I always appreciate. The pickled bean was a nice touch since it adds the flavor, but it was just thrown in. I'm sorry but I'm a stickler for design and presentation and how things look, and the flimsy plain white straw just brought the level of the drink down a bit. Go for the thick black straw, or since I never use a straw to drink Caesars, just get rid of it. 

However, this one definitely packed a punch in the flavor category. It was spiced extremely well, and was exactly what you would want if you're looking for that Caesar you crave. Nothing new or unusual, just the traditional way it was meant to be made, and done really well.

Priced at $5.25 the price is pretty usual, for a pretty usual Caesar.

Taste 4/5

Creativity 2/5

Garnish 3/5

Bang for your buck 4/5

Total 13/20

Verdict: If you're looking for great flavor at a reasonable price, go to OJoes.

http://www.originaljoes.ca/

Hey... flavour is the first thing on their website.