If you know me even a little, or if you’re an avid follower of wine + dine, you’ll know that I have an unequivocal and robust obsession with gin caesars. I rarely drink the vodka version.
That being said, I’m not one to turn down a drink. When a representative of Luksusowa Polish Vodka contacted me to taste test their BBQ Caesar recipe, I was up for the challenge.
I’m not going to lie–I was hesitant that vodka wouldn’t suit my tastes. It had been so long since I had tasted a vodka caesar that I wasn’t sure I would like them any longer. I started my caesar journey with vodka, as most people do, and had narrowed down my favourite liquor to gin after trying tequila, rum, and even sake. (Note: sake caesars are delicious. Not as good as gin, but still fantastic.)
It turns out that I was wrong. A great caesar should be appreciated, no matter one’s preference for a particular liquor. I made the recipe, with a few substitutions/changes of my own, and discovered that I really and truly liked the BBQ Caesar. I suppose all of those Polish friends of mine were telling the truth when they lauded the greatness of their vodka. Who knew.
Most restaurants and bars use “well” vodka in their caesars, unless you’re flush enough to order a Top Shelf (usually with Belvedere or Grey Goose), and well vodka can (quite frankly) be disgusting. While I’m not generally a vodka fan, I found that the Luksusowa was smooth and didn’t overpower the taste of the Clamato juice. I used two ounces, too, so it wasn’t exactly a weak drink.
I’m a fan of garnishes, so the pepperoncini and garlic-stuffed olive were the perfect touch. It looks as if many BBQ Caesars are in my future, after all.
Here’s the recipe, modified by yours truly, for all you caesar fans. I’m not in the habit of shaking my caesars (as they request in the original recipe), so I went with a stir and it turned out just fine. Cheers!
Luksusowa BBQ Caesar
Ingredients
- 2 oz Luksusowa Vodka
- Matt & Steve’s Caesar Rimmer
- 5 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp BBQ sauce (the original recipe calls for two, but I used Bull’s Eye, which is fairly thick)
- 4 dashes Worcestershire sauce (you can’t have a great caesar without it!)
- 2 pinches garlic salt
- 2 pinches freshly ground pepper
- Clamato juice
Instructions
- Put a small amount of lemon juice on a small cup plate. Place the rim of your cup in it and then dip the rim in the caesar rimmer to coat.
- Add 3-4 ice cubes to the glass.
- Add vodka, lemon juice, BBQ sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, ground pepper, and Clamato juice.
- Stir.
- Top with choice of garnish, such as pepperoncini, garlic-stuffed olive, spicy pickled bean, pickled asparagus, or celery (if you aren’t too adventurous).
- Enjoy!
Website: www.luksusowavodka.com
Facebook: LuksusowaCA
Twitter: @LuksusowaCA
In the interest of full disclosure, I’d like to note that while Luksusowa and their marketing representatives did send me a complimentary bottle of Luksosowa vodka and Matt & Steve’s Caesar Rimmer (Canadian-made and totally delicious), all opinions of the drink in this post are my own and have not been sponsored by a third party.