As many Calgarians know, the mighty Caesar cocktail was invented in Calgary in 1969, making it the birthplace of Canada’s national cocktail. Naturally, the drink is an integral part of nearly every cocktail menu in the city, with inventive variations decked out in extravagant accoutrements popping up all the time. The city even hosts a Caesar festival every year.
Given the local love for this drink, it should come as no surprise that Calgary is now home to the newly opened Caesar Shop, Canada’s first boutique liquor store dedicated to Caesars. And it’s fair to say the store’s owner, Rachel Drinkle, knows the cocktail well — she founded YYCaesarfest back in 2019.
Inside the Inglewood shop, you’ll find all kinds of boutique and local products to make Caesars, including specialty vodkas, canned cocktails, mixes and glass rim mixes. This includes items like jalapeno, pickle and other savoury-flavoured vodkas from local distilleries like Two Rivers Distillery or Eau Claire Distillery; Caesar seasoning mixes like Lucky’s Speed Sauce or Get Pickled brines; and other Canadian alcoholic beverages. Drinkle says she’s even working with a local company on her own black garlic-infused vodka to sell in the store.
So the next time you have a craving for this national treasure, head to Caesar Shop for everything you need to create your dream Caesar.
1323 9 Ave. S.E., caesarshop.ca
