Don’t dismiss this Canadian pick-me-up as a Bloody Mary with clam juice. Okay… Okay… Maybe it is just a Bloody Mary with clam juice. But it’s so much more!

Originally, this drink was a true labor of love. Industrious Canadians used to grind up fresh clams and add the “liquor” or “nectar” to tomato juice. But thanks to Clamato (invented in California), this drink is much easier to make. And it’s done wonders for U.S.-Canadian relations.

The clam juice elevates the complexity of this drink much in the way anchovies can mysteriously add to a pasta sauce. You don’t actually taste the clam juice. You just get a hint of the sea. And adding that bit of horseradish amplifies the effect.

For my clam-phobic friends, I simply call it a Bloody Mary with some “secret ingredients.” They’ve never caught on and they’re always the first to ask for seconds!

Being from Southern California, I can’t resist adding lime juice. Enjoy!

Ready

• 2 oz vodka (or gin)
• 4 oz clamato juice
• 1 tsp lime juice
• Splash of Worcestershire
• Pinch of fresh horseradish
• Tabasco (to taste)
• Celery salt (to taste)

Set

• Pint glass
• Collins glass

Go

1. Place all of the ingredients in the pint glass with ice
2. Pour (or “throw”) it all into your collins glass
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 (this is a good way to mix heavy drinks like this one)