My Weekend With Walter

I'm not a particularly big fan of Caesar's, I am, on the other hand, a big fan of the weekend.  So when I got asked if I would possibly be willing to take home some Walter Caesar mix to give it a test go, I thought, just maybe I could bring my own twist to the Canadian Classic.  So it was going to be a weekend with Walter.

Walter, a natural, small batch crafted, Caesar mix, produced in British Columbia, comes in a 725 ml glass bottle, available in two temperatures, mildly or well spiced.  Heads up, you gotta shake these bad boys really well, if you want to really taste their elements.  I stood them up side to side, at room temperature and gave them a go..

First impressions; these are definitely seasoned, although I prefer the Well Spiced version and for those who want to brave into bold spaces, you can kick it up a notch, by adding some hot sauce.  It's all a personal preference.  Right now I'm digging No. 7.  As for the Mildly Spiced, it was ok, and ultimately became delegated for other purposes in my pantry.

Secondly; the consistency surprised me. I'm so used to the smoothness and liquidity of the mix that is commonly used in most bars we wander in to, including those in our own homes.  Walter was akin to having a drink made with Gazpacho. It made me wonder if I could really drink a large glass of this as a cocktail, that has this much much body in it. For those who love "virgin" Caesars, Walter would take it out of the park. Who needs vodka? So I began to think about ways that Walter could be a part of life, not only in cocktail glass but a real, multi tasking kind of guy.

I wasn't joking about Walter being like Gazpacho. It could be used for an Amuse Bouche at a dinner party. Half filled shooters.  How you to choose to dress it, is up to you.  That goes for the cocktails.  Celery sticks have been the industry standard.  Pffft. to that.  You can use everything from Manning Canning's pickled carrots sticks to pre-made, food swizzle sticks from the likes of Sable & Rosenfeld.  Or as I did, I went hog wild and cooked up some bacon stirrers.  Kind of decadent but it goes well with the nature of Walter.

A small trick, if you are using Walter for cocktails then I would highly recommend using lots of ice.  I used lots of ice and a martini shaker.  Shake, shake, shake and pour in to prepared glass.  The melting ice helps to dilute the drink so you won't miss any of it.  I prefer to use rock glasses, so drinks are approximately 3-4 ounces, plus an ounce of Vodka.  So 750 ml. would yield approximately 8 cocktails

Some like it hot!  Kicking it up a notch.  

Going Hog Wild!  Loving the Bacon Stirrer! 

A cooking tip with Walter;  I've used the Mildly Spiced Caesar Mix in a few other pots in my kitchen.  I use approximately a level cup (250ml) and added it to Soup (Shrimp Bisque), Stew (filling for pot pie); Beef Bourguignone, which by far and away was my favorite dish.  I suspect it would be a great add for crock pot dishes such as Chili or braised foods.  Where I used it, the results have been good.  So just be brave and bold, think of where you could toss in a cup of Walter.  Did I mention to give it a good shake first before you pour?

Walter isn't cheap, than again, neither am I.  The 725ml bottle retails for between $8.00-$9.00.  But as I pointed out earlier you could easily stretch the bottle to 8-9 cocktails.  I recognize good value, multi purposes, a well made product and I'm happy to support a Canadian small industry. Pricy, without question. Still, less than what we fork over for a glass wine when out with the girls. So I guess you just have to decide where you want to spend your hard earned money for what you take and send out of your kitchen or off your bar.  #FoodIsLove

If you like more information about Walter visit waltercaesar.com  I'm not sure of the retail sites but in Toronto I do know that Walter is available at Fiesta Farms.

Disclaimer:  
Yes, Walter was gifted to me, but as always, my opinions, thoughts and the pics, were all my own.  #JustSaying