Recently, Canada updated its guidelines on alcohol and health. The significant difference is that now any consumption of alcohol is considered risky – associated with several types of cancer – and the low risk category has been reduced to 2 or fewer drinks per week for both men and women (down from 6 for women and 10 for men).
For many of us, this is tough news to swallow, as alcoholic beverages, like beer and wine, have been integrated into social activities, meals, and everyday life for as long as we can remember. Fortunately, more and more low-alcohol and alcohol-free alternatives are being produced, and there are endless “mocktail” recipes we can experiment with at home.
The Caesar mocktail recipe below is an easy and delicious drink to mix up and enjoy at home. It’s also rich in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that has been connected to reduced cancer risk, particularly prostate cancer.
Ingredients
- 1 lime wedge
- 1 Tbsp celery salt, or as needed
- Ice cubes, as needed
- 1 dash Worcestershire sauce, or to taste
- 1 dash hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco), or to taste
- 8 ounces tomato and clam juice cocktail (such as Clamato)
- 1 celery stick
Directions
- Wet the rim of a cocktail glass with the lime wedge, set lime wedge aside for garnish.
- Place celery salt in a small dish, press the rim of the glass into salt to coat. Add ice to the glass.
- Pour Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce over ice. Top with tomato-clam juice.
- Garnish with lime wedge and celery stick. Enjoy!
If you’re interested in learning more about the risks and harms associated with the use of alcohol, the CCSA (Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction) released a public summary of the evidence, which informed the recent change of guidelines: https://ccsa.ca/update-canadas-low-risk-alcohol-drinking-guidelines-final-report-public-consultation-report
Recipe adapted from https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/233521/classic-canadian-caesar/