It all started with an idea! An idea to add a little more fun and spice to our Caesars, an idea to impress our friends, and enjoy the most flavourful Caesars and Bloody Marys, an idea to tantalize our taste buds and give them something EXTRA- ordinary!

My wife and I along with our friends enjoy a great Flavourful Caesar Cocktail as most of our Canadian families do, as the Caesar Cocktail is far and away the most popular drink in the entire Great White North! 

Before we came up with 1858 CAESAR ELIXIR, (formally known as Walker’s One Shot), it would take 25 minutes to put one of these masterpieces together.

During many mornings (or should I say afternoons), of spending our time creating these spicy, supercharged Caesars, my crew and I decided that we’d rather spend our time drinking them than making them. I turned to my wife and said, “Wouldn’t it be great if there was a Premium Handcrafted Caesar Mix, an all in one. A OneShot?” And there it was. The beginning of what you now know of as 1858 Caesar Elixir. 

Prior to our launch in 2017, we often gifted our pre-made (formally known as a Caesar Additive) to friends and family. My wife’s friend Jen mentioned we needed to sell this, as it was too good not to share! After convincing my wife that we could do it (and trust me, it took a lot of convincing), we began to mix our Caesar Additive in our Kitchen. We booked a few home shows within Simcoe County and we very quickly sold out at every event. 

A few months later we were aired on Dragon’s Den, season 13 as an online exclusive. Unfortunately our sales didn’t meet our future evaluation of our company (which we knew, we were simply doing it for the exposure), but we did get an offer from Jim. Although we decided to pass on the offer after the deal was ‘made’ we knew we had something special, something that was bigger than what we were offered. 

Not long after we filmed, we came upon a space downtown Collingwood that would suit our needs of getting people to come to us and try our product, rather than travelling show to show. I had this idea that we would open a Caesar Bar, an idea that had no support from anyone. Everyone thought I was nuts, a Caesar Bar? How would it ever survive? 

Wednesday July 11, 2018 we opened our doors for the first time as 1858 Caesar Bar. Our initial location was licensed for 14 people with an 8 person patio. As word spread, so did our popularity. Within days of opening we had lineups, lineups that continued for months. Within the first 12 months we needed to move, we found we were very quickly outgrowing our space and in August 2019 we moved across the street, (to where we are now), and the lineups still happen!

From what started in our kitchen in 2017 of mixing and creating different flavours, our 1858 Caesar Elixirs have adapted and changed from a Caesar Additive, to a Caesar Mix, to a Caesar Elixir. Understanding that we are in a category of our own, that our Elixirs enhance the flavour of your Caesar and all you need is one shot to create a perfect, and consistent tasting caesar every time. 

We are very proud of our spin on this fantastic drink. By using premium spices and juices as well as our house made brine, you’ll taste the quality in every drink. 

Even to this day my wife and I are very hands on the day to day operations. Not only on the manufacturing of our products, but also in our bars. We never forget where it all started, and we don’t take for granted the staff, the customers or our friends and family who have been with us over the years and have stood beside us while we persevere through the growing pains of growing our business. 

We are very thankful and blessed to have had the opportunity to create something that tantalizes those taste buds. We are always creating, and always thinking of new ways to up the Caesar game. We appreciate you all, and we thank you for your ongoing support. 

Steve & Vanessa Walker