# Clamato = Clam Juice + Tomato Juice? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 28, 2003, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clamato-clam-juice-tomato-juice/210044 "2003-10-28T16:23:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2003, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clamato-clam-juice-tomato-juice/210044/1 "2003-10-28T16:23:29Z")
I still haven’t been able to locate any frozen concentrated tomato juice, so I’ve been researching the bottled alternatives. I understand that the name ‘Clamato’ is derived from splicing the word ‘clam’ with the word ‘tomato’. This beverage is basically tomato juice with something called clam ‘juice’ added to it. My questions- What exactly is clam ‘juice’? Is it something that clams excrete?? How was it decided that these two unrelated juices should be mixed together to produce such a bizarre concoction? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2003, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clamato-clam-juice-tomato-juice/210044/2 "2003-10-28T16:25:56Z")
Clam juice is basically water in which clams were cooked. The water picks up the flavor of clams (as well as sand and other things that can be filtered out). Hot, it’s called “clam broth.” ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2003, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clamato-clam-juice-tomato-juice/210044/3 "2003-10-28T22:39:17Z")
I have no cite for what I believe clam juice is, so I won’t say. **RealityChuck** , are you sure of your answer? This is not a grab-you-by-the-shirt kind of a challenge. What you wrote is not what I had read, and now I don’t know what to believe. ---
**Author:** ![Rhum\_Runner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rhum\_Runner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhum_Runner)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2003, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clamato-clam-juice-tomato-juice/210044/4 "2003-10-28T22:57:26Z")
[Clam Juice](http://www.cooking.com/advice/adgloss.asp?GlossType=ingr&Item=Clam+juice) Why these tow go together, I do not know. What I do know is that I was once served a Bloody Mary made with Clamato, and it was the most revolting drink I have ever suffered through. Had my host not been an elderly neighbor, I would have thrown it out. Even the memory makes me shudder. ---
**Author:** ![Flander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8c91f0/32.png) [@Flander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flander)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2003, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clamato-clam-juice-tomato-juice/210044/5 "2003-10-28T23:10:34Z")
Just to make you guys a little more sick, a favorite of mine is taking clamato and adding some pickle juice and table salt…stir with whole dill pickle. That my sodium RDA for like a month!!! ---
**Author:** ![lightweight\_traveller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ab097/32.png) [@lightweight\_traveller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lightweight_traveller)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2003, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clamato-clam-juice-tomato-juice/210044/6 "2003-10-29T01:16:21Z")
I think its mostly a Canadian favourite. We have been enjoying it for years. Motts makes the best and they made a spicy version a few years ago and now there is one with horseradish in it too…its excellent. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2003, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clamato-clam-juice-tomato-juice/210044/7 "2003-10-29T01:36:37Z")
I hate clams but love Clamato. Combine some Clamato with worstershire sauce and garlic powder and use it for a marinade for flank steak or London broil. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2003, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clamato-clam-juice-tomato-juice/210044/8 "2003-10-29T03:46:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rhum Runner \* > \*\*[Clam Juice](http://www.cooking.com/advice/adgloss.asp?GlossType=ingr&Item=Clam+juice) > > Why these tow go together, I do not know. What I do know is that I was once served a Bloody Mary made with Clamato, and it was the most revolting drink I have ever suffered through. Had my host not been an elderly neighbor, I would have thrown it out. Even the memory makes me shudder. \*\* That would be a [Bloody Cæsar](http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Atrium/9487/caesar.html), or just Cæsar. I don’t drink them myself, but they’re very popular up here in Canada. And, if you’ve got Clamato™ left over but no vodka and other fixins, you just mix the Clamato™ with beer for a redeye - also described on the linked page. ---
**Author:** ![Dragline](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@Dragline](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragline)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2003, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clamato-clam-juice-tomato-juice/210044/9 "2003-10-29T14:02:19Z")
Man, what a relief… I always thought ‘clam juice’ was the mollusc version of ‘man juice’! ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2003, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clamato-clam-juice-tomato-juice/210044/10 "2003-10-29T14:43:25Z")
What I would really like to know is who originally thought that juicing a clam (doesn’t that sound dirty) was a good idea?