Popcorn Martini I was thinking about cereal milk the other day and decided to try something new. I saw some popcorn and milk, and I went for it! I steeped the buttered popcorn in whole cow’s milk for two days using this similar to movie theater popcorn. You could use butter extract for the cocktail (I’m guessing), similar to what would be used for butter tasting notes in a wine class. For the garnish, a fancy French buttered popcorn works best. That’s what I did anyway. I could have made an ice cream and done something affogato-style, but why not try something different. So here we are. A buttered popcorn martini. Your movie nights may never be the same. Buttered Popcorn Martini 2 1/4 cups of buttered popcorn (1/4 cup reserve for garnish and munching) 1 1/2 oz of vodka of choice 1 oz of honey syrup (1:1 ratio) 2 1/2 oz of popcorn milk Method Pop popcorn. Steep buttered popcorn for two days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Strain with a fine mesh strainer. Pour ice and all ingredients into a shaker and shake, shake, shake until mixing tins are cold. Strain into a martini glass using a fine mesh strainer. Garnish with popcorn. Glass: Martini glass Garnish: Buttered popcorn Bar Chef notes: add a pinch of salt or add 3:1 ratio of honey for sweeter. Or both. Citric acid for clarification. Lemon peels for brightness, steep in milk. Where to buy the goods? Martin glasses popcorn and stuff? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront. Please know I may receive commissions for eligible purchases. By the way, do you prefer my storefront to be organized by recipe or set up for general browsing? Comment below! Thank you.
Classic Champagne Cocktail Try not to wince at what I am about to suggest. I didn’t invent it. Same stance with my post on Kir Royal. Sometimes there is a sometimes, and this is one of those times. Hear me out, this is one of the most elegant cocktails. I won’t try to sell it to you; the cocktail can do that itself. I chose Veuve Clicquot for this one because this wine has structure and finesse. This champagne is a Pinot Noir-forward champagne followed by Chardonnay grapes and Pinot Meunier grapes for balance. The honesty of the bitters and sugar cube with this wine creates a beautifully blended cocktail. It maintains bold bubbles bright minerality with spice and a hint of sweetness in the finish. This cocktail can be enjoyed anytime of day with or without food. I always picture it consumed in a sexy cocktail lounge bar. Poolside or at dinner. Basically anywhere anytime. I mostly prepare and serve them. The champagne cocktail pairs well with triple crème cheese and crusty baguette. This I know for sure, and I recommend you do too. Worth noting, this is one of the few times I drink champagne from a flute, if I can help it. Champagne cocktail recap: elegant, super simple. Just three ingredients. No excuse not to try this classic. Sugar cubes, bitters, champagne – that’s it! Build in glass, ready for serving. Classic Champagne Cocktail Ingredients Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Sugar cubes A few drops of Angostura bitters Method Place a sugar cube at the bottom of a champagne flute (chilled glass recommended) and add a few drops of Angostura bitters. The sugar cube will dissolve as you pour in the champagne, creating a delicious aromatic drink with a touch of sweetness and spices because of the bitters. Glass: champagne flute Garnish: none Side note: Bitters are herbal and spice extracts that often include botanicals and aromatics. “Traditional Bitters” do contain alcohol, although there are some modern versions that don’t. They are used in many cocktails to add balance or create a low ABV option (lowest being bitters and soda for example), remaining a staple in many bartender and home bars. Bar Chef Notes: There are several renditions of this cocktail. Some include cognac, some use only a sugar cube and bitters, while others incorporate a twist of orange and/or lemon, with some including all of the above and so forth. I prefer this version. It’s the one I have made the most throughout my career. Here it is, this is it. Where to buy the goods? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront of course. I may receive commissions from eligible purchases. Thank you.
Billecart-Salmon Rosé Champagne 2010 This wine is I couldn’t keep it in the bucket. This wine is strawberries. This wine is Old World. This wine is birthday toasted in a bottle. This wine is longevity. This wine is bright. This wine is earth and chalk. This wine is pink. This wine is effervescence at its finest. This wine is delicate. This wine is Aÿ-Champagne. This wine is family. This wine is history. This wine is elegant. This wine is champagne. This wine is 55% Chardonnay from the Crus of Chouilly, Mesnil, and Cramant and 45% Pinot Noir from Verzenay, Mareuil, and Ludes. This wine is clear. This wine is Billecart-Champagne rosé 2010. This wine is. Drink now or hold. Hold, if you can. Better yet, buy two bottles. This wine pairs well with a variety of dishes, from oysters and caviar to beef burgers with stinky cheese, charcuterie boards, roasted chestnuts, salmon beurre blanc, sushi, eggs Benedict, ice cream, chocolate cake and soufflé. This wine retails range is $119-$250 USD 750ml. Where to buy the goods? Ice buckets, champagne stoppers, wine corkscrew, stemware and other stuffs? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront of course. Please know I may receive compensation for eligible purchases. Thank you so much! Cheers!
Mr. Boston’s The Americano Move over Aperol spritz! The oldest and greatest classic, The Americano, is here to beat the heat. What makes it greater? It’s made with Carpano Antica Formula. The first time I saw a red (seemingly) paper back but really hard copy dog-eared version was next to the cash register in an Irish pub. Probably an old hardcover copy. The book was there. I haven’t seen this book “Mr. Boston’s Deluxe Bartender Guide”since the late nineties; in person, until last week. I have decided to make a drink from it each month, starting with the Americano since the book is organized alphabetically. Yes, there are other drinks listed before this one. A is still the beginning of the American alphabet. Additionally, I have these ingredients in my possession, so that a bonus. And yes, you are correct! All recipes straight from Mr. Boston’s book. If you’re interested, you can purchase the book from my Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront (shameless promotion, I know) and make the drinks with me. A- Z one drink each letter each week and then go back to A. For those who don’t drink and are here for the smoothies, I appreciate that too! Thank you! Before we get to the recipe, what is sweet vermouth? There are many different brands. I prefer the Carpano Antica formula. It’s one of the first and supposedly oldest sweet vermouths, born in Italy, as you may have guessed from the sound of the name. 1786 in fact. That’s vintage, right? It has notes of cinnamon, licorice, and cherry and is more robust and viscous than some others. Feel free to use any vermouth you have on hand, as the guide does not specify a particular brand, not even the Mr. Boston brand. The Americano Ingredients 4 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth 1 small bottle of San Pellegrino (unflavored) 1 lemon for a twist (skin on only skin) Method per Mr. Boston reads as 👇 below. Pour 4 oz. Sweet Vermouth into highball glass over ice cubes. Fill with carbonated water and stir. Add a twist of lemon peel. Glass: Highball glass Garnish: Lemon Twist Photography Note: Fun fact – the ice in the photos isn’t real; it’s made using Encapso K. While not safe for consumption, it certainly helps with hot lights and solves the melting ice problem. I forgot to spray water for condensation at one point. Sheesh. Anyway, if you are working on your photography game too it’s also available on the Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront. And yes, there is a tiny piece of “ice” on the outside of the glass in one of the photos. That’s intentional. These are iPhone photos. Writer Notes: I know it’s not my recipe…if this is copyright infringement someone let me know via comments. Thank you. Where to buy the goods, you know glasses, stirring spoons and photography stuffs? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront of course. Please know I may receive commissions from eligible purchases. Thank you. I had a real ice drink drinkable drink on the other side of these photos.
A Martini Tinytini This morning, I went down a rabbit hole instead of doing all the things that I need to do. It’s almost like the example given in “The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield. Can any of you relate? I’ll try to clothes or take a shower, or basically do anything and everything but what I had on my list to do or in my scheduled blocked time. My other excuse is, it is summer. Oh, and what about you ask? The martini. I know. Piggybacking on an earlier post; team stirred or shaken. Shaken, stirred, olive twist, dry rinse, classic, dirty, blue cheese olives, regular olives, a twist and onion, olives, a twist and onion olives, and no wait, three olives. One olive, two olives, caviar olives, and so on. Say that five times fast. For the record, onions and maybe onion juice and maybe a twist too make a Gibson. I’ll save that for another post and rabbit hole. According to Mr. Boston’s martini book, a martini is 1 1/2 gin and 3/4 vermouth with one olive. And an extra dry martini 2 ounces of gin and 1/4 ounce of dry vermouth. And then there is the vodka version. I have decided each week to make one drink from the Mr. Boston’s book and add a tab named Mr. Boston cocktails. The first of this series coming soon. This one and my soufflé martini series. Non related to this post, not the series coming. In case you’re wondering. I like the Tatum Barnes 2 oz alcohol split 1 oz gin 1 oz vodka a vermouth rinse blue cheese olives an onion and a pickle version with a side of caviar. Thats me. In case you’d like to try here it is: A Martini Tinytini 1 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin 1 oz Ketel One rinse of Dolin dry gin Cornichon pickle, cocktail onion, one house stuffed blue cheese olive. Petrossian caviar. Simple syrup (optional) Method Add ice to a mixing glass or tin. Rinse a chilled glass with vermouth. Add liquor to the mixing vessel and stir at least 10 times. Dash of simple syrup optional. Using a metal pick add onion blue cheese olive and pickle in no particular order. Pour into a glass. Glass: martini Garnish: cornichon pickle onion blue cheese stuffed olive and side of Petrossian caviar Bar Chef Notes: If you enjoy a Vesper martini, then you will like this. I know there isn’t any Lillet Blanc, so if you need a hint of sweetness, add a dash of simple syrup and a couple of dashes orange bitters. The blue cheese can be any type. Creamy crumbly, doesn’t matter. Where to buy the goods? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront of course. Please know I may receive commissions from eligible purchases. Thank you!
K-A-L-E Most of you will never drink this! It’s too healthy, bitter, and requires too much effort. Thanks for stopping by, though. Keep reading if you think you or your personal chef might make it. It’s cold-pressed kale with an Omega juicer. A tablespoon of honey syrup can be added if needed, like training wheels. A pinch of spicy ground cayenne is optional but adds a kick. Heart-smart, though! Oh, and for all the emails you received – apparently fifty-five in total – those were a mistake. Just like bar business, things can be sporadic and people and drinks can come all at once. Thank you for understanding. Cheers! To your health. K-A-L-E Ingredients 1 bag of kale (reserve one piece for the garnish) or bunch depending on your preference 1 tablespoons of honey syrup (1:1 ration honey to water) Pinch of cayenne pepper Method Open the bag. Wash the kale. Add the kale into the Omega juicer chute. Stir in honey and cayenne if you choose Glass: bucket glass Garnish: kale leaf Bar Chef Notes: Cold-pressed juice lasts about two to three days in the refrigerator. This method of juicing preserves more vitamins and minerals. Nutrients from the inside out. Where to buy an omega juicer and stuff? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront. I may receive commissions from eligible purchases. Thank you.
Smoothie 7/824 7/824 Smoothie 1 cup 2 frozen mandarins (buy a bag of mandarins peel and freeze) 1 cup of coconut water or filtered water if you don’t care for coconut water 1 cup of cranberries 1 small knob of peeled ginger 1 scoop Vega Vanilla Vegan protein and greens protein powder 1/2 scoop of SAKARA protein and greens 1/4 teaspoon ceremonial matcha powder Top with gojis add crunch Method Blend mandarin and coconut water or filtered, then pour the mixture into a highball Collins glass. Next, blend the remaining ingredients, excluding the goji berries, and pour this mixture on top. Finally, finish by topping with goji berries. The goji berries, when added to the cold smoothie, provide a delightful tart crunch. Glass: highball Collins Garnish: goji berries Bar Chef Note: use a spoon to peel a ginger Side Note: My camera app is still being persnickety, so this is a combo of shooting from the black viewfinder and the iPhone photo situation. Normal programming will return soon. Thank you for your patience. If you like the layered look try my Vanilla Terrarium Smoothie Its packed full of goodness! Where to buy the goods? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront of course. Please know I may receive commissions from eligible items. Thank you!
Stirred Not Shaken The elegance of a stirred martini or cocktail is its smooth and velvety texture. The methodical stirring process ensures a crystal-clear appearance (unless it’s dirty of course) and a harmonious integration of the spirits, generally speaking. Shaken drinks typically include citrus juices, jams, jellies, egg whites, and creams, making blending easier. Unlike stirring, which may cause ingredient separation with these types of ingredients, shaking awakens the drink, especially with citrus variations. Be careful not to over-shake, as citrus can turn bitter and creams may froth over. Negronis, old fashioneds, boulevardiers, and martinis are usually stirred; to name a few. Some prefer the shaken martini for the ice crystals on top and I imagine subconsciously the dilution and mouth feel. I have a regular guest at my bar who drinks a Negroni up instead of the classic on the rocks. Exceptions can always be made. However, excessive shaking can dilute a martini by about 5-10%. Stirring just enough opens up the spirits for a balanced cocktail. You can stir in a mixing glass or for a colder martini, use a mixing tin. There is less surface area by volume. Recently, some guests switched from shaken to stirred martinis, finding the stirred version perfect for them based on my suggestion. They have taken this up at home too. Yay! One for ‘team stirred’. The intention of this post post is that I wanted to highlight the difference between shaken and stirred cocktails and emphasizing the elegance of a stirred martini. Now, the only question is: dirty, olives or a twist? Bar Chef Notes: Although martinis traditionally combine gin and vermouth, the lots of vodka, no-vermouth versions are most popular these days. Global variations may serve vermouth on the rocks as a martini, deviating from the classic recipe most of us know today. Martinis used to be served in smaller glasses to keep cooler, as I like to call them “tiny tinis,” but we’ll save that for another post. Side Note: I had some fun with anchovies and capers garnish. If you haven’t seen that post yet, check it out here. Cheers! Where to buy the goods? You know martini glasses, shakers, stirring spoons anchovies capers garnish and stuffs? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront of course. Please know I may receive commissions from eligible purchases. Thank you!
Mocktail Monday: Kiwi Cooler Kiwi Cooler Kiwi Cooler Kiwi cooler Kiwi Cooler Kiwi Cooler Kiwi Cooler Kiwi Cooler Kiwi Cooler Kiwi Cooler I had a great time this morning outsmarting my Nikon app. I didn’t use a tripod, and some of these photos were taken with my iPhone. I made a kiwi cooler with a little lemon, a little honey syrup, sparkling water, and kiwi filtered water ice cubes. Taking photos from the Nikon app without being able to see through the viewfinder was certainly a fun challenge. How did I do? Oh, in case you missed the news, my Nikon app won’t let me download photos from my camera to my app. I had to try a different way as I don’t tether. Back to the drink! You’re going to love it! Sipping poolside, lakeside, oceanside, or inside – wherever you are – in no time. Did you know kiwi is a high vitamin C fruit too? Yes, more than oranges and grapefruits. And the color is beautiful, don’t ya think. This recipe is super easy and who can resist such sweet tart effervescent goodness? Cheers! Kiwi Cooler Ingredients – 2 kiwis: 2 for the filtered ice cubes and 1 for muddling and garnish – 1 oz honey – 1/2 oz fresh-squeezed lemon – Sparkling water: A small bottle of Pellegrino for drink refills on the side – Tall glass – Metal reusable straw (optional) Method 1. Muddle a clean, peeled kiwi for the best health benefits, I considered keeping the skin but the drink would not look as good. 2. Cut one kiwi into triangles shapes and place in a silicone mold with filtered water for freezing. Skin off is best here too. 3. Cut the ends off the other kiwi off and then cut a wheel from each end, leaving the skin on. These will be the garnish. Peel the rest for muddling. 4. Carefully muddle the remaining kiwi in a Collins glass. Cut into rough squares to make easier if necessary. Add the kiwi ice cubes, honey syrup, and fresh lemon juice. 5. Top with sparkling water and garnish with the kiwi wheels. Glass: tall Collins glass – this one from Crate & Barrel Garnish: two skin on sliced circle kiwi wheels Bar Chef Note: Honey syrup is made in a 1:1 ratio. To create the syrup, combine equal parts honey and warm water in the one ounce end of the jigger. Mix until the honey dissolves and forms a syrup. Add the ounce of honey syrup to the drink and then rinse the jigger with lemon juice for an added touch. Where to buy the goods? You know muddler, glasses, and stuffs? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront. Please know I may receive commissions from eligible purchases. Thank you so much. Kiwi Cooler Kiwi Cooler Kiwi Cooler Kiwi Cooler
Simple Orange Peel Garnish 1 For the orange peel garnish 1 Orange(s) Pairing knif Fruit Vegetable peeler Cutting board / nonslip surface or pad Paper towel Use a fruit vegetable peeler (I use OXO) to remove the outer layer of the orange which will be your garnish. This method helps avoiding the pif. Best if the orange is at room temperature and slightly firm. Condensation and softer skin may cause the peeler to slip and perhaps catch a finger. Peeler should be in great condition. Once you have several orange peels, place your cutting board on a non-slip surface. Use your pairing knife to trim the edges. What to do should you prepare more than you need? No biggie. Wrap your orange pieces in a damp paper towel and store in the refrigerator. Paper towel shouldn’t be too wet as the peels will become slimy. Peels will keep for a day or two. Same day use is recommended. Wash your tools after each use with soap and water. Citrus will cause the knife and peeler to become dull faster. Uniformity is best. These are the creative version. Keep the orange and use for juice. Where to buy the goods? You know peelers and glassware and stuff? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront. Please know I may receive compensation for eligible purchases. Thank you!