Christmas Campari Because Christmas is every day, and today. The garnish takes the longest for this one, but it’s worth it. I confess, I was caught licking my finger a few times. Plus, it gives you (and me) an opportunity to zen out and maybe enlist help from family and friends as a fun kitchen activity? Especially if kitchens intimidate you—or drink-making, for that matter. So, yesterday, while I was packing, I thought about how Campari has notes of orange, and the combination of Campari and orange juice is like an Italian screwdriver 2.0. The hibiscus bitters I decided to add contributes softer floral notes to the drink and, overall, a more unique flavor. Not that Campari needs help. Plus, hibiscus is just good. These bitters are alcohol-free as well and can easily be used for mocktails too. This drink is excellent enjoyed before dinner or at the end of the evening, with or without food. You could also add prosecco or champagne, but I didn’t this time. If you do, I recommend fill to the top. Please drink responsibly, of course. Let me know what you think in the comments below. Cheers and Happy Merry Christmas or to whatever you may celebrate! Christmas Campari 2 oz Campari 2 oz fresh squeezed orange juice 3 or 5 ish drops of All The Bitter Hibiscus bitters (label reads New Orleans Style on the bottle) or use measure guide on dropper to taste 6, 8, 12 or how many ever you like of sugared cranberries Sprig of dried Rosemary (smoke the glass if you like, not necessary) there is loose instructions on that technique on this blog as well 1 trimmed quarter Orange slice Ice cubes Method for the drink Add ice to a bucket glass. Pour in Campari. Top with freshly squeezed orange juice. Add sugared cranberries, an orange slice, and a dried rosemary sprig. Light the rosemary sprig on fire and let it smoke. Alternatively, you can light the sprig first, extinguish the flame, and then add the smoking rosemary to the glass. Please use fire tools with care and safety in mind. Thank you. Glass: bucket glass Garnish: sugared cranberries orange slice and smoking dried rosemary Bar Chef Notes: This is a super simple cocktail, with not many ingredients, making it perfect for decorating. Bonus: rosemary is a stir swizzle stick. You can add an optional topper of Champagne or Prosecco, or skip the Campari and add juice and bitters. That’s not the drink, though. Whatever slightly flavored cranberry syrup you have leftover can be used for another cocktail, Mocktail or simply to flavor sparkling water. For the cranberries 1/2 cup white granulated sugar + extra 1/4 cup ish for the coating (I eyeballed this) 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup cranberries Add white granulated sugar to a saucer or a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, and set aside. For the cranberries, I use frozen 365 Whole Foods brand, but some argue that fresh are better. I say it doesn’t matter. This is a drink garnish. In a saucepan, combine equal parts sugar and water. Heat just enough to dissolve the sugar, then set aside to cool. Add the cranberries and stir until they are fully coated. Let them steep for a few minutes. The using a slotted spoon, transfer the cranberries to the sugar mixture and coat them evenly. Use your clean hands with or without gloves or a spoon to aid in coating. I use my clean hands without gloves and a spoon. For the orange Wash and slice the orange lengthwise from end to end. Cut it in half, then into quarters. Trim the center so that each orange piece has a straight edge. For the orange juice Juice two navel oranges and one blood orange using a handheld juicing tool or a juicing machine (I use an Omega). Machine is a bit messier but faster for me. You do you though. Make sure to peel the oranges before juicing. Save the leftover orange juice for mimosas or vodka screwdriver alongside blueberry pancake brunch. Where to buy the goods? You know bucket glasses, juicers, sugars and stuffs. Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront, of course. *I may receive compensation for eligible purchases. Thank you.
From the Bar Top: The Ultimate Giffard Sirop Smash Calling all Campari, Aperol, and spritz lovers! If you’re a designated driver or want to skip alcohol (next-day anxiety is real), or preparing for “Dry January” (too soon?) this is for you too! Giffard Sirop is here at the bar! Think sweet bitters. I made berry smashes with an orange twist—raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries! You won’t miss the real thing, I promise. As a Campari lover, I can say this drink hits the spot! You’re going to love it! They did, two went out, three more ordered after. From The Bar Top: The Ultimate Giffard Sirop Smash Recipe: Ingredients: 2 oz Giffard Sirop Several raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries Fever-Tree Club Soda (your choice) Method: Muddle the berries in a mixing tin. Add Giffard Sirop. Add ice. Grab your favorite Kold Draft ice— it’s an excellent choice-and shake, shake, shake! (Garbage) Dump into a bucket glass and top with club soda and some berries. Express a twist over the drink. Voilà! Glass: Bucket Glass Garnish: Berries and orange twist Use pinking shears to create scalloped edges for your orange twist. Aren’t they the cutest? Bar chef Notes: Giffard will set you back about $20 USD and the ice machine? Price varies. Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront of course for more deets and general browsing. I may earn commissions from eligible purchases. Thank you!
Always Sparkle: Discover the Charm of Montmartre Brut This wine is clear. This wine is pale straw yellow. This wine is tiny bubbles, mousse foam. This wine is bright and lively. This wine is apples and pears. This wine is bread. This wine is Old World European, specifically French. This wine is Ugni blanc grape (notable Cognac region and some Italian regions). This wine is light. This wine is casual. This wine is an everyday wine. This wine is citrus, lemon peels. This wine is brut sparkling wine, a drier wine. This wine is Montmartre Brut Sparkling Wine. This wine is. This wine is affordable about $11.99 a bottle and available for purchase at select online retailers. This wine pairs well with shellfish, oysters, potato chips and light Chinese foods, hamachi, salads, lights dishes, and sushi. Bar Chef Notes: Please drink responsibly Where to buy the goods? Champagne buckets, flutes and other wine and kitchen related items? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront of course. Please know I may receive compensation from eligible purchases. Thank you.
Chill Out In Slippers Weather: Frosé All Day What does 45% Grenache Noir, 25% Cinsault, 15% Syrah, and 15% Merlot get you? A rockstar rosé created by a rockstar and his friends. That’s what. Maison 9. While a good rosé tastes crisp clean and refreshing straight out of the ice filled bucket I decided to have a little fun with this one. Just look at it! Peach Thyme Frosé with Maison 9 rosé wine—the softer side of a rockstar wine. I can’t say for sure, but it sounds good anyway, right? It’s a special way to take advantage of frozen summer peaches and this rosé all year long. You’re going to love it! Peach Thyme Frosé Bar Chef Notes: Remove thyme stems and use only the leaves for the blending. Garnish with sprigs. Where to buy the goods? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront. I may receive commissions from eligible purchases. Thank you.
Espresso Martini’s Stylish Friend: Sparkling Lillet Blanc Coffee Reading about coffee tonic earlier this week, I got to thinking about the suave version and a spin-off of our friend, the ever-popular espresso martini. This is a goodie. Lillet Blanc offers the tonic vibes with a kick, and the citrus effervescence from the club soda-style bubbles, topped with an Americano, surely checks all the necessary boxes. Coffee sparkling pre-dinner rally in style. Elegantly. Sparkling Lillet Blanc Coffee 2 oz Lillet Blanc 2 oz of citrus flavored bubbly water named Olipop (this water contains other ingredients like various roots citrus and fruits. A split tonic club soda 1:1 or cutis sparkling water an excellent substitute) Top with unsweetened restrato (strong) Americano coffee, about 1 – 1/2 oz for the ice Penny Pounder round (or square) large cube or many small ice cubes Method This couldn’t be easier. Add an ice cube to a chilled martini glass. Pour in the Lillet and then bubbly water, and then top it off with coffee. That’s it! Garnish with an orange wheel optional. Glass: martini Garnish: Orange wheel (optional) Bar Chef Notes: substituting ice and ingredients will change the recipe slightly and dilution may occur more rapidly. Where to buy the goods? You know martini glasses coffee bubbly water and stuffs? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront of course. Please know I may receive commissions from eligible purchases. Thank you! Behind the Scenes looks:
Correction: Updated Recipe Without Random Draft Notes Hello! Thank you for subscribing to my blog. I apologize for the previous post that went out with random notes in the middle. « Pandan is lead, » for example. Please see the revised version below. I hope you like the recipe! My Twist on a Classic: Arnold Palmer 2.0 Where to buy the goods? Black salt, bucket glasses and stuff? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront. I may receive commission from eligible purchases. Thank you!
My Twist on a Classic: Arnold Palmer 2.0 I often take for granted that everyone knows what I know about drinks—and that some people know even more than I do. Way more. Here we are: Arnold Palmer 2.0, the drink of the moment. It’s a layered lemonade and tea drink that was requested so often by the famous golfer Arnold Palmer that it was named after him. Traditionally, it consists of unsweetened iced tea and lemonade. What makes mine 2.0? Pandan lemonade and honey drizzle spiced chai masala spice blend with black salt and lime garnish. Three lemons yield about 5 ounces of juice. Add rich pandan syrup and enough water to achieve a pH of 3; I prefer it a bit more tart. Check the pH using litmus paper. You can strain out the pulp or keep it—it’s a matter of preference. I tested this a couple of times. Varying pH. Stir in spices for the chai (I use Diaspora Marsala spice blend here); it’s heavier than regular tea, but the tea on top remains lighter. For garnish, rim the glass with black salt and garnish with a wedge of lime. Voilà! Arnold Palmer 2.0. Ingredients list Bag of lemons Diaspora Chai Masala spice blend Honey Pandan leaf Water Ice Lime For the Pandan syrup (I’ll do ounces since the other is in ounces) 1 cup of water (about 200 grams if you are using a scale) 2 1/2 cups of sugar (500 grams if you are using a scale) 1 Pandan leaf Method Steep the pandan leaf in boiling water (around 212 degrees F) for about 30 to 45 minutes. Remove the leaf and add it to the sugar mixture. Blend until dissolved. This syrup lasts about two weeks in a sealed container in the refrigerator. If you freeze it, because of the sugar content, it won’t completely freeze in a regular home freezer, but it will last longer that way. It tastes so good and delicious that I found myself eating it with a spoon. For the lemonade 1 ½ oz pandan syrup1 oz fresh lemon juice2 oz filtered water (to thin out the lemon juice, making it lemonade) For the tea Diaspora Co. Chai Masala spice blend recipe is 1-2 teaspoons to one cup of boiling water. Steep for 1-2 minutes. I add a tea of honey. For the drink Rim the glass with black salt using lime or boney. Chill the glass. Boil water and add Diaspora chai according to the directions. Stir in a teaspoon of honey and let it cool. Prepare the lemonade. Add ice to the chilled glass, then fill it a little more than half full with lemonade. Top it off with the cooled chai. Garnish with a neatly trimmed lime wedge. Glass: highball glass Garnish: lime wedge and lime wheel Bar Chef Notes: Oh, and what is Pandan? It is commonly used in culinary applications for flavoring dishes, desserts, and beverages. It is also known for its vibrant green color in certain food preparations. The plant is widely cultivated in countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. It is a long narrow tropical green leaf. Where to buy the goods? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront, of course. I may receive compensation from eligible purchases. Thank you!
Big Green Apple Juice It’s apple juice! Yes, it’s cold-pressed juice made from Granny Smith apples. It’s sweet, tart, and clean. Vodka is always optional. Remember that Appletini 2.0? An apple cider vinegar float adds a zing. You can also add a jalapeño or two for spice, or maybe some fresh ginger. You could add lots of things. Today, I’m only voting for apples—good ol’ (classic) apple juice. Because sometimes you don’t want orange juice. Before we get to it, you may be wondering: what is cold-pressed juice, and why cold-pressed? No heat, for starters. It’s just better for you. Nutrient retention. The shelf life is 2-3 days when refrigerated. Drinking it immediately isn’t necessary, although I recommend it. Your cocktails and mocktails will thank you too, and the guests will enjoy them, of course! Big Green Apple Juice Ingredients 6 Granny Smith apples Method Thoroughly wash the Granny Smith apples under warm running water to remove any wax, dirt or residue. Sometimes I use a spoon to scrape the apple shiny coat. If they have one. Cut the apples into smallish pieces, removing the stems and seeds. Leave the skin on as it contains nutrients and adds flavor. Set up your cold-press juicer according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Feed the apple pieces into the juicer. Place a container under the juicer’s spout to collect the freshly pressed apple juice. My juicer comes with two containers. One nestles up against the base of the juicing machine. The other in front of that. If: Strain the apple juice through a coffee filter, fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove any residual pulp or floaty solids. I love it. Probably won’t be much anyway. Optional. Once the apple juice is ready, refrigerate it for a few hours to chill or serve it immediately. Note: Cold-pressed apple juice may separate slightly, with a layer of foam on top. Simply give it a gentle shake or stir before serving. Where to buy the juicer and other tools?? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront, of course. I may receive compensation for eligible purchases. Thank you.
For Orange H Day The cloves are from the Diaspora. They aid in digestion after a meal when chewed, not swallowed. They also make a great mouth for the garnish of this frozen goodness. This smoothie tastes like pie! So good! I mean so good! The citrus flavored activated charcoal liquid seals the deal—it’s too good to believe it’s healthyish. It really brings all the flavors together. And who doesn’t love a chocolate orange combo? Hey pumpkin hey! I did extra tests to confirm the first try wasn’t just a stroke of great luck. Just a great each time after; and because it was, again, so good! For a thicker consistency, use less liquid; for a thinner consistency, use more. I left the little half peeled Dracula oranges in the refrigerator for a day so they could develop a bit of skin and become firmer. A little extra security for the cloves. They are still juicy inside. I mean aren’t they the cutest little pumpkin garnishes ever? If there was ever a smoothie that caters to the inner child, this is it! Nothing has to be perfect in the decorating—that was my thought process. And because I piped the zigzags with hotter than recommended chocolate in the piping bag. Have fun! It’s so good! For Orange H Day Ingredients 1 single serve packet of Ancient Nutrition multi-collagen protein powder 10 grams collagen per serving 1 CYMBIOTIKA single serve lemon cream citrus activated charcoal (inside of the the glass and top swirl) Melted 74% Ghirardelli chocolate pieces add a little coconut oil for fluidity and shine 1/2 cup of goat milk 1 cup of filtered or distilled water 1 single serve pouch of vanilla Truviani protein powder Some cloves for decorating and chewing A pastry bag or zip locked bag to pipe a chocolate zizag pumpkin mouth 2 1/2 frozen baby Dracula oranges 1 baby Dracula orange for decorating 1 1/2 to 2 cups of Whole Foods 365 frozen mango chunks (use your best judgment regarding size). If you have fresh mangoes, freeze them ahead of time and use them when ready. Method This a second test. Are you real zig-zag mouth or zig-zag side eye? For the chocolate zigzags Melting, piping and chilling. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler (Ban-Marie) or microwave. Let it cool slightly. Place ziplock bag or pastry bag into the glass and fill with chocolate. Make zig zag shapes onto a plate. Place in the freezer to set. For the chocolate cover orange(s) Peel the oranges, keeping one half intact. Dip the top half into chocolate and place it in the freezer to set. Once set, decorate with the cloves. Use a cocktail pick to fasten it to the glass. Blending decorating consuming Snip with scissors or tear open the top of the charcoal single-serve packet. Roll the glass while adding some of the liquid to coat the inside. Reserve the remainder for the top of the smoothie swirl. Blend all ingredients until smooth. Pour the mixture into the glass coated with charcoal. Add more liquid charcoal and swirl it using a toothpick, fork, or your fingers. Add pumpkin garnish. Glass: bucket glass Garnish: little orange pumpkin Where to buy the goods? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront. Please know I may receive commission from eligible purchases.
Single Serve White Wine Sangria Spritz 2.0 Figs and Riesling, oh my! In the mood for Sangria? I almost always am. With some figs and Riesling on hand, I’m getting creative. Let’s get to it. Single Serve White Wine Spritz 2.0 Ingredients 2oz hibiscus tea (use tea bags if you wish, I prefer dried hibiscus flowers with hot water and steep, strain and chill) 2oz of honey syrup (2:1 ratio honey to water) 1/2 oz Grey Goose vodka 3 muddles figs (the plumpest you can find) 1 oz saville citrus (it looks like an orange but bitter like a lemon, sort of. It’s a hybrid? Hey Siri) 1/2 oz sparkling water (your choose, bubble texture doesn’t really matter here) Top with as much Kabinett Mosel Riesling crisp wine as you wish (I love a German Kabinett) I use Zilliken. 1/4 teaspoon black pepper Method Muddle the figs and black pepper. Add citrus, honey syrup and hibiscus tea and then vodka. Best to put honey syrup in jigger first and then use the citrus to wash it; the remaining stickies from the syrup. Add ice and shake. Pour into bucket glass over ice. Add sparkling water then the wine and give a quick stir. Top with sliced figs. Glass: bucket glass or high ball glass Garnish: sliced figs Bar Chef Notes: more on the wine here. Remember when I attempted (wink, wink) to open my Riesling using a tuning fork?! Kabinett is specific to Germany, FYI. Please drink responsibly and be of the legal drinking age. Thank you. Where to buy the goods? Bucket glasses, black pepper and stuffs? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront. Please know, I may receive compensation for eligible purchases. Thank you!