Make an impression and send off summer with customized ice cubes for cocktails and mocktails using a custom ice stamp. This eagle ice stamp, my choice. Feel free to play using heat sources to deepen and clarify your impression. Isn’t it cool? Maybe make your own clear ice while you’re at it.
The history of clear ice and how to make can be found in Dave Arnold’s book Liquid Intelligence. Both the book and ice stamp can be found on my Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront. FYI, I may earn commissions on eligible purchases.
1/2 cup of frozen black cherries for the anti-inflammatory deliciousness
2 tablespoons of tropical hibiscus collagen powder to aid in cushioning joints with floral notes and who doesn’t want that in a smoothie
1 scoop of Vega vanilla protein and greens because lets face it we need more greens
1/4 cup of flat pellegrino from the can from yesterday because minerals and I needed a little more fluidity and the can was open on the counter from yesterday’s Campari Crush
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper optional but recommended as it’s that extra something and heart smart
Method
Add all ingredients to a blending machine. Blend until smooth. Pour in to bucket glass of choice. Spoon for consuming prevents brain freeze.
pinch or two of Cultures for Your Health citric acid powder
1 hibiscus flower
2 tablespoons of hibiscus syrup for the foam
4 dashes of angostura bitters for the foam
1 sheet of SLO food gold leaf
Several toasted peppercorns for the garnish
Method for the cocktail
Add 3 ounces of clarified Gentleman Jack to a bucket glass. Add your peppercorns agave syrup ginger juice and citric acid to the glass. Add ice. I like a large rock. Several smaller ice cubes an excellent alternative if you don’t have a large rock. Scoop the foam from the mixing tin on top of the iced cocktail. Toss in a few of your toasted peppercorns and your gold hibiscus flower.
Glass: bucket glass
Garnish: toasted peppercorns and gold hibiscus flower
For the clarification
10 ounces of Gentleman Jack whiskey 7 for the start of the clarification plus 3 additional ounces to add to the batch to finalize clarification
9 ounces of goat milk
2 medium limes
2 medium lemons
1 medium orange
2 tablespoons of vanilla (I make mine from scratch and the recipe can be found under syrups on home page)
1 tablespoon of citric acid
In a mixing glass add 7 ounces of Gentleman Jack whiskey and the room temperature juice of the citrus. Then slowly pour in 9 ounces of goat milk. Whisk with a whisk or fork as you pour. Once milk bourbon mixture combined, cover, label, and refrigerate for 3-24 hours. As soon as there is a visible separation, start the filtering. A few passes for me. The coffee filter broke the first time. It always seems to break. I switched to cheese cloth for the next pass then back to the coffee filter. There were still some particles present after the second pass. One more filter and finally. The liquid should be crystal clear. After add the citric acid, vanilla, and remaining 3 ounces of whiskey.
For the ginger juice
Juice a medium knob of ginger root. No need to peel unless you want to do so. I recommend using a spoon and scrape the skin. I also recommend a good rinse before use. Of the spoon and the ginger root. If you use a blender to extract juice from ginger root, strain off the pulp with a cheese cloth. Set juice aside until ready to use.
For the peppercorn agave syrup
Toast 1/4 cup of peppercorns in a frying pan. Add them to 1/4 cup of agave. Once cool, store in refrigerator until ready to use.
For the foam
Add two dashes of cream of tartar to a mixing tin. Remove the coil from the Hawthorn strainer and add to the tin. Crack the egg and separate the yolk from the whites. Save the yolk for something else. The whites should be shaken dry with the coil. Dry shake. Add bitters and hibiscus and dry shake again. This should be the last step as it is the topper of the cocktail.
For the toasted peppercorns
Add a few peppercorns to a nonstick frying pan. Toast and set aside. Taking some from the agave syrup is also an option.
For the hibiscus
Add water to a bowl. Place a sheet of SLO food gold in the water. It will float. Secure a hibiscus flower to a skewer tip or toothpick or two or use a fork. Dip the flower in the water over the gold and in a swirling motion to pick up the gold with the flower. The flower will stick to the gold if done properly. You can store your flower in an airtight container for a day or two before use, if need be. More on this under garnishes on the home page if you need more information on gold hibiscus flower garnish.
Creating sours for a contest produces drinks like this. I stray from my usual sweet tart version. This is a slight alteration of the classic whiskey sour. Gentleman Jack the base. I add gold to a clunky lemon and a red cherry. I don’t use either in my sours, clunky or not, 90% of the time. They sure are pretty though. You will want to try this one at home.
Whiskey Sour
Ingredients
2 ounces of Gentleman Jack
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1/2 ounce agave
1 ounce of fresh lemon juice
2-3 dashes of angostura bitters
1 egg white from a chicken egg
1 lemon wheel
1 cherry
gold leaf for the garnishes
Method
Place gold in a bowl of water. Look at this foamSecure your fruit garnish to the end of a bamboo skewer and place it on the gold in the water and swirl. The gold will stick.
Separate the yolk from the whites. Add the whites to the mixing tin. Save the yolk for something else or toss. Up to you. Remove the coils from the Hawthorne strainer. Dry shake the whites first. Add all other wet ingredients. Dry shake some more. Add ice. Shake some more. You can double fine strain the cocktail. I don’t. Strain over ice in a bucket glass. Squeeze a bit of lemon over the settled cocktail from the rest of that lemon. A couple of dashes of angostura bitters for the stirring. Add your gold lemon and cherry. That’s it. Creamy, smooth sour.
Glass: bucket glass
Garnish: gold lemon wheel and cherry
Cheers!
Please drink responsibly
Where to buy the goods and stuff? You know glassware, jars of cherries, strainers and pre made egg white foams because you can’t be bothered? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront of course! Please know I may receive compensation for eligible purchases. Thank you!
I took a few sips of the first drink while photographing the second one
I photographed a couple of these while testing presentations of the same drink. Let me know what you think and which presentation you went with! It’s a goodie! I make a ton of these behind the bar!
Tatum’s Whiskey Sweet Tart Sour
1 egg white from a chicken egg
2 ounces of whiskey
1/2 ounce agave
1/2 ounce of simple syrup
1/2 ounce of fresh lime juice
1/2 ounce of fresh lemon juice
2 dashes of cream of tartar
Dash of pink salt
6-8 dashes of angostura bitters for the swirl
gold leaf for the garnish
Method
Mix white granulated sugar with water in a 1:1 ratio. It should last for about a week in the refrigerator when stored in an airtight container.
For the citrus: Use fresh lemon and lime juice. Squeeze the juice of lemons and limes into separate containers.
Place your glass in the freezer to chill. Add two dashes of cream of tartar to the mixing tin. Crack the egg and separate the whites from the yolk. Save the yolk for pudding or cake. Add the whites to the tin with the cream of tartar. Remove the coils from the Hawthorne strainer and add them to the mixing tin as well. This will be a dry shake. Shake the egg whites and cream of tartar with the coil for about twenty seconds. The mixing tins stick together better when chilled, so keep this in mind while shaking. Some of the whites may escape and end up on your clothes, floor, or in your hair if you have hair. Then add the remaining ingredients. Dry shake for another twenty seconds. Add ice. Kold draft ice is my favorite as it doesn’t dilute the cocktail as much as some ice will. Keep this in mind while shaking. The tins should be cold when you finish shaking. You can remove the coil and refasten it to your strainer or leave it inside (it can get messy) and use another strainer to strain your cocktail into the glass. Once the drink is in the glass, let it sit for a moment. The foam will stiffen. Add angostura bitters dashes using a dasher or dropper, and use a toothpick or bamboo skewer to swirl. I add gold. Toothpicks are a great tool to use when working with gold. Why gold? Uhm, who doesn’t like a little glamour?
Bar Chef Note: Lemon juice curdles the egg, and many use a fine mesh strainer to double strain. I do not. Also, I use SLO gold sheets here. There are also gold flake shakers available at Pastry Chefs Boutiques.
Glass: coupe glass Crate & Barrel
Garnish: Angostura bitters and gold flakes
Where to buy some stuffs? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront of course. Please know I may receive compensation for eligible purchases. Thank you.
Please drink responsibly and be of the legal drinking age.
2, maybe 3 ounces if you have room in the glass of butterfly pea tea
Method
Add ice to your bucket glass of choice. Start with grenadine. Add Rose water. Then add sparkling water. Here comes the good part, all ingredients are good but this is my first time using this one. Add the beautiful vibrant blue tea. Top with dried butterfly pea flower buds. Admire before stirring to enjoy.
Glass: bucket glass
Garnish: 3 or 4 butterfly pea flower dried flowers
Where To Buy: Blonde Behind the Bucket Amazon Storefront
1 Tablespoon of edible confetti and edible sprinkles
1 sheet of gold
Isn’t it the cutest ?
Method
For the whipped cream
Take two room temperature egg whites and add to a mixing bowl. Mix using a Kitchen-Aid mixer with the whisk attachment (or by hand with a chilled bowl and chilled whisk or hand mixer) until soft peaks. Add pinch (or two) of cream of tartar and a dash of salt. Increase the speed of the mixture. Slowly add sugar as the foam begins to form stiffer peaks. Reduce speed and toss in some raspberries. Once mixture is a light pink stop mixing and set aside. Pieces of raspberries will be visible. Do not worry if you over whip. The more air the better. Sipping the liquid cake through the foam is the fun part.
For the shot glass coating
Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler (Ban-Marie) or microwave. Using a pastry brush, paint the chocolate onto the top of the glass. Let it cool slightly before adding sprinkles and gold. Don’t forget to sprinkle the raspberry sugar. Set the glass aside until ready to use.
For the shot
In a mixing tin, muddle raspberries. Add citron vodka and hazelnut liqueur. Shake and strain into the decorated shot glass. Place a zip lock bag into another empty glass creating a pastry bag for piping. Spoon in the raspberry meringue. Twist the top of the bag, punching all foam to the corner point that will be used for piping. Snip the end with scissors and pipe the meringue into a swirly cone. Have fun with it. Add sugar and gold to finish. Remember to use toothpicks to handle your gold. Stand away from the fan.
Did you know that smoking dried rosemary can add incredible uniqueness to cocktails? Smoking dried herbs, like rosemary, can enhance the flavors of mezcal, tequila, bourbon, rye, Campari (yes, I am forever on a Campari kick), and gin cocktails. This technique, known as glass smoking, not only adds depth of flavor but also creates a visually captivating experience for onlookers. After preparing your cocktail, relight the dried rosemary, blow out the flames, then place the smoking herb stick in the glass as a garnish. Make sure the sprig is long enough to continue smoking once inserted into the cocktail for an added effect. It also smells really great!
What you will need:
Fire safe surface
Dried Rosemary
BIC lighter gas stove top or butane torch
Chilled bucket glass for your cocktail. A chilled glass provides a sticky surface for the smoke from the condensation.
Method
Place your chilled glass on the fire safe surface, up right. Light the dried rosemary. Blow out the flame. Once it starts to smoke place dried rosemary sprig on the fire safe surface and let it smoke. Then turn the glass upside down and catch the smoke by placing the glass drinking side down on top of it. Leave for a few minutes. Turn the glass upright again and build your cocktail. Voilà .
2 1/2 ounces of fresh juiced apples (you will need 4 apples. 3 for the juicing and 1 for the slicing and munching while preparing the cocktail)
1 ounce of cinnamon simple syrup
1/4 ounce of fresh lemon juice
2 ounces of vodka of choice
Method
For the juicing
In an Omega Juicer, juice three green Granny Smith apples. Set aside or chill in refrigerator until ready to use. The juice is best if used 24-48 hours after juicing when using a cold-pressed juicer. If the fresh juice isn’t cold pressed the recommended use time is immediately.
For the cinnamon syrup
In a sauce pan over medium heat dissolve equal parts beet sugar and water. Three ounces of water to three ounces of sugar, for example. Raise heat to a boil for about one minute. Add two tablespoons of ground cinnamon. Cinnamon sticks will work too but I only have ground cinnamon at the moment. Boil for another minute and then lower the heat to simmer for a few more minutes. Stir occasionally. Set aside to cool.
Slice apples for the garnish. Dipping your slices in fresh lemon juice prevents browning from oxidation. Place on a sealable container and refrigerate until ready to use. A plastic wrapped plate will work too. Then, add all ingredients to a mixing tin. Add ice. Stir or shake. Usually shaking with citrus is the best choice but if you are unable to shake ingredients for whatever reason, a good stirring will do. Shake and strain into the glass.
Glass: coupe (The glass used for this cocktail is a Crate & Barrel Camille Long-Stem Champagne Coupe Glass.)
Garnish: apple slice
Garnish: lemon juice dipped apple
Bar Chef Notes: Lemon juice prevents the apple from browning due to oxidation. If you prefer, do a double strain which aids in removal of residual ice and pulp presenting a clearer cleaner cocktail. This one, pulp and ice crystal and all for me is best, surprisingly. A teaspoon of apple cider vinegar gives extra zing, should you be inclined.
Please enjoy responsibly and be of the legal drinking age.
Where to buy the goods? You know, stemware, juices, ground cinnamon and stuffs..
