Tag Archives: bar chef

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:

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 syrup
1 oz fresh lemon juice
2 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.

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!

Another Goodie! A Smoothie.

You are probably noticing a trend in the smoothie category for this site, right? One bag of protein powder can go a long way! This one is a fun one! It’s tart and sweet and packed full of goodness. Especially if you had too much wine or too many cocktails last night, uhmkay. Cheers to what does a body good when you need a meal on the go. Cuisinart To Go to the rescue!

Another Goodie! A Smoothie.

1 fresh orange (save an end slice for the garnish)

1 1/2 cups of frozen mangoes

1/2 cup of goat milk (more for fluidity)

1 scoop SAKRA Metabolism Chocolate Protein Powder

1 scoop Agent Nateur collagen powder

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon (who are we kidding, you know I did a few shakes and called it a day) 1/2 teaspoon for you.

Blend until smooth. Pour into a bucket glass. Garnish with citrus slice.

Glass: bucket glass

Garnish: citrus 🍊 slice

Before the light..

Where to buy the goods? You know, bucket glasses, spoons, blending machine and stuffs? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront of course. Please know I may receive compensation for eligible purchases. Thank you so much!

Sweet Tart Smoothie

Sweet Tart Smoothie

1 cup of frozen passion fruit cubes

1 cup of frozen cranberries

1 cup of frozen mangoes

1/2 cup of Diaspora Chai spice mix with water per instructions (this tea is the liquid here, wink wink) if you like it looser use more

2 tablespoons of honey

2 oz of goat milk

Pinch of pink salt

1 scoop of SAKARA metabolism protein smoothie powder

Pinch of cinnamon

1 heaping tablespoon of bee pollen for creating texture and the garnish (I love an edible garnish)

Method

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Top with bee pollen.

Glass: bucket glass

Garnish: bee pollen pearls

Where to buy the goods? You know bucket glasses, protein powders and stuffs?

Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront, of course.

Please know I may earn commissions from eligible purchases. Thank you so much!

From the Bar Top: A Ginger Mint Mocktail

Why mocktails? Mocktails are specifically for days when you just don’t want to drink, crave something refreshing, and want to feel included in the crowd without consuming alcohol. Bonus: no hangover and an overall healthy alternative to alcohol. This was a request from the other evening. I took a couple of snaps with my iPhone for continuity—too good not to post!

A Ginger Mint Mocktail

Ingredients

3/4 ginger simple (skin on juiced fresh ginger+ sugar+water)

1 oz fresh lime juice

6-8 mint leaves for the muddling

2 mint with stems bunch ??

1 skin on lime for making the lime garnish

Fever Tree club soda (blue label, if possible)

Method

For the syrup

Juice three knobs of fresh ginger with the skin on. Combine the juice with equal parts water and sugar to create a ginger simple syrup. Store any unused syrup in a sealed container for up to two weeks.

For the drink

In a mixing tin, muddle the mint leaves. Add the ginger syrup, followed by the lime juice. Add ice and shake well. Strain the mixture into the same non-iced mixing tin you just used. Add club soda and stir, then let it sit for a moment to create a nice foam. Pour over ice and garnish with mint and a lime wedge.

Glass: bucket glass

Garnish: a couple of mint leaves stems and a neatly trimmed lime wedge

Bar Chef Notes: For the adult version, you know what to do. Cheers!

Where to buy the goods? Storage jars, mixing tins, Fever Tree club soda and stuffs? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront. Please know I may earn commissions from eligible purchases. Thank you so much!

Mostly Blueberries Smoothie

Woke up late and needed something to chase down my calcium pill and complement the citrus vitamin D liquid. So, I mixed blueberries, chai masala powder, cocoa nibs, ground cayenne, sea moss, water, and chocolate protein powder, with a few frozen extra blueberries for garnish and for good measure.

And whoosh!! It’s a goodie. Interesting movement in the glass when sipping from the glass. You guessed it, the sea moss gel. Beautiful color. Plus, blueberries are a powerhouse of health benefits, providing a good dose of antioxidants. They support brain, heart, and skin health, and they also have anti-inflammatory properties to top it off. Some even say these powerful spheres help with weight management. All good reasons if you ask me. Which you are, because you are here.

Mostly Blueberries Smoothie

2 1/2 cups (ish) of frozen blueberries

1 cup of water

3 tablespoons of Navitas cocoa nibs

A single serve packet of Triviani chocolate flavored protein powder

1/4 teaspoon of cayenne ground pepper

dash or two of cinnamon

pinch and a dash of pink salt

1 tablespoon of sea moss gel (I make mine but it takes some minutes. You can buy sea moss gel premade should you want to save yourself time.)

1 tablespoon of Diaspora chai masala powder mix

Recommended dose of Erewhon Vitamin D citrus flavor drops

a few frozen blueberries for the garnish

Method

Add all ingredients to a blender; except the few blueberries for the garnish. Blend until smooth. Pour into bucket glass and garnish with the remaining frozen blueberries.

Glass: bucket glass

Garnish: several frozen blueberries

Bar Chef Notes: Please check with your health care provider when incorporating new supplements and vitamins to your diet.

Where can you buy the goods? You know, protein powder, spices, buckets, glasses, blending machines, and other stuff? The Blonde Behind the Bucket storefront, of course! Please know I may receive commissions from eligible purchases. Thank you so much!

This Wine Is

I’m jet-lagged and making my way to the supermarket, which is on my list of things to do. I’m glad I made it.

Yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised and wished I had known about it sooner. There was a tasting at Erewhon Market.

This wine is clear. This wine is garnet. This wine is dark fruit. This wine is an Old European soul biodynamic New World California Syrah. This wine is you need a case for your personal cellar. This wine is don’t forget to tell your friends after you have secured all the bottles you can hold. This wine is 2015. This wine is Chateau Bellevue 1881. This wine is.

This wine pairs well with mustard greens, as well as vegetable and meat pâtés. It also pairs well with pasta, cheese and charcuterie boards, herbed ricotta with toast and fish and Thai dishes. This wine retails for about $88 USA dollars. Drink now.

Where to buy bucket glasses, wine openers and wine pumps? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront of course. Please know I may receive commissions from eligible purchases. Thank you.

Pourquoi?

I started testing smoothies and thought they couldn’t be that good. I didn’t even set up for the photos, but they turned out so dang delicious. Tossing ingredients into a blender and crossing my fingers sometimes works. Why did it happen like that? It just did. Lucky us. Stay cool.

Pourquoi?

Ingredients

1 cup pomegranate juice

2 1/2 cup frozen pineapples

1 single serve package of Blue Majik spirilina on-the-go singles powdered superfood extract (equals a tablespoon ish)

2 tablespoon of ground of flaxseed 

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cayenne (less spice to taste if you don’t care for it)

2 oz sweet passion syrup (1:1 passion pure and rich simple syrup)

1 tablespoon ish of bee pollen (I use a local to California)

Method

Add all ingredients into blender except bee pollen and blend until smooth.

Glass: bucket glass

Garnish: bee pollen

Bar Chef Notes: bee pollen is packed with antioxidants nutrient rich energy boosting goodness.

Where to buy the goods? Bucket glass and stuffs? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront. I may receive commissions from eligible purchases. Thank you!