I don’t know about you, but discovering edible flowers for the first time was a delightful surprise. Some are better than others; these beauties make me completely forget that I am about to indulge in something healthy. That’s why you are here, to add this and that to make this with flowers on top. Right?!
11/16 Smoothie: Call Me Flowers!
Ingredients
1 thumb size knob of fresh ginger
1 cup of fresh spinach
1 cup of frozen pitted black cherries
1 cup of pineapple juice
1/2 cup of vanilla oat milk
1 scoop of Agent Nateur & Dr. Will Cole holi (mane)
1 scoop Sprout Living Epic Protein vanilla lucuma protein powder
2 edible flowers jacobs farms
Method
Blend all ingredients until smooth. I use a Cuisinart blender with a smoothie cylinder and blend using the smoothie setting.
Glass: bucket glass
Garnish: 2 edible flowers
Where to buy the goods? Blending machines and protein powders and..
This egg white berry mocktail might just be the mocktail of your dreams. If you’re here, you probably want to find out. And yes, you can enhance it with vodka, rum, tequila, mezcal, scotch, amaretto, or any base spirit of your choosing. Alternatively, you can enjoy it with Crémant sparkling wine instead of club soda. This recipe post focuses on the mocktail version, so stay focused.
Rosey Berry
First things first. Clean your strawberries. How do you do this? Add salt to water and let them babies soak for about ten minutes. Make sure the berries are completely covered with water. Rinse them well. Remove the green and proceed with making this drink. You could remove the greens before soaking. I thought it a better photo (or 8) to leave the stems.
Ingredients
4-5 strawberries taste them for sweetness and size matters here so use your best judgement I say 5 and an extra one for the garnish so 6 strawberries
1/4 oz of rose water
1/4 oz agave
1/2 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 egg whites from chicken egg save the yolk for baking or extra in omelette
*Optional pinch of flakey sea salt think Maldon
Sparkling water for the final splashes to the top
Method
Place a few fresh strawberries in a mixing glass or cocktail shaker.
Use a muddler (muddle tool with the teeth works best here) or the back of a spoon to gently crush and release the juices of the strawberries.
Continue muddling until the strawberries are broken down, but not completely pulverized.
Set aside
For the egg whites and the cocktail
In a small mixing tin, add your egg whites. I recommend using chicken egg whites from an actual egg rather than the carton. If you are vegan, you can use aquafaba. I haven’t tried it with these ingredients, so that’s on you. Premade egg white foam is also available, but I recommend using egg whites from an actual egg. Add the coil from the strainer and shake your egg whites until they reach almost a soft peak. Then, add and muddle strawberries and incorporate all other ingredients. Dry shake all ingredients in two mixing tins without ice. You may need a kitchen towel, as the mixing tins don’t stick together as well when warm. Add ice and shake again. Double strain if you like. The lemon curdles the egg, but I still single strain. Pour over an ice-filled glass, preferably a chilled glass. Top with sparkling water and garnish with mandoline-sliced strawberries.
Let’s talk fat washing. It’s a surprisingly simple process that packs a flavor punch, uh-huh. Picture this: a few sizzling slices of bacon in a pan, the aroma filling the kitchen as I whip up a delicious sandwich to pass the time faster than you can say… Once the bacon grease has cooled just a bit, not too much, a bit, I mix it with tequila and let the magic happen. After a few hours of infusing on the counter in a sealed container, I label it and pop it in the freezer for a dayish. Voilà! An exciting bacon-infused tequila ready to elevate your cocktail game, almost immediately.
Why fat wash at all? What is fat washing?There are several reasons. Fat washing alcohol is a versatile technique that allows you to experiment with different flavors and create customized spirits for cocktails. Specifically, fat washing not only removes some color but also creates a softer,less potent, flavorful spirit and changes the mouthfeel of your drink. Various techniques exist for fat washing, including using agar agar (a vegetarian gel version), freeze-thaw methods with egg or meat fats, or clarifying with milks and acids. Or clarifying with milks and meat fats and so forth. I know! At the end of the day, you combine the fat with the alcohol and let them infuse. The fat is then separated from the alcohol, leaving behind the desired flavors. In fairness to my “it’s easy,” some are a little more complicated than others but that’s the gist and THIS particular version, making it easy. Bacon-infused tequila. I chose Reposado tequila for its age and translation. Reposado tequila is older than silver or blanco (aged for only two months) and younger than Anejo (aged for one to three years). Reposado tequila is aged in oak barrels for a period ranging from two to twelve months. The term “Reposado” translates to “rested.”
Used a couple of different types of bacon. All worked the same slight subtle flavors difference
This is a 4 oz bacon fat wash.
Cook bacon: Start by cooking a few (or eight) strips of bacon until they are crispy. Who’s counting? I don’t often eat bacon so when I do, I do. Remove the bacon from the pan and set it aside to cool on a cooling rack over a parchment or aluminum foil lined sheet pan is best to collect any drippings and for easy clean-up.
Collect bacon fat: Pour the bacon fat from the pan into a clean heat safe container that contains the tequila. Make sure to strain out any bacon bits or solids, as they can affect the final flavor and texture of the tequila.
Some say fresh hot bacon grease and some say slightly cool. Warmer is better. Just make sure it’s still liquid. Best for infusing the flavors. After you eat your sandwich half let’s say that’s a good time to combine the tequila and bacon fat. I use a quart deli container with a lid for storage. Little large but whatever.
Infuse the tequila: Let the tequila and bacon fat mixture sit for at least 2-4 hours, or overnight if possible on the counter. This will allow the flavors to wed together and infuse the tequila with the sweet yet smoky, savory taste of bacon.
Separate the fat: After the infusion period, place the container in the freezer for a few hours or overnight. I like a 24 hours day. The bacon fat will solidify and rise to the top, making it easier to remove. Check periodically. I did the first time I made it to make sure it was working.
Strain the tequila: One hunk of fat is removed from the top, then the liquid needs a strain. Using a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth, strain the tequila to remove any remaining bacon fat. This will result in a smooth and pale yellow bacon-infused tequila. The filtering process can sometimes be a repeat two to three times situation but after magnifique. Worth the extra effort.
Your bacon fat-washed Reposado tequila is now ready to be used in this cocktail or enjoyed neat or on a rock(s).
For the cocktail
I don’t have a name for this one. I’ll call it “The Quick Test.” You will either love it or hate it. If you have reached this far in the post, I’m guessing you’re going to try it and I’d say, love it!
Ingredients
3 oz of fat washed tequila
1 bar spoon of fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 oz maple syrup
1 bar spoon (teaspoon) of agave
Squeeze of orange to finish
1 stick of bacon
1 brûlée dehydrated orange
Method
Add a large ice cube to a bucket glass and set it aside. In a tin shaker, add all the other ingredients except the bacon strip and dehydrated orange. Give it a wake-up shake (or two) and pour it into the bucket glass. Squeeze a wedge of orange over the top, then add the bacon strip and dehydrated orange wheel.
Glass: bucket glass
Garnish: bacon dehydrated orange wheel
Bar Chef Notes: maple agave candied oranges are also a great garnish if having the fat washed tequila on ice only.
The fat clump that formed from the freezer can be removed by hand or using tongs.
For the cucumber-infused water, wash and slice one cucumber. Size doesn’t matter here. More cucumber equals more flavor, less cucumber equals less flavor. Or just add the whole cucumber, as you prefer. Add some salt, toss it into the water, and let it sit refrigerated for several hours. It’s best prepared in advance. Well worth it. Once infused, add it to a blender.
Add the remaining ingredients to the blending machine. Blend until smooth. Pour into glass of choice.
Bar Chef Note: It’s best to start layering ingredients by beginning with liquids, then adding half of the frozen fruits, followed by powders, and finally the remaining frozen fruits. I must confess, most of the time I start with water and then add the rest of the ingredients. However, let me know in the comments below if this order makes a difference for you. The order in which you blend the ingredients and the size or amount of cucumber(s) used.
Glass: silver coupe glass with ribbon (I have been saving velvet ribbons from packages. This one is a pink velvet. Isn’t it perfect.)
Garnish: none
Where to buy the goods and stuff? Ribbons, silver goblets, blé ding machines, protein powders are available on Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront, of course.
*please know I may receive commissions on eligible purchases
As we find ourselves in the midst of the season, it’s the perfect time to indulge in a revitalizing and gratifying upgrade to our beloved iced tea: goji basil tea. You’ll soon be saying, “Iced green tea Arnold Palmer who?”
What are goji berries, where are they from? Goji berries were born in China and are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that does the body good. They are believed to enhance overall well-being and boost immunity. Goji berries are available for purchase in small or large quantities and do not require refrigeration but a sealed container. They serve as an excellent ingredient for mocktails, cocktails, herbal teas (here we are), and are a staple in my kitchen at all times. Introducing my goji basil tea.
Goji Basil Tea
For the goji tea
Ingredients:
2 cup(s) Navitas dried goji berries
2 cups boiling water
Instructions:
Place the dried goji berries in a heatproof bowl.
Pour the boiling water over the goji berries, making sure they are fully submerged.
Let the goji berries steep in the hot water for about 10-15 minutes. Longer better here. The berries will get really plump and lose some color. Slightly and this indicates they are ready.
After steeping, strain the goji berries from the water using a fine-mesh sieve strainer or cheesecloth.
The steeped goji berries once removed from the steep can be enjoyed as is or used in various recipes like smoothies, oatmeal, dips, salads, or baked goods.
The goji berry-infused water can also be consumed as a tea (because we are here) or used as a base or mixer for other beverages. Multi-functional little berries.
Store any leftover steeped goji berries in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Bar Chef Note: Steeping them in hot water helps to soften them and release their flavors, making them more enjoyable to eat or use in recipes. Although I do love the crunch when dried gojis are incorporated into a smoothie or combined with a frozen treat.
For the ice cubes
Repeat the tea making process. Allow the goji tea to cool to room temperature. Pour the goji tea and some dried and plump berries (not to waste) into ice cube trays and place them in the freezer. Let the goji tea freeze completely, usually takes about 4-6 hours or overnight. Once the goji tea ice cubes are frozen, remove them from the ice cube trays and transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag for storage until ready to use. I use a two-part sphere tray for halves so that the gojis appear to be floating.
For the Basil Syrup
Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 cup fresh basil leaves
Instructions:
In a small saucepan, combine the water and sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Once the sugar has dissolved, add the fresh basil leaves to the saucepan. Stir to combine.
Bring the mixture to a simmer and let it cook for about 5 minutes, allowing the basil flavor to infuse into the syrup.
Remove the saucepan from heat and let the syrup cool completely.
Once cooled, strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the basil leaves.
Transfer the basil simple syrup to a clean glass jar or bottle for storage.
The basil simple syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Bar Chef Note: This basil simple syrup can be used in various cocktails, lemonades, teas, or desserts to add a refreshing and aromatic basil flavor. Adjust the sweetness by adding more or less sugar according to your preference.
For the drink
Remove the goji ice cubes from the freezer and add them to a martini glass. Pour your chilled goji berry tea over the top. Garnish with a basil leaf.
Glass: martini glass
Garnish: basil leaf (or two) on a metal cocktail pick. Bonus points if you grow your own.
Life is but a bowl of cherries – or in this case, a cherry smoothie. If I didn’t know any better, I would swear this was a milkshake, but not sickly sweet. Surprise! It doesn’t have any milk at all. It’s so easy that you’ll definitely want to add this to your smoothie rotation. You’re going to love it!
All Cherries and a Little Bit of Chocolate Smoothie
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups frozen black cherries and about 8-10 for the topping (Whole Goods Market/Amazon Fresh)
1 tablespoon of Navitas cocoa nibs
1 scoop of Sakara Metabolism Super Powder
1 scoop of holi (mane) Agent Nateur & Dr. Will Cole marine collagen powder
1 teaspoon of Ceylon ground cinnamon
2 dashes of cayenne pepper
1 cup of water
Method
Add all ingredients to a blending machine and blend until smooth. Pour into a bucket glass.
Glass: Bucket glass
Garnish: Cocoa nibs and frozen cherries
Originally, I had these nibs, but they seemed so boring, so I plopped a bunch of frozen cherries in..Isn’t it beautiful! Delicious and you are gonna love it!
Where I get the glasses blenders and other supplies? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront, of course. Please know I may earn commission from eligible purchases.
A burst of berry goodness awaits with this Campari Smash. It’s a vibrant, not-too-sweet, and refreshing cocktail ready to be enjoyed. This drink could have gone a couple of ways: one with only sparkling water and two (what I chose) is to add a little sparkling water and top the rest of this baby off with a brut champagne. Billecart-Salmon brut champagne is my choice for this one. While it may be tempting to skip the sparkling water altogether, keep it. It’s a good addition. Cheers to this summer’s patio pounder!
Before we settle into the patio chairs and cheers, let’s discuss Campari for those of you just joining the blog and may not be familiar with it. Campari is a popular Italian aperitif, similar to its cousin Aperol. Campari is more vibrant in red color compared to Aperol, which is more orange, and has a slightly higher alcohol content, offering more complexities with hints of citrus and considerably more bitter notes. Some say it’s an acquired taste, but I find it to be divine really. You’re going to love it!
The Campari Smash
Ingredients
1 cup of mixed strawberries and blueberries
2 ounces of Campari (I always pour this one with the heart)
1 can of sparkling Pellegrini top off
1 bottle of champagne (I use Billecart-Salmon brut for this one) to top it all off, noting that you won’t use the whole bottle for one drink, I mean..depends the size of the glass maybe
1/4 slice of an orange to squeeze over the finished cocktail
Method
In a mixing tin add your berries. Muddle berries with a muddler until they are a chunky mush. Add Campari and ice. Shake and garbage dump all contents into a glass. Top with 1/2 ounce sparkling water and fill the remainder of space in the glass with champagne. Squeeze and orange over the contents of the glass.
Garnish: None other than the berries in the glass, okay, maybe one more blueberry (for the photo opportunity!) with the optional sugar rim.
Glass: Bucket Glass
Bar chef note: To muddle means to mash or extract, in this case, juices from the berries into a glass or mixing tin to enhance the flavors of the concoction. Typically, a long, slender stick, preferably one with teeth (I prefer the wooden ones), is best.
Testing drinks: one with sparkling water, one with white champagne, one with both, one with more fruit, one with less fruit, and one where I forgot the fruit. Check out the video featuring the drink where I forgot the fruit.
Lately, I have been in a freezy frenzy, making so many frozen drinks. While I haven’t been spending too much time beachside, I have been enjoying experimenting with different flavors and ingredients to create unique and refreshing beverages aka (mostly) boozy smoothies. And recently, I also acquired another new machine that had me squealing with excitement upon purchase and I can’t wait to share more about it with you soon. I hope you are (and will be) as excited about these drinks as I am.
As for this drink? It’s frozen raspberries blended into a hibiscus honey tea (brewed by me of course using dried hibiscus flowers and honey simple syrup), fresh squeezed lime juice, rose water, Lillet rouge, Angostura bitters, silver tequila, smoked salt, dried rose petals, honey with some more dried rose flowers, and a couple of lime wheels for the garnish (more for the photo than functionality and maybe for chewing the last bit of drink out of). I considered a mezcal tequila split but I was all out of mezcal. Despite the absence of the mezcal in this rendition, it’s just fine as it is. The white non-aged tequila offers a clean kick that allows the tartness of the berries to really shine, raising the question of whether there is any alcohol in this little concoction at all. I’ll let you be the judge.
Before we dive into the recipe, you may ask, “What is white tequila?” Allow me. It is aged for about 2 months in stainless steel barrels and comes from the agave plant. It offers a cleaner less robust than when it’s aged. All tequila is made in five states in Mexico. Guanajuato, Jalisco, Nayarit, Michoacán and Tamaulipas. Because of laws, if tequila isn’t made in these states, it can’t be called tequila. Similarly to that of some wines. Now, what is Lillet Rouge? It’s a red aperitif originating from Bordeaux, slightly bitter in taste with notes of citrus peels and honey. Delicious! Delicious! Although I prefer the yellow Lillet and then the rose Lillet on their own, because you wanted to know, this one isn’t bad on its own either but is superb when mixed. Although they could be substituted here, lets don’t mess with a good thing..
My Tequila Rosearita
2 oz (and a splash) of white tequila
1 oz Lillet rogue
1 1/2 oz oz of honey syrup hibiscus tea blend (think Southern sweet tea style) add more or less for desired fluidity and perhaps sweetness
1 1/2 cups of frozen raspberries
1/2 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
A few dashes but less than a tablespoon of rose water (make your own or purchase – recipe for making your own from Tatum’s Tiny Kitchen coming soon. Also an excellent skin toner, FYI).
Handful of crumbled dried edible rose petals for the glass
Two whole edible dried rose buds for the garnish
Smoked rock salt and some honey for the glass
Method
To make the honey syrup, combine a 3:1 ratio of honey to hot water and add a few dried hibiscus flowers. Stir until the honey is no longer thick. Set the mixture aside to cool. Once it has cooled and/or before using, strain out the hibiscus flowers.
Using tape, create a V shape in the glass. With a silicone brush (or your use your clean fingers), apply honey between the pieces of tape. Set aside. Pour smoked salt into a saucer and crumble some dried rose petals – they are brittle, so this step should be relatively easy. Then sprinkle the salt rose petal mixture onto the honey area between the tape on the glass, allow to settle a bit and tap to secure adhesion. Remove the tape and set the glass aside once more. Tap again if needed.
Add all other ingredients to blending machine and blend until smooth. Pour into garnished bucket glass. Chilled glass is even better but not necessary.
Glass: bucket glass
Garnish: honey adhesive smoked dried rose petals
**Whatever doesn’t fit in the glass can be consumed directly from the blender cylinder. Yup, I was drinking straight from the cylinder contemplating whether to decant it into a garnished glass. #appeovedbytheblonde
Where to buy the goods like jiggers, saucers, smoked salt and blending machines? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront, of course. Please know I may receive commissions from eligible purchases.
Please be of the legal drinking age and drink responsibly.
This is not a medically FDA-proven remedy. Angostura bitters also contain a small percentage of alcohol. If you do not consume alcohol, have allergies, or are sensitive to any of these ingredients, this remedy is not suitable for you. Bitters are not only used as an ingredient in many popular classics (Old-Fashioned, looking at you) but also for other purposes. There are also various types of bitters too. Angostura working best for this recipe. Making bitters and different types of bitters will be covered on another post. Please never mind if these lemons aren’t trimmed perfectly; they are reserved for hiccups. That’s right, Angostura bitters + sugar + lemons = the ultimate remedy. To cure your hiccups, simply pour several dashes of bitters and a heaping pinch of white granulated sugar (really more is more is better here) on lemon slices and suck. Three or four slices, equaling about half a lemon, should do the trick. This depends on how large your lemon is of course. So, now you know. Whether you are going out tonight, for the weekend, or on holidays, keep this tip in your back pocket – just in case.
Bar chef tip: roll lemons before cutting to maximize the juices. Oh and don’t forget to remove the seeds from them lemons.
lemon on the plate heaping pinch of sugardashes of bitters and suckNeed a little extra? Dredge lemons through sugar bitters mixtures in the plate, suck again.
Where to buy the goods? Angostura bitters, sugar and stuffs bar related? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront, of course. Please know I may receive commissions from eligible purchases. Thank you so much!
Please drink responsibly and be of the legal drinking age.
A garnish can elevate drink presentation and, more importantly, influence taste.
Dehydrated fruit concentrates aroma, and adds texture without introducing dilution. Pears, in particular, are subtle. They are floral, and structural like the apple and easily read as decorative.
I prefer to make garnishes myself whenever possible. Control matters: thickness, dryness, integrity. Dehydration can be done in the oven or with a machine; the method matters as does consistency and little bit of patience.
Beyond cocktails, dehydrated fruit has real utility across the bar and kitchen — shelf-stable, intentional, and efficient.
Today: pear.
Dehydrated Pear Garnish
Prepare the Pears
– Wash and peel the pears (peeling optional)
– Core the pears and slice them thinly and uniformly using a mandoline slicer. A knife slicing works too but the mandoline is more consistent.
Oven Dehydration:
– Preheat your oven to the lowest setting (usually around 200°F or 93°C) sometimes a little lower or higher depending on the oven and the calibration
– Place the sliced pears on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
– Leave the oven door slightly open to allow moisture to escape.
– Check the pears every hour and rotate the trays for even drying
– Dehydrate for 2-8 hours or until the pears are dried but still pliable
Dehydrator Method:
– Arrange the sliced pears on the dehydrator trays in a single layer
– Set the dehydrator to 110-135°F (depending on manufacturer times and temps) and let it run for 8-12 hours or longer if you prefer darker or crispier fruits/veggies
– Check the pears periodically and rotate the trays as needed for even drying
– The pears are ready when they are dried and slightly leathery
Storage:
– Allow the dehydrated pears to cool completely before storing them
– Store the dried pears in an airtight container or resealable bags in a cool, dry place and don’t forget your moisture packets
Dehydrated pears tend to disappear quickly — easy to eat like chips, often before they make the glass.
