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.
1994 In A Bottle: Barbareso They brought it to me to taste. Sipped and spat. Sipped and spat. I was too busy to go to the table. The more brown the wine is a good indicator of age. This wine is DOCG, high classification for a wine under Italian law. The letters stand for Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita and in other words, strict regulations for wine production. This wine is aged. This wine has a clear with halos of brown maroon colors. This wine is notes of dried fruit, wood, and vanilla. This wine is subtle cocoa nibs, bitter chocolate. This wine is earth. This wine is Old World European, specifically from Italian Piedmont, Barbaresco. This wine is considered a younger Barolo. This wine is 100% Nebbiolo grapes, one of the oldest in this particular region. This wine has light tannins and a calm finish. This wine is single vineyard. This wine is Martinenga estates. This wine is 1994. This wine is. This wines’s price retail USD varies from cellar. This wine pairs well with the usual suspects: Parmesan Reggiano, meats, truffles, mushroom dishes, bresaola, steaks, beef carpaccio, clean steak tartare, and amaretti cookies. Drink now. Where to buy the goods? You know decanters, The Durand and stemware? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront. Please know I may receive compensation from eligible purchases. Thank you so much!
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 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.
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!
Gold in a Bottle: Krug 168th It takes me about three days to taste most of the wine. The wine goes into the refrigerator sealed and dated. The next day, I pour another glass using two different style glasses РISO and then a bucket Рnoting any differences. Does anyone else do this? This wine is monumental. The beauty and feeling of this wine are unphotographable. Any attempt to capture it would not be god enough. This wine is pale yellow. This wine is clear. This wine is sparkling. This wine is Old World with gold flakes sparkling racing to the top leaving me to wonder did they inject gold into this bottle. The professional term known as vivacious. This wine is wow. This wine is extraordinary prestige, a true cause for celebration. This wine is mouth watering citrus. This wine is a gingerbread nose. This wine is a first burp. This wine is delicate and very much alive. This wine is its unique identity with every sip. This wine is 198 different wines from 11 years. This wine is 52% Pinot Noir 35% Chardonnay and 13 % Pinot Menuier. This wine is grapes from 1996 to 2012. This wine is cork received 2019. This wine is champagne. This wine is KRUG 168th. This wine is exceptional. This wine is unforgettable. This wine is. This wine pairs well with the usual suspects: caviar, oysters, French fries, salmon, shellfish, frog legs, mushroom p̢t̩, crispy cold salads, and ginger snap cookies. This wine retails for about $220 USA dollars. Drink now or hold. Buy two of you can. Where to buy the goods? Glasses and champagne stoppers and stuffs? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront. Please know I may earn commissions from eligible purchases. Thank you.
Ruinart Blanc de Blanc tasting This wine is straw-pale yellow. This wine is clear. This wine is flowers and pears. This wine sparkles with a light golden effervescence that playfully tickles and prickles the tongue. This wine is a classic let’s say continuously eccentrically a popping of delicate bubbles that almost instantly dissolve. This wine is Old World or as they say now, European. This wine is subtle chalk terroir. This wine is purity. This wine is art. This wine is stratification of creativity. This wine is easy. This wine is a mastery. This wine is champagne. This wine is resemblance to…This wine is Chardonnay grapes. This wine is Blanc de Blanc. This wine is the perfect dinner date. This wine is recognizably Ruinart Blanc de Blanc. This wine is. This wine pairs with caviar, oyster and seafoods, extra creamy pasta dishes, cheeses and sour cream cake with vanilla frosting. And popcorn. This wine retails for $80 USD. Drink now. Where to buy the goods? By goods, I mean wine glasses, plates, cake stands and champagne stoppers? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront of course. Please know I may receive commissions for eligible purchases. Thank you so much!
Wine Tasting: Murphy-Goode I will always taste this grape varietal. New World, Old World. Box, bottle, cork, or screw top. It doesn’t matter. This wine is conveniently fashioned with a screw top for easy accessibility. This wine is ruby. This wine is ripe fruit. This wine is a bit of jam. This wine is cherry strawberries plum. This wine is clear. This wine is soft and subtle with a clean finish. This wine is light to medium tannin with hints of vanilla and maybe a note of chocolate. This wine is approachable. This wine is New World. This wine is California. This wine is Alexander Valley. This wine is Murphy-Goode. This wine is. This wine is excellent on its own or paired with food. This wine pairs with fatty fish, red meat and game and pastas. It also pairs well with cheese and charcuterie boards. Together or separate. This wine retails $11-17$ USD. Drink now. Where to find the goods? Wine glasses and stuffs? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront of course. Please know I may receive commissions from eligible purchases.