blonde behind the bucket Archives - Page 10 of 15

Cabbage Rosemary Cooler Mocktail

Cheers!

This green goodness is inspired by St. Patrick’s Day and leftover produce; definitely worth trying. Juicing cabbage may seem odd, but it’s a great hydrating option after a night out. Packed with vitamins C and K, cabbage eases inflammation. Rosemary simple syrup adds a fresh, sweet touch, balancing the cabbage’s bitterness. Sparkling water, akin to champagne bubbles, is refreshing and hydrating. A pinch of Himalayan pink salt enhances flavors and adds good luck. This drink is a supercharger, boosting all flavors. While I’m no medical expert, personally, this concoction has worked wonders for me. Drink it regularly, and you may start glowing from within.

This juice can be batched if using a cold-pressed juicer and will last for a couple of days in the refrigerator. If using other juicers, I recommend drinking it immediately, ideally on the same day.

Cabbage Cooler

Ingredients

1/2 head of green cabbage

1/4 oz rosemary simple syrup

1 medium knob of ginger

1 dash of Himalayan pink salt

Top with S. Pellegrino Sparkling water

Rosemary stirring sprig (it is a garnish and a stirring stick)

Method

For the Rosemary Simple Syrup

Add equal parts of white granulated sugar and water to a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the rosemary. Boil for about 5-7 minutes, then remove from heat. Let the rosemary cool and steep in the sugar water. Strain out the rosemary. Allow the syrup to cool before refrigerating. It’s best to use the syrup when cool in this drink. Store any unused syrup in the refrigerator. The shelf life for the rosemary simple syrup is about a week, if it lasts that long, being a multi-functional syrup and all.

For the cabbage juice

Use your juicer to juice fresh, clean, washed cabbage and ginger. Pour the juice into a wine glass. Add the rosemary syrup. Use a rosemary sprig garnish to stir. Top it off with sparkling water.

Bar Chef Notes: If you don’t have a juicer you can blend in a blender and strain with a clothe milk bag, cheese cloth, or coffee filter.

Glass: wine glass

Garnish: fresh Rosemary sprig/stir stick

Bar Chef Notes: Ice or chilling juice before serving, optional

The first drink spilled and I had to make it again…

Where to but the goods? Blonde Behind the Bucket

I may receive compensation for eligible purchases. Thank you!

PickleBack Shot

Pickle juice adds tang and soothes the bite of the whiskey. Whiskey first pickle juice second.

Shoot or sip separate or combine, your choice. The “proper way” to partake is up for debate amongst many. All goes down the same way if you ask me. Cheers!

PickleBack Shot

Ingredients

2 oz of whiskey

2 ounces of pickle juice of choice

One (or several) pickles

Method

Using a jigger pour 2 ounces of room temperature whiskey into a bucket glass. Using the same jigger pour 2 ounces of of chilled pickle juice into a shot glass. Shoot one after the other. Sip one after the other or combine and shoot or sip combined liquids. Eat pickle after all the shot consumed.

Pickle juice adds magic to the whiskey

Where to buy the goods? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront

Easy Bake Heart

Do you remember the kids easy bake ovens? Inspired by childhood nostalgia, meet my easy bake heart garnish for my « clear intentions » cocktail. Or any cocktail really. I had a recipe in mind when preparing this garnish. Clearly, not really. You can make any shape you want to make though. The heart cookie cutter is what I have and was the inspiration here. You don’t need a cookie cutter either. In pastry school I did some free form stuffs on the silpat. Have fun. Be creative. Cheers to making a successful sugar garnish for your drinks!

Ingredients and Tools

Caullet Glucose Syrup – 2.2 lbs by Banshee

Heart shaped Wilton cookie cutter

Pam cooking spray

Kitchen scissors

Baking tray and silpat silicone mat

Method

Add syrup inside

a free form and inside cookie cutter/mold

Preheat the oven.

Place a silpat in a baking sheet. Oh and a silpat is a silicone baking mat used to line a baking tray making the stickiest of the stickiest sugary treats easy to remove.

Spray the inside of your heart cookie cutter with a non stick baking spray. Set on top of the silicone mat. Pour glucose syrup into the mold. If using a spoon or spatula, spray that too so the glucose syrup doesn’t stick. Some may ooze outside. Don’t worry, this is normal. I didn’t measure. I eyeballed. Not too thick not too thin. How is that for professional measuring. Bake 356 degrees Fahrenheit until bubbles. About 25-35 minutes.

Let it cool slightly. Not too much as the shape will break. Use scissors to trim the excess hardened baked sugar. Carefully.

Side note: dash of vanilla and food coloring flavorful and fun ways to elevate your easy bake garnish

Carefully remove the cookie cutter and trim around the edges using kitchen scissors

Where to buy some of the goods seen in this post? Uhm, Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront of course.

* I may receive compensation for eligible purchases.

The Vera

This bottle of Ritual Zero Proof was gifted to me. Introducing the first of many recipes to come with this alcohol alternative. You won’t miss the alcohol. In case you were wondering. The flavors are specific and pronounced without being overpowering. Most certainly comparable to the spirit intended to mimic when mixed.

This summer slushy will be a go-to for sure for those I don’t feel like drinking for whatever reason days.

Cheers! The Vera!

The Vera

Ingredients

2 oz Ritual Zero Proof Tequila alternative

1 1/2 cups of Pitaya Foods frozen aloe vera chunks

1/2 cup of fresh organic cucumber and a ribbon to garnish

1/2 oz agave (I used a Whole Foods brand 365)

1 whole fresh washed green lime (only need half for this recipe)

Salt for the rim of the glass

Taste testing .. it’s good. It’s good.

Method

Wash cucumber. Using a vegetable peeler, carefully slide vertically from top to bottom of the cucumber with light pressure to create two or three ribbons. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Cut a lime in half. Use a lime to moisten the rim the glass. Add salt to a saucer and roll the glass in salt and set aside. Refrigerating your salt rimmed glass a superior choice. Put a cold thing in a cold thing keeps the original cold thing cold. Besides you know you love a frosted glass. Save the half for the finishing squeeze once the drink is in the glass.

Rough slice the cucumber. Skin on is my vote. Add to blending machine with all other ingredients. Blend until smooth slushy consistency. No ice needed as the frozen aloe vera chunks the « ice ».

Remove the glass and cucumber garnishes from refrigerator. Pour slushy mixture into the glass. Top with garnish. Squeeze the juice from the fresh lime used to rim the glass pre salt for brightness, over the drink.

Glass: Glass bucket glass. Melamine if pool side.

Garnish: Cucumber ribbons

Where to buy some of the goods in this post? Blonde Behind the Bucket

I may receive compensation for eligible purchases.

Motivation Monday Mean Green Smoothie

Today looked like Monday. The Monday that gets the bad rap Monday. A cold rainy January Monday case of the Mondays Monday. It could be Tuesday or Friday and would still feel like that Monday. To add to the case of the Mondays feeling, I don’t have any more of my usual frozen fruits for the smoothie. I contemplate click and ship within two hours via Amazon Fresh and decide against it. I am glad I did, decide against it. After rummaging through my freezer fridge and cupboards, I figured it out. You’ll thank me. The Motivation Monday Mean Green Smoothie for any day of the week that feels like, you know, is a happy smoothie. It’s fresh bright light and satisfying. After a few sips, you will be asking yourself, case of the Mondays what? Who me? And I don’t know know about you but I feel a teensy bit healthier it being green and all.

Motivation Monday Mean Green Smoothie

1 Cup of Frozen Spinach

1/2 Fresh Cucumber

1/4 Cup of Frozen Black Cherries

8 Fresh Mint Leaves and a sprig for garnish

1 Scoop of SAKARA Protein + Greens Super Powder (contains pea and hemp protein pumpkin seed protein sesame protein coconut milk powder AND Super Greens Blend (spirulina, I’m guessing green and wheatgrass some barley and more..) addition coconut and vanilla for good measure. These are the ingredients listed in the package. Saves the trouble of buying all the seeds and peas and powders. It’s an all in one.

1 Scoop of Agent Nateur Holi (mane) Hair, Skin, Nails Supplement (marine collagen and pearl powder)

2 Tablespoons of Primal Kitchen Collagen Fuel Vanilla Coconut Drink Mix

2-3 Tablespoons of Agave

1 Cup of Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

Method

Add almond milk to the blender. Then add frozen spinach. Continue with remainder ingredients. I recommend adding powders after the agave and almost last if you can; This way the powders don’t sink to the bottom of the blending machine and clump. Please don’t forget to wash your cucumber and your mint. I chopped extra and ate while I was preparing and contemplating what other ingredients I might add. Cinnamon could be nice too? I skip it. Anyways, blend all together and pour into glass.

Glass: Bucket Glass

Garnish: Mint Sprigs

Where to buy the goods? Glasses, blenders, ingredients.. Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront of course. I may receive commissions from eligible purchases.

Blood Orange Delight

This one could be a patio pounder, but we are still in dry January. Even if we weren’t, you won’t miss the gin (too much) with this one, though. The bitters’ flavors offer the botanicals we love in gin, and the blood orange adds a tart, bright light. The lemon zest Pellegrino provides a satisfying, refreshing finish, leaving you wanting more. Eight days and counting…

Cheers! You’re almost there.

Blood Orange Delight

Ingredients

1/2 of one blood orange

1 oz of agave

4 oz of lemon Pellegrino sparkling water

3-6 dashes All the Bitter cardamon coriander blood orange non-alcoholic bitters

Method

In a mixing tin, muddle half of a blood orange, pressing out as much juice as possible. A room temperature rolled orange helps. Add agave and ice, then shake until the mixing tin is cold. If you prefer a pulp-filled drink, strain into a bucket glass; if not, double strain. To double strain, use a Hawthorne strainer with a fine mesh strainer. Add ice to your bucket glass and top with lemon Pellegrino.

Glass: Bucket Glass

Garnish: Thinly sliced blood orange circle. Brûlée the orange using sugar and a torch for a fancy touch.

Bar Chef Note: Double-check all bitters ingredients for allergens and interactions

Cheers!

Test video. Mixing tins and glasses take 2 and a gentle reminder for myself brush hair add lipstick before video?

I didn’t plan on making a video..

Where to buy the goods? Mixing tins, pint glasses, bitters.. Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront

*I may receive commissions for eligible purchases

Hello Jellie Mocktail

To reiterate what is currently circulating on social media – Dry January doesn’t have to be boring. Inspired by the Japanese coffee jelly drink (some add milk to make it a beverage), I created my own jelly cocktail and mocktail. This post will feature the mocktail, with the cocktail coming next month. Remember, this is Dry January, so I sat around thinking about how to make it more exciting. I wanted to use vanilla extract, Collins maraschino cherry juice, Sadaf pomegranate molasses, all infused with saffron. And thus, my Hello Jello Mocktail was born.

It’s easy to make and delicious. This is more than cubes of jello in a glass. Cheers! You’re almost there.

Hello Jellie Mocktail

4 cups of still water (one reserved for the the gelatin sheets)

2 cups of white granulated sugar

17 gold leaf gelatin sheets

2 Tablespoons of vanilla extract (make your own here)

2 teaspoons of Collins maraschino cherry juice

1/2 teaspoon of Sadof pomegranate molasses

1 teaspoon of Cultures for Health citric acid powder

1/4 teaspoon (ish) of saffron (I eyeballed this one)

Video! What a beauty.

Method

Using a bowl, add 1 cup of cool water to seventeen 220 bloom gold leaf gelatin sheets. It’s ok to break the sheets up a little bit. All sheets should be covered completely or at least much as possible with water. Let the sheets bloom for about 5-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, using a pot (I use an oval Le Creuset Dutch oven), bring 3 cups of water and sugar to a simmer until sugar dissolved. Remove gelatin sheets from blooming water bath squeezing any of the excess water along the way. Add gelatin to the simmering water. Add vanilla. Add citric acid and syrups. Roll saffron in your hand to break it up a bit and toss into the mixture. Stir to blend then remove from heat. Let steep and for 5 to 10 minutes. Strain the saffron out or leave inside mixture.

Pour cooled mixture into silicone molds or container of choosing. Refrigerating overnight is best.

Remove from the molds once refrigerated and cut into desired shapes. I choose cubes. I love how the light reflects and the sharpness.

Glass: Bucket Glass

Garnish: None

Side note: If using silicone molds, spray with cooking spray or brush with a neutral oil and wipe with a paper towel. I used some silicone mold and my mixing glass. You can use a bowl or a pan. Any works as you will cut into cubes. Set aside.

Pro tip: to remove the jello, place silicone molds into warm water. The sides should release with a jiggle.

Some behind the scenes videos…

The end

Where to buy the goods? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront

A Good Goldie

Challenge accepted. Riff on a Negroni. Sort of. Here. It. Is.

You’re welcome. Wink. Wink.

Stir A Good Goldie

A Good Goldie

Ingredients

2 oz Bombay Sapphire gin

1 oz of Liquor 43

1/2 oz dry vermouth

1/2 oz Antica Carpano sweet vermouth

3 droppers of rye chocolate bitters

6 dashes of orange bitters

Method

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain over ice.

Garnish: orange peel or dehydrated tangelos

Glass: bucket glass

Please enjoy of the legal drinking age and drink responsibly

Where to buy the goods? You know dehydrated fruits because you can’t be bothered, or dehydrator because you can, or chocolate bitters because you can’t be bothered, or cocoa nibs and rye because you can, and glassware or other stuffs?

Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront , of course. Please know I may receive commissions from eligible purchases. Thank you!

Crémant

Crémant is sparkling wine from France. It’s typically made with more grapes than champagne. Champagne is made typically made using three or in some cases one grape varietals. The process, methode traditionelle, the same for both. The wine can only be called champagne if it’s from the Champagne region of France and crémant if it’s from one of its producing regions; Loire, Alsace, Bourgogne, and Limoux. Crémant was the name given in the 1980s because of law.

This one featured here is is Gratien & Meyer Cremant (Gra-shen My-er) De Loire Brut Rose. 100 % Cabernet Franc and has a price point range of $16-$20 USD per bottle. This wine is bright with berry fruit and dry. It’s excellent on its own or as a topper to many cocktails.

My Bend and Snap Cocktail

Last year I was asked to create a cocktail for the 20th anniversary of the Legally Blonde movie. There were a couple of must haves. It had to be pink and called The Bend and Snap. Why the Bend and Snap? It’s named after the movie’s famous how to secure a date scene featuring the “bend and snap » technique. The scene was written at the hotel bar called the Writer’s Bar and paying homage to the creators and technique, this is my 2021 Bend and Snap.

didn’t have any more purple flowers or this signifies a mocktail

This cocktail scheduled to be on the menu for one week. That was July 2021. It is still on the menu today. I am so proud of my little cocktail. I can’t promise it will secure you a date but sure is a tasty way to try.

Bend and Snap

2 oz Belvedere vodka

5-6 slides of watermelon

8 sprigs of fresh mint

1 slice of a jalapeño

3/4 oz fresh lime juice

3/4 oz agave syrup (add little water if too thick as this reduces the agave sweetness and adds more fluidity. This is a trick when using speed pour spouts at a bar)

Purple edible viola flowers

Method

1. Add 5-6 small slices of watermelon to a small mixing tin. Think watermelon cut for a breakfast fruit plate. Using a muddler, mash the watermelon to create a pulpy juice.

2. Add 8 sprigs of mint to the same tin. Gently press and twist the mint using a muddler.

3. Add one thin slice of jalapeño with the seeds. Turn once with the same muddler to extract the juices. Don’t over muddle. This drink isn’t a spicy drink. The heat and “snap” should be in the back of the throat a the finish of the sip.

4. Add agave, fresh lime juice, vodka and ice. Shake and double strain into a bucket glass over one large ice cube. Garnish with a purple or lavender viola flower.

Glass: Bucket glass

Garnish: purple or lavender edible viola flower

*** pro-tip if the jalapeño is too spicy or too green consider making or purchasing jalapeño bitters for consistancy

Side notes: I tested this cocktail with tequila and honey together and both with vodka. For this assignment, these ingredients work best.