For consistency: Jalapeño Bitters Jalapeño peppers are fickle ones. Some spicy hot some spicy mild and some are more green in taste. Consistency is key when creating spicy cocktails. Mother Nature does what she does and that isn’t always the most agreeable to when selecting ingredients for year round menu cocktails. How do we create the desired consistency for our year round cocktails? Bitters is one way. What is needed? A high proof grain spirit and jalapeños and some time. That’s it. Easy as that. Jalapeño Bitters 4-10 jalapeños 10 oz of Everclear 190 grain spirit (it’s a whopping 95% alcohol by volume) Method Slice each jalapeño. Using a muddler, mash some of the slices extracting juice and crushing the seeds. Add all slices and muddle pieces to a container. Then add the alcohol to the same container. Cover with an airtight lid. Leave a room temperature for about a week. 7 days. Taste test for spice. Remove peppers once you have your bitters. Store in the refrigerator or at room temperature in a dropper bottle or sealed jar. Label and date. making jalapeño bitters So, wanna spicy margarita? Make it the same as you would and add your jalapeño bitters float at the end. Just like that.
Golden Planet Juice I was having a conversation with two someones on different occasions recently. “It’s what we do when we are well that affects us when we are not well,” was the takeaway. This is a yummy, taking-care juice. As bright as the sun and feels good with every sip. Golden Planet Juice 1/2 cucumber 3/4 Granny Smith green apple (I ate the other 1/4 while preparing the juice) 2 medium golden beets 1 cup of baby carrots pinch of Himalayan pink salt Wash and cut all fruits and veggies. Skin on or off. Feed produce though the juicing machine. Pour juice into bucket glass. Add pinch of pink salt. Glass: bucket glass Garnish: none Where to buy the juicers and glassware and stuff? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront, of course. I may receive commission from eligible purchases.
Pomegranate Fruit Blast Pomegranate Fruit Blast Ingredients 1 cup of evaporated milk OR unsweetened vanilla almond milk (both are excellent with these ingredients) 1 Pitaya Foods frozen dragon fruit package 1 cup frozen chopped strawberries 1/2 cup of frozen pineapples 1/2 frozen banana 1/4 cup of frozen black pitted cherries A little but of frozen spinach for good measure. Extra greens are a good thing was my thinking. Small handful worth.. 1/2 cup of pomegranate kernels (reserve some for the garnish. I eyeballed this ingredient for the garnish. Maybe a tablespoon worth) 1 scoop of Agent Nateur & Dr. Will Cole holi (mane) collagen powder 1/2 scoop -1 scoop Vega vanilla protein and greens protein powder depending on desired sweetness Method Add all ingredients to a blending machine expect the reserved pomegranate kernels. Blend until smooth. Glass: bucket glass Garnish: pomegranate seeds
a softer side of a gentleman (Jack) I entered this one into a whiskey sour contest. It was one of two drinks required. This, the second assignment was be as creative as I wanted staying true to sour and using what I have learned from whiskey’s past to present. I clarified and chose a gender neutral color yellow. I added clarified lemon juice and brûléed the foam to remove any egg smell. Who wants a nose of egg white straight away? The flavors add simple complexity to the drink. With each sip the liquid dissolves the foam. All pleasantly pleasing and excite the palate. Think charred wood with ginger black pepper flavors of whiskey. The syrups add just the right amount of sweet and the citric acid brings back the pucker. The white chocolate was going to be slats of chocolate bark up and around the sides of the glass but I thought it too much and added the white chocolate shavings instead. The sugar pearls could indicate a wedding, a new year or perhaps just the intention, added texture. This one goes down easy. Another question of is there or isn’t there alcohol in this sour. There is. It’s clear. It’s pretty and pale yellow. May I introduce A Softer Side of a Gentleman (Jack) sour. softer side of a gentleman 3 ounces of Gentleman Jack (goat milk lemons limes orange clarified) 1/2 ounce and a bar spoon of homemade fresh ginger simple syrup (bar spoon for the foam recipe below) 1/2 ounce of homemade toasted black peppercorn agave syrup (you can purchase a pre-made if you don’t want to make it) generous pinch to 1/4 teaspoon of Cultures for Your Health citric acid powder (depends on how much pucker you want) For the foam 1 chicken egg egg white for the foam dash of cream of tartar (if using kitchen aid whisk attached mixer instead of canister) 1/2 ounce of clarified lemon juice (1 1/2 teaspoons of agar agar to 8 ounces of lemon juice freeze 24 hours and throw using coffee filter fastened to a freezer safe lid container) bar spoon of ginger syrup pinch of pink salt Add egg whites to a mixing bowl or canister cylinder. If using a mixing bowl and whisk add cream of tartar. Add salt and lemon juice and ginger syrup once soft peaks have formed in the mixing bowl. For the cocktail. Add all ingredients to a bucket glass. Add large clear ice cube (if you can). Crushed ice is great too. Add egg white foam.! Garnish the cocktail with chocolate shaving, SLO food gold leaf for garnishing, Bamboo skewers and toothpicks to work with the gold, Vanilla candy pearls optional (sometimes I get carried away) Butane torch to brûlée to give that charred campfire smell and taste Glass: clear bucket glass 1 large clear cube ice cube Enjoy! Please drink responsibly where to buy the goods to make this? Many available at Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront I made this drink with two different foam toppings. One gold white chocolate brûlée and the other gold white chocolate brûlée add white sugar pearls
Iced Chocolate Garnish Almost ready. This is a fun one. Ok, I tested using semi-sweet chips with dark chocolate chunks (1:1) and I tested using a Belgium dark chocolate bar from the 99Cents stores. Both melting techniques using a Bain-Marie. Microwave a great second if you have one and don’t want to go through the extra steps. For the ice, I tested two ways. The first piping the chocolate into a bowl of water with ice cubes. The second filling a large ziplock plastic bag with water then freeze to have the now ice in a bag. Both work. Some of these chocolates came out a bit clunky. All are usable, even if only for the snacking while you watch the others set. Ingredients Chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, chocolate bars Water Ice Method For the ice both method 1. Over medium beat, place a heat safe bowl on top a pot of water on the stove. This technique is Bain-Marie. The bowl should be large enough as not to touch the water or fall into the pot. Water should not touch the chocolate. Example of Bain-Marie 2. Add chocolate to the bowl and let it sit. As it starts to melt stir slightly with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula intermittently until smooth. 3. Once chocolate is melted, remove from the bowl from heat. Set aside. Let the chocolate cool slightly. Once cooled add to a zip locked bag for the piping. 5. Add ice and water to a bowl. If the zip locked bag method is the choice, roll the sides of the bag down over the ice or remove and float in water. 6. Snip the tip of your piping bag and swirl the chocolate. Make any shape you like. I practiced writing my name. 7. Once chocolate starts to lift from the ice, remove using an offset spatula or dinner knife. Place your chocolate shapes onto a chilled plate and refrigerate until ready to use. Remove using any knife. I call this one a butter knife. It’s not a butter knife but it does the trick. Place the bag into a glass making it easier to fill with melted chocolate. All the chocolate should settle into nicer of the bag. Once filled snip the tip Where to buy? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront *** I may receive commissions from eligible purchases
tomorrow’s amaro Tomorrow’s Amaro For the Cynar infusion I made a few different batches. One with mixed berries, one with blueberries and one with strawberries. Clear case of indecision as they all sounded good. This recipe is with the strawberries. The other infusions taste were tasty. Strawberries, artichoke molasses and key lime the winner. Yes, please and thank you. Some drink Cynar with cola and lime wedge. This is my version of that. 10 partially thawed Whole Foods 365 organic frozen strawberries with any residual juices 4 oz of Cynar Method Remove 10 strawberries from the freezer. I purchased Whole Foods 365 Brand. Let them thaw slightly in a bowl. Add Cunard and berries with the juices into a container. Seal with lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate for a 2-7 days. Remove the fruit and keep the Cynar. For the molasses Add 1 part water to 1 part molasses. Consistency should not be thick but fluid. For the cocktail Tomorrow’s Amaro 2 oz of strawberry infused Cynar (Cynar is a bitter artichoke Italian apéritif) 1/2 oz of molasses syrup 4 oz of LaCroix key lime soda Method Add all ingredients to a bucket glass. Add ice. Crushed chunks cubes, whatever you like. Garnish: none unless plopping a boozy infused strawberry sounds good Where to buy the goods? You know soda, molasses, bucket glasses and stuff? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront
Cucumber Ribbons and the G&T G&T There is an elegance in simplicity. Cucumber ribbons are an easy example of this. May I present my cucumber ribbons in the G&T. Cucumber Ribbons and the G&T Ingredients 1 medium size cucumber 2 oz of gin of choice 1 bottle of Fever Tree tonic water Method For the cucumber Using a (paring) knife, slice off the bottom pointy end of the cucumber making it easier (and safer) to use the vegetable peeler. Then stand the cucumber on diagonal securing its stance at the top with one hand. The hand you won’t be using to hold the peeler. Starting from top to bottom carefully pressing the vegetable peeler away from you peeling along the length of the cucumber. Make several thins of cucumbers. Trim to tidy any jagged or unclean edges and line your glass. Add ice. Add gin and top with tonic. For the drink: 2 oz Hendrick’s gin. Add ice. Top with tonic water. Glass: bucket glass Garnish: cucumbers (obviously) Cucumber ribbons garnish Please drink responsibly. Yes, the skins look great and can be used as ribbons too. Remember the videos above? Where to buy the OXO peeler and a bucket glass? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront. ** * I may receive commissions from eligible purchases
My Orange Juice Just look at it. Isn’t it beautiful. Up close and last looks before the gulp.. It’s light bright sweet slightly savory and energizing. Perfect for a cool early morning or midafternoon pick me up as the season changes. It’s autumnal colors certainly signaling fall is here and hinting Halloween is around the corner. No matter the season, drink happy. My Orange Juice 1 1/2 cups of baby carrots 1 medium knob of ginger 2 Granny Smith apples 1/2 naval orange Fresh ground black pepper, dried turmeric powder and manuka honey for the rim of the glass. Method Paint or roll your glass rim with PRI Manuka honey 10+. Set aside. Add dried turmeric powder and several turns of the fresh pepper from the grinder to a saucer. Mix together using your finger or a fork. Twist and roll the honey coated rim of the glass into the pepper turmeric mixture. Refrigerate while you juice. Wash fruit. Add all to a juicer. I use Omega. If you don’t have a juicer use a blending machine and strain with a cheese cloth or coffee filter. Add juice to the prepared glass and enjoy. Glass: bucket glass Garnish: black pepper and turmeric Where to buy? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront *** I may receive commissions from eligible purchases
The CCTB Infuse your Campari with cacao nibs. This I call chocolate Campari. Recipe available on the home page under category bitters extracts and syrups.. The CCTB Cocktail 2 ounces of Campari cacao nibs infusion 1 ounce of Bauchant orange cognac liqueur 10 small ice cubes from an ice tray 5 dashes of angostura bitters (optional) Method: Mix all ingredients in a blender. Pulse until the ice melts, giving froth to the cocktail. Pour into a glass. Peel the orange with a peeler to create what is called the horse’s neck. Use a lighter to burn the orange peel. The heat will release the oils from the orange skin. Express and rub the peel on the edge of the glass, then add the finished cocktail. Enjoy. Please drink responsibly Where to buy the goods? Bucket Behind the Bucket Storefront. *I may receive compensation from eligible purchases. Thank you.
Chocolate Campari Soaking cocoa nibs in Campari is a method of infusion rather than flavoring, providing an enhancement to the alcohol’s flavors, that Campari needs it. Chocolate Campari Ingredients: 1 cup of cocoa nibs 12 ounces of Campari Method: Add ingredients to a jar. Pour with your heart but if you need a recipe. Cover the jar with a lid or plastic wrap. Leave at room temperature or refrigerate. Wait two days to two weeks, depending on the desired chocolate taste. Add to your favorite cocktail or drink over ice. An orange twist is optional but certainly recommended. Where can you buy the goods? Cocoa nibs, glass jars, jiggers, photo equipment, and other items? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront, of course! Please note that I may receive commissions from eligible purchases. Thank you so much. Please be of the legal drinking age and enjoy responsibly.