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
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
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.
Matchatini Ok, what is matcha? It’s an earthy tasting powder made from shade-grown green tea plants. Typically a chasen is used to create a uniform consistency when mixing the matcha with water or milk.. I broke tradition? Instead of using a chasen, aka a bamboo whisk, I use a Kitchen-Aid whisk attachment to mix my matcha water mixture to make a paste after dumping two heaping demitasse spoons (only clean spoons I had at the moment) into a bowl made from a coconut shell. It is possible if you don’t have a chasen. Don’t tell anyone. This one can be a Machatini or a Matcha Mocktail. Foam is optional. Vodka or Kikori (rice grain spirit) both work—different drinks, equally as good. It’s quick and easy. The more earthy matcha flavor, the better, as far as I am concerned; it is the main ingredient, after all. Don’t tell the alcohol. All measurements are with a demitasse spoon and jigger. Oh, and one eyeballed tablespoon of my vanilla extract. Sometimes I pour with the heart (Wink, wink). Cheers! All ingredients listed below are quantities for mixing the matcha and Matchatini. Ingredients 2 ounces of vodka or Kikori 2 tablespoon of vanilla (from my homemade batch as seen in the syrup extract category on home page of this blog) 1-2 ok maybe 3 large drip drops of orange flower water 6 ounces of unsweetened vanilla almond milk 2 demitasse spoons of Manuka honey (Manuka Doctor multifloral 80+MGO) 2 heaping demitasse spoonfuls of NAOKI matcha powder (ok, let’s face it’s; I eyeballed most of this) 2 teaspoons of warm water to blend matcha and prevent excess clumping Chef note: The hotter the water, the more bitter the matcha. It’s also excellent for what I like to call the un-clumping. This was supposed to be a test recipe. I decided to post anyway. It’s a goodie. Method For the matcha milk Add two demitasse spoonfuls of matcha powder to a bowl. Add about 2-3 tablespoons of hot water. Whisk matcha until a paste forms. Next, add Manuka honey. Proceed with a little more water and whisk until smooth. Then add 6 ounces ounces of unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Let mixture cool before you refrigerate. After the matcha milk has chilled add 2 ounces of vodka (or a Kikori whiskey substitute) and 3 ounces cooled matcha milk to a mixing tin. Add ice. Shake to wake and strain (strain not really necessary) into a martini glass. Glass: martini glass Garnish: dust with matcha powder and honeycomb Where to buy the goods? Blonde Behind the Bucket please know I may receive commissions from eligible purchases. Thank you. Please drink responsibly
Clarified Tennessee Whiskey on the Rock Clarified Gentleman Jack Milk Washed Gentleman Jack 7 ounces of Gentleman Jack Whiskey 2 lemons 2 limes 1 medium naval orange 9 ounces of goat milk 1 jar with lid and 6-24 hours In a mixing glass add 7 ounces of whiskey and citrus. Then pour the 9 ounces of goat milk slowly. Once whiskey mixture and milk combine, cover and refrigerate for 3-24 hours. When there is a visible separation, begin to filter. Pass using coffee filters. I tried cheese too. Coffee filters are more delicate and take longer but they’re irked great. A couple of passes for this one. Filtering takes time. Be patient. The liquid should be a clear a pale gender neutral badly yellow. * I didn’t add sweeteners syrups or fruits as I wanted to make several different recipes with this batch. You can add fruits and sugars before clarification if you choose or as I have presented. As is, on the rocks. Feeling creative? Perhaps a pinch of citric acid to enhance the citrus flavors then top ginger beer. Clarified Old Fashioned anyone?
gold hibiscus bitters foam clarified whiskey ginger juice sour ingredients for the cocktail 3 ounces of clarified Gentleman Jack 1/2 ounce of toasted black pepper agave 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger juice pinch or two of Cultures for Your Health citric acid powder 1 hibiscus flower 2 tablespoons of hibiscus syrup for the foam 4 dashes of angostura bitters for the foam 1 sheet of SLO food gold leaf Several toasted peppercorns for the garnish Method for the cocktail Add 3 ounces of clarified Gentleman Jack to a bucket glass. Add your peppercorns agave syrup ginger juice and citric acid to the glass. Add ice. I like a large rock. Several smaller ice cubes an excellent alternative if you don’t have a large rock. Scoop the foam from the mixing tin on top of the iced cocktail. Toss in a few of your toasted peppercorns and your gold hibiscus flower. Glass: bucket glass Garnish: toasted peppercorns and gold hibiscus flower For the clarification 10 ounces of Gentleman Jack whiskey 7 for the start of the clarification plus 3 additional ounces to add to the batch to finalize clarification 9 ounces of goat milk 2 medium limes 2 medium lemons 1 medium orange 2 tablespoons of vanilla (I make mine from scratch and the recipe can be found under syrups on home page) 1 tablespoon of citric acid In a mixing glass add 7 ounces of Gentleman Jack whiskey and the room temperature juice of the citrus. Then slowly pour in 9 ounces of goat milk. Whisk with a whisk or fork as you pour. Once milk bourbon mixture combined, cover, label, and refrigerate for 3-24 hours. As soon as there is a visible separation, start the filtering. A few passes for me. The coffee filter broke the first time. It always seems to break. I switched to cheese cloth for the next pass then back to the coffee filter. There were still some particles present after the second pass. One more filter and finally. The liquid should be crystal clear. After add the citric acid, vanilla, and remaining 3 ounces of whiskey. For the ginger juice Juice a medium knob of ginger root. No need to peel unless you want to do so. I recommend using a spoon and scrape the skin. I also recommend a good rinse before use. Of the spoon and the ginger root. If you use a blender to extract juice from ginger root, strain off the pulp with a cheese cloth. Set juice aside until ready to use. For the peppercorn agave syrup Toast 1/4 cup of peppercorns in a frying pan. Add them to 1/4 cup of agave. Once cool, store in refrigerator until ready to use. For the foam Add two dashes of cream of tartar to a mixing tin. Remove the coil from the Hawthorn strainer and add to the tin. Crack the egg and separate the yolk from the whites. Save the yolk for something else. The whites should be shaken dry with the coil. Dry shake. Add bitters and hibiscus and dry shake again. This should be the last step as it is the topper of the cocktail. For the toasted peppercorns Add a few peppercorns to a nonstick frying pan. Toast and set aside. Taking some from the agave syrup is also an option. For the hibiscus Add water to a bowl. Place a sheet of SLO food gold in the water. It will float. Secure a hibiscus flower to a skewer tip or toothpick or two or use a fork. Dip the flower in the water over the gold and in a swirling motion to pick up the gold with the flower. The flower will stick to the gold if done properly. You can store your flower in an airtight container for a day or two before use, if need be. More on this under garnishes on the home page if you need more information on gold hibiscus flower garnish. General Blonde Behind the Bucket Amazon list on my Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront **I may receive commissions on eligible purchases. Thank you Please drink responsibly Where to buy the goods? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront, of course. * I may earn commission from eligible purchases. Thank you so much.
a semi classic Whiskey Sour Creating sours for a contest produces drinks like this. I stray from my usual sweet tart version. This is a slight alteration of the classic whiskey sour. Gentleman Jack the base. I add gold to a clunky lemon and a red cherry. I don’t use either in my sours, clunky or not, 90% of the time. They sure are pretty though. You will want to try this one at home. Whiskey Sour Ingredients 2 ounces of Gentleman Jack 1/2 ounce simple syrup 1/2 ounce agave 1 ounce of fresh lemon juice 2-3 dashes of angostura bitters 1 egg white from a chicken egg 1 lemon wheel 1 cherry gold leaf for the garnishes Method Place gold in a bowl of water. Look at this foam Secure your fruit garnish to the end of a bamboo skewer and place it on the gold in the water and swirl. The gold will stick. Separate the yolk from the whites. Add the whites to the mixing tin. Save the yolk for something else or toss. Up to you. Remove the coils from the Hawthorne strainer. Dry shake the whites first. Add all other wet ingredients. Dry shake some more. Add ice. Shake some more. You can double fine strain the cocktail. I don’t. Strain over ice in a bucket glass. Squeeze a bit of lemon over the settled cocktail from the rest of that lemon. A couple of dashes of angostura bitters for the stirring. Add your gold lemon and cherry. That’s it. Creamy, smooth sour. Glass: bucket glass Garnish: gold lemon wheel and cherry Cheers! Please drink responsibly Where to buy the goods and stuff? You know glassware, jars of cherries, strainers and pre made egg white foams because you can’t be bothered? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront of course! Please know I may receive compensation for eligible purchases. Thank you!
Tatum’s Whiskey Sweet Tart Sour I took a few sips of the first drink while photographing the second one I photographed a couple of these while testing presentations of the same drink. Let me know what you think and which presentation you went with! It’s a goodie! I make a ton of these behind the bar! Tatum’s Whiskey Sweet Tart Sour 1 egg white from a chicken egg 2 ounces of whiskey 1/2 ounce agave 1/2 ounce of simple syrup 1/2 ounce of fresh lime juice 1/2 ounce of fresh lemon juice 2 dashes of cream of tartar Dash of pink salt 6-8 dashes of angostura bitters for the swirl gold leaf for the garnish Method Mix white granulated sugar with water in a 1:1 ratio. It should last for about a week in the refrigerator when stored in an airtight container. For the citrus:Use fresh lemon and lime juice.Squeeze the juice of lemons and limes into separate containers. Place your glass in the freezer to chill. Add two dashes of cream of tartar to the mixing tin. Crack the egg and separate the whites from the yolk. Save the yolk for pudding or cake. Add the whites to the tin with the cream of tartar. Remove the coils from the Hawthorne strainer and add them to the mixing tin as well. This will be a dry shake. Shake the egg whites and cream of tartar with the coil for about twenty seconds. The mixing tins stick together better when chilled, so keep this in mind while shaking. Some of the whites may escape and end up on your clothes, floor, or in your hair if you have hair. Then add the remaining ingredients. Dry shake for another twenty seconds. Add ice. Kold draft ice is my favorite as it doesn’t dilute the cocktail as much as some ice will. Keep this in mind while shaking. The tins should be cold when you finish shaking. You can remove the coil and refasten it to your strainer or leave it inside (it can get messy) and use another strainer to strain your cocktail into the glass. Once the drink is in the glass, let it sit for a moment. The foam will stiffen. Add angostura bitters dashes using a dasher or dropper, and use a toothpick or bamboo skewer to swirl. I add gold. Toothpicks are a great tool to use when working with gold. Why gold? Uhm, who doesn’t like a little glamour? Bar Chef Note: Lemon juice curdles the egg, and many use a fine mesh strainer to double strain. I do not. Also, I use SLO gold sheets here. There are also gold flake shakers available at Pastry Chefs Boutiques. Glass: coupe glass Crate & Barrel Garnish: Angostura bitters and gold flakes Where to buy some stuffs? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront of course. Please know I may receive compensation for eligible purchases. Thank you. Please drink responsibly and be of the legal drinking age.