1/2 Cup of chilled chopped red beets (cooked or raw)
1/2 Cup of frozen mango chunks
1/2 Cup of frozen pineapple chunks
5-8 Dates (pitted and soaked in water)
2 Tablespoons of cashew butter
2 Tablespoons of dark maple syrup
1 Tablespoons of coconut oil
1/8 Tablespoons of Himalayan pink salt
1/4 Tablespoons of turmeric
A few dashes of fresh ground black pepper
Handful of skin on raw almonds
Very large handful of fresh washed and cleaned spinach leaves
Large handful of coconut flakes
Method
Soak your dates in water to softer before adding to the blender. Add all ingredients to a blending machine. I use Cuisinart. Blend together until smooth. Voilà .
Glass: fun colored glass (my glass is a vintage poppy trail china glass from 1970s)
Garnish: toasted coconut flake, shaved beets, chia seeds, shaved cashews-whatever you like or no garnish at all
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.
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?
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.
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.
1/2 cup of frozen black cherries for the anti-inflammatory deliciousness
2 tablespoons of tropical hibiscus collagen powder to aid in cushioning joints with floral notes and who doesn’t want that in a smoothie
1 scoop of Vega vanilla protein and greens because lets face it we need more greens
1/4 cup of flat pellegrino from the can from yesterday because minerals and I needed a little more fluidity and the can was open on the counter from yesterday’s Campari Crush
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper optional but recommended as it’s that extra something and heart smart
Method
Add all ingredients to a blending machine. Blend until smooth. Pour in to bucket glass of choice. Spoon for consuming prevents brain freeze.
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.
2, maybe 3 ounces if you have room in the glass of butterfly pea tea
Method
Add ice to your bucket glass of choice. Start with grenadine. Add Rose water. Then add sparkling water. Here comes the good part, all ingredients are good but this is my first time using this one. Add the beautiful vibrant blue tea. Top with dried butterfly pea flower buds. Admire before stirring to enjoy.
Glass: bucket glass
Garnish: 3 or 4 butterfly pea flower dried flowers
Where To Buy: Blonde Behind the Bucket Amazon Storefront
Did you know that smoking dried rosemary can add incredible uniqueness to cocktails? Smoking dried herbs, like rosemary, can enhance the flavors of mezcal, tequila, bourbon, rye, Campari (yes, I am forever on a Campari kick), and gin cocktails. This technique, known as glass smoking, not only adds depth of flavor but also creates a visually captivating experience for onlookers. After preparing your cocktail, relight the dried rosemary, blow out the flames, then place the smoking herb stick in the glass as a garnish. Make sure the sprig is long enough to continue smoking once inserted into the cocktail for an added effect. It also smells really great!
What you will need:
Fire safe surface
Dried Rosemary
BIC lighter gas stove top or butane torch
Chilled bucket glass for your cocktail. A chilled glass provides a sticky surface for the smoke from the condensation.
Method
Place your chilled glass on the fire safe surface, up right. Light the dried rosemary. Blow out the flame. Once it starts to smoke place dried rosemary sprig on the fire safe surface and let it smoke. Then turn the glass upside down and catch the smoke by placing the glass drinking side down on top of it. Leave for a few minutes. Turn the glass upright again and build your cocktail. Voilà .
