More Mead Please! Mead is an alcoholic beverage that is made by fermenting honey with water, and sometimes with the addition of fruits, spices, grains, or hops. It is one of the oldest known alcoholic beverages, with a history dating back thousands of years. The process of making mead involves mixing honey with water and adding yeast to initiate fermentation. The yeast eats the sugars in the honey, converting them into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The fermentation process can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months, depending on the desired flavor and strength of the mead. Mead can vary in taste and appearance, depending on the ingredients used and the fermentation process. It can range from dry to sweet, and can have flavors that range from floral and fruity to spicy and herbal. The alcohol content of mead can also vary, typically ranging from 8% to 20% ABV (alcohol by volume). These offerings featured around 12%. I reached out via email to Sap House Meadery. Matt Trahan one of the owners and founders responded to my questions. Matt and his cousin, Ash Fischbein both own and founded Sap House Meadery. Answers and more about mead below.. bbb: How much honey does it take to make a 375ml bottle? MT: The honey amount ranges but around 1/2 lb per bottle. bbb: How much honey does it take to make a barrel of mead? MT: To make a 50 gallon barrel would be about 180 lbs of honey. bbb: Where do you get your barrels and what kind of wood are they? MT: We get barrels from either Cathedral Ledge Distilling in North Conway or a barrel broker for the more exotic stuff like mezcal/brandy barrels. Generally American oak. bbb: Where do you source your honey? MT: We have a couple hives but our honey for production comes from a variety of apiaries in New England and beyond when they are out. bbb: Do you ship to California? MT: We sure do ship to CA! ***They also ship to other states too per their website. I needed some in California. Photo shoot and more tastes, duh! Mead can be enjoyed on its own, served chilled or at room temperature, or it can be used as an ingredient in cocktails or mixed with other beverages. It is often served in a glass similar to a wine glass or a goblet. We (my sister and I), on this day, chose shot glasses. You had to be there. Mead is a unique and versatile alcoholic beverage that offers a wide range of flavors and styles, making it a popular choice for those looking to explore different types of drinks. I was first introduced to mead attending and online class on the EdX platform during quarantine. HarvardX offers Food & Fermentation course and a Cooking & Science course. I highly recommend upgrading to the certification program as you gain access to more information and receive a certificate for your efforts in the end and I suppose some bragging rights. Links below. Where to buy the mead? Sap House Where to buy stemware corkscrews and stuffs? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront **i may receive some commissions for eligible purchases Where to get information about the HarvardX course? Food Fermentation: the Science of Cooking with Microbes Science and Cooking Lecture dates
Pet Nat and Cake This wine is pale pink. This wine is sparkling. This wine is light fruit forward with delicate bubbles. This wine is acidic and bright. This wine is from France. This wine is Pet Nat. This wine is. What is Pet Nat? Pet Nat is a sparkling wine lower in sugar and alcohol content. It’s known for being unpredictable because it is bottled before first fermentation takes place and without additional yeast. This method is known as methode ancestrale. This method is completely different than that of champagne’s Méthode Champenoise despite both being sparkling wine and both originating in France. Friendly reminder, champagne isn’t Champagne if it’s not from Champagne, France. Domaine Saint Cyr Pet Nat Gamay Rosé is a light sparkling wine made from 100% Gamay grapes. It is priced at an average of $28 USD per bottle. I purchased this particular wine from my local Erewhon Market. I decided to pair it with my sour cream buttercream-frosted sour cream vanilla cake due to its acidity, fruitiness, and texture. In addition to cake, this wine also pairs well with shellfish, sushi, and salads, and squash and cheese. It is a fun, bright light wine with a pop top that can be enjoyed on any occasion, whether it’s a regular everyday kind of day or a special event. I say everyday as life is the special occasion after all. Don’t you just love the label? “Oh, and what is Gamay, you ask?” Gamay is a red grape variety that is primarily grown in the Beaujolais region of France. It is known for producing light-bodied, fruity wines with flavors of red berries, cherries, and sometimes a hint of banana. Gamay wines are typically low in tannins and have a refreshing acidity, making them an easy to drink wine. Gamay rosé wines, which have a pale pink color and exhibit similar fruit-forward characteristics as the lighter red wines. Gamay rosé is often enjoyed as a refreshing summer wine. This, Domaine Saint Cyr Pet Nat Gamay Rosé, certainly fits the bill indeed. Waiting for the light.. Where to buy the food? You know sparklers, glasses, bottle opener and such? I may earn commissions with eligible purchases, FYI. Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront of course. Please enjoy responsibly and be of the legal drinking age.
The Best Smoothie Ever Today Recipe the best smoothie ever today recipe 1 cup of Costco Kirkland’s Signature unsweetened vanilla almond milk 1 cup Whole Foods 365 frozen pineapples chunks 1 cup of Whole Foods frozen cherries (I love the Whole Foods 365 brand frozen fruits) 1 frozen Sambozon original açaà packet or two who’s counting ok me, just one 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper 1 1/2 scoop of Agent Nateur holi (mane) collagen a powder 1 heaping scoop of Sakara protein and greens protein powder Blend until smooth. Pour into coupe glass. Gold stars and candles optional. Where to buy the goods? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront *i may receive commissions on eligible purchases
Doogh 2.0 Doogh 2.0 Years ago.. I’m talking twenty plus years I met a friend on a random job in NYC.. we became friends after a few hours and went to shop at Bloomingdale’s for swimming suits after work that day….When I moved to Los Angeles, she came to visit. We went to a restaurant in Westwood and after my first doogh I was hooked..I bought mint a few times but it went bad as I was working on something else…today I finally made it. I blended some ice and mint with plain non fat yogurt (this one is cow as I ate the vanilla sheep yogurt the other morning at 4:am). I added dried rose petals sugar and a raspberries rose probiotic drink and of course rose water… If you want alcohol you can use sparkling Crémant rosé.. it’s excellent without it though..Yogurt works with the spicy foods from Middle East Africa and India ..Garnish with mint and sugar. I highly recommend a rose petal sugar rim.I bought the rose petal sugar at Surfas Culver City, CA location which if you are local to Los Angeles this could be great news. I will put a similar one in my store Blonde Behind the Bucket storefront if you aren’t though. AND No! No! no..This drink is not sweet and isn’t meant to be although it translate to mean« treaty »..Maybe that’s what I will do with my mangoes… Doogh 2.0 Ingredients 6 oz of plain nonfat yogurt (this Norr organic sure does taste full fat to me) 10 sprigs of mint (and one for the garnish so 11 sprigs of mint) 1 cup of ice 2 oz raspberry rose probiotic drink 2 Tablespoons of agave or honey one for the drink and one for the sugar rim Pinch of fine salt (think Maldon because it is a fine flakey sea salt and dissolves almost instantly) Dried edible rose petals to mix with sugar or premade rose petal sugar Method Place rose petal sugar on a saucer. Add honey or agave to the rim of a glass. Roll glass in the sugar mixture and set aside or refrigerate. The remainder sugar in saucer can be used to top the drink. Add all ingredients to a blending machine except sparkling water and one sprig of mint. The sparkling is the topper and that one extra mint sprig is for the garnish. Blend until see a crushed ice consistency. Kinda slushy like. Pour into rose petal sugar rimmed glass. Top with sparkling raspberries rose water. Top with rose petal sugar sugar and mint. Glass: bucket glass Garnish: dried rose petals sugar and mint sprig
Arti Berry Cynar Granita Slushy Before we get to the recipe, let’s talk about what Cynar is and how to pronounce it. Cynar is an Italian artichoke bitters digestivo that belongs to the amaro family. It is pronounced Cee-NAHR or CEE-nahr, depending on who you ask. The suggested serving recommendation is to enjoy it on its own or with cola and lime. You can find more information on the back of the bottle. I decided to have a little fun with it on a couple of occasions, adding fruits, molasses, and agave. Last October, I featured it in a post (see last October’s post here), and just recently, I created a delicious concoction with it. After all, who doesn’t love a frozen boozy treat to complete dinner? Arti Berry Cynar Granita Slushy Ingredients 1 cup of mixed berries (blueberries raspberries strawberries) 8 oz Cynar 1 oz agave 1 oz molasses syrup Scrape using a fork to break up the mixture Aren’t these ice crystals beautiful In the glass.. Method Muddle mixed berries. Add Cynar and berries together in a plastic container with a lid. Store at room temperature for about three to five days. Remove the berries by straining them from the mixture, if you like. To slow the infusion process refrigerate for the same amount of time to about a week. Check and taste to determine whether more time is needed for the berry infusion. Add agave and molasses. Stir. Place in freezer. Check it every few hours and break up the forming solid with a fork. I forgot one batch longer and left it I there longer than a week and after removing I did the scraping process with a fork and it worked fantastically. The mixture only partly freezes because of the alcohol content. I figured that out once by leaving my Lillet in the freezer. Once you have scraped a few times, add to a coupe glass and enjoy. Glass: coupe Garnish: extra frozen berries Where to buy the goods? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront. Please be of the legal drinking age and drink responsibly
Pear Mocktail This is the mocktail of your dreams. I say that about all of them, I know. You won’t miss the vodka or bourbon, I promise. Sweet without being too sweet, thanks to the date syrup. Thanks, date syrup! This A-team brings it. Yes, pear and ginger, I’m looking at you. Don’t you just feel healthier looking at them? The thirst-quenching lemon sparkling water tops it off, bringing it all together. Oh, and the two dots of caffeine from Tazo ginger pear green tea provide a subtle jolt—just enough to leave the caffeine-sensitive unaffected. So, not to worry; you shouldn’t be climbing the walls. I wasn’t, and I haven’t had coffee in over two years. Besides all of the above, who can resist the extra botanicals and aromatics from nonalcoholic bitters for that final je ne sais quoi? Who can resist all the bitters and aromatics they bring? This mocktail certainly has a certain something, alright. I’d be surprised if you didn’t want to drink more than one. Cheers! Pear Mocktail 2 different types of pears (Bosc, Comice, Anjou, Bartlett, Starkrimson—you choose) were given to me. 1 small knob of ginger for slicing ginger chards 1 oz Trader Joe’s date syrup 2 ounces of Tazo ginger green tea 1 oz of sparking lemon mineral water (I use Pellegrino) 3 drops of baking spice, ginger All the Bitter aromatics alcohol-free bitters Method Place bucket glass with ice into the freezer. Wash all produce. Boil water. Remove tea bag from packet. Add both to a glass or mug. Steep ginger green tea for 3 minutes. Refrigerate until cold. Best results overnight. Add several slices of fresh ginger, equal to about 1/2 teaspoon. If you like it spicy, increase it to 1 teaspoon. Next, add 3/4 of a chopped medium-sized pear to a mixing glass. Muddle until the juices are extracted. Then, add 1 oz of date syrup and 2 oz of ginger green tea. Add ice and shake well. Strain into your chilled, ice-filled glass. Don’t forget the 3 drops of bitters. Top with lemon sparkling water. Garnish with a slice of pear or the whole pear—your choice! I prefer the whole pear. The topper The pour Glass: bucket glass Garnish: whole pear Bar Chef Notes: For an adult version, sneak in a little Grey Goose La Poire when no one is looking—if you must! The recipe may need to be modified as a result though. Where to buy the goods, ok- glasses and stuffs? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront Please know I may receive compensation for eligible purchases. Thank you!
The Sunshine Glass Smoothie The Sunshine Glass Smoothie Ingredients 1 cup of fresh mango from Erewhon market or your local farmers market or favorite supermarket 1/2 cup of Whole Foods 365 brand frozen pineapples chunks 3/4 cups of Pitaya Foods frozen passion fruit chunks 2 tablespoons of hemp hearts shelled hemp seeds -the protein comes from these babies. The recommended serving size is 3 tablespoons 1 tablespoonful of Manukora MGO 200+ manuka (or any of your favorite manuka honey) Manuka honey that I use is from New Zealand 1 tablespoonful of a local honey (I use Topanga honey with honeycomb. Fun fact: taking a small dose of honey helps with some allergies) 1 scoop of Agent Nateur & Dr. Will Cole holi (mane) hair ski nails supplement 1-2 tablespoonful of La Tourangelle Avocado oil 3/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk 5-7 Whole Foods 365 brand mango passion fruit fruit bites for the garnish and eating while making the smoothie. Let’s be real. This will happen. At least for me it did. Method Add all ingredients to the Cuisinart To-Go blending cylinder. Blend on the smoothie setting until the mixture is smooth. If you don’t have a Cuisinart, any blending machine should work. Pour into a glass and garnish. Bar Chef Notes: a pinch of saffron is great too. I tried both ways, with and without. Glass: glass bucket glass Garnish: several passion fruit mango balls Passion Fruit Pineapple Mango Protein Smoothie Protein Smoothie Protein Smoothie Where to buy the goods: Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront I may receive compensation for eligible purchases. Thank you.
Mint Cacao Nibs Smoothie #1T If you like a mint and chocolate flavor profile, this is the smoothie for you. Packed full of antioxidants and does a body good goodness. Hemp seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds.. you don’t need to worry about adding all that FYI. Sakara Protein + Greens has you covered; All in one scoop in fact. And since our largest organ, our skin, radiates starting from the inside out, why wouldn’t use want to add the Agent Nateur pearl collagen calcium hair skin and nails powder supplement? Mint is for freshness. Kale because we need our greens. Cocoa nibs adds a bitter chocolate flavoring and which plays off the sweetness of the banana and pineapple’s acidity. Not to mention crunch. No added sugar with the unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Duh. There is a skosh of blue agave syrup though. Think if it as a balancing ingredient rather than sweet. Cinnamon a warming spice and blood sugar friendly. Mint Cacao Nibs Smoothie #1T Ingredients 1 1/2 cups of Whole Foods 365 brand frozen kale 1 small chopped frozen banana (or half if it’s larger size) 1/2 cup Whole Foods 365 brand frozen pineapple chunks 1 cup of Signature unsweetened vanilla almond milk 1 scoop of Agent Nateur Holi (mane) Hair, Skin, Nails Supplement 1 scoop of Sakara Protein + Greens protein powder 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon 1 tablespoon of Trader Joe’s blue agave Pink of pink Himalayan salt 10 fresh mint leaves or about three mint springs and a sprig for the garnish 3 tablespoons of Navitas cacao nibs and some for the garnish Method Add all ingredients to the blending machine. I recommend adding powders after the almond milk as they have a tendency to sink to the bottom and/or clump. Blend until smooth. Pour into a bucket glass. Garnish with the cacao nibs and mint sprig. Glass: bucket glass Garnish: cacao nibs and mint sprig Where to buy the goods? Blonde Behind the Bucket Strorefront * I may receive commission from eligible purchases
Sunday Morning Smoothie An earthy, nutty, creamy green glass of goodness. Yup, that’s what this one is. Drinking a smoothie like this one can’t help but make you feel good. A simple and easy blend of all ingredients together, pour into a glass (or not? I see you drinking from the blender) and you’re done type of easy. Easy like Sunday morning, as they say. If nothing else, it will be something to satisfy your hunger until you make it to that champagne brunch later. Sunday Morning Smoothie Ingredients 1 cup 365 Whole Foods brand chopped frozen spinach 1/2 cup Pitaya Foods aloe vera chunks 1 teaspoon of Naoki Matcha powder 1 cup Signature Costco brand unsweetened vanilla almond milk 1 scoop of Agent Nateur Holi (mane) Hair, Skin, Nails Supplement 1 scoop of Sakara Greens+Protein Protein powder 2 tablespoons of Manitoba Harvest hemp seeds 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon 1 1/2 tablespoons of Trader Joe’s brand blue agave Pinch of Natierra Himalayan pink salt Method Add almond milk to the blender. The add all other ingredients. Blend until smooth. Glass: bucket glass Garnish: none-elegance in simplicity and the flavors make up for no garnish Where to buy the goods? Many can be found on Blonde Behind the Bucket storefront. *I may receive compensation for eligible purchases.
Cabbage Rosemary Cooler Mocktail 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!