It’s already Valentine’s Day season and while the usual flowers, candies, and teddy bear combo remain undefeated in expressing affection, who doesn’t like a good cocktail? For this edition of Spirit.Ed, we’re featuring a number of drinks that include cocktails and wines.
I’d like to be clear in saying that there’s no real rhyme or reason to this guide. We’re just going to share cocktails, wines, and whatever our heart pleases. If you don’t find anything to mix up or sip on for Valentine’s Day in this guide, you just didn’t want anything badly enough. Now, on with the show.
St-Rémy Signature’s Cherrity Starts At Home
by Bryson Ryan
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz St-Rémy Signature Brandy
1 oz cherry puree
1/4 oz PX sherry
1/2 oz sugar cane syrup
1 pinch smoked sea salt
1 egg white
Directions:
Add ingredients to a shaker
Dry Shake for 30 seconds without ice
Add ice and shake again until well chilled
Strain into a coupe and garnish with maraschino cherry.
Whale You Be Mine
Ingredients:
2 oz Gray Whale Gin
5 oz blood orange juice
Instructions:
Shake with ice
Strain over ice
Top with soda water
Garnish with blood orange slices
Cosmopolitan
Created by Ocean Spray
Ingredients:
1 1/2 ounce vodka
1 1/2 ounce Ocean Spray® Cranberry Juice Drink, any flavor, chilled
1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
Lime twist, garnish
Directions:
In a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice, combine all ingredients and shake well.
Strain mixture into a chilled stemmed cocktail glass.
Garnish with lime twist.
Winter Fling
Ingredients:
2 parts Redemption Rye
.25-part Cinnamon Syrup
.75 oz Sweet Vermouth
Rinse of Dry Curaçao
1 dash Angostura Bitters
3 dashes Pimento Bitters
Instructions:
Stir all ingredients in shaker with ice
Rinse chilled coupe glass with Dry Curaçao
Strain ingredients over chilled coupe glass
Whiskey Daisy
by Bib & Tucker Small Batch Bourbon
Ingredients:
2 oz Bib & Tucker Small Batch Bourbon
1/2 tbsp sugar
2 or 3 dashes of lemon juice
1 dash of lime juice
.5 oz Yellow Chartreuse
Instructions:
Shake with all ingredients (besides yellow chartreuse) with ice
In a cup, line a few berries at the bottom of the cup top with crushed ice
Strain contents of shaker
Top with Yellow Chartreuse
Garnish with a few berries on top
Luna Roja
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Nocheluna Sotol
0.5 oz Ancho Reyes Original
1 oz Prickly Pear Puree
0.75 oz Lime Juice
0.25 oz Simple syrup
Preparation:
Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake well. Fine strain into a coupe or stem glass.
Mezcal con Tonika
by Contraluz
Ingredients:
2 oz Contraluz
1 oz Grapefruit Juice
4 oz Tonic Water
Preparation:
In a Collins glass, mix Contraluz and grapefruit juice. Top it off with tonic water. Garnish with a grapefruit or dehydrated orange slice.
The Glenfiddich Highlander Cocoa Recipe (Photo Credit: David Allardice)
Ingredients:
1 part Glenfiddich 14 Year Old
4 parts Hot Chocolate (the richer the better)
Top with Heavy whipped cream and dark chocolate shavings
Method:
Make your favorite hot chocolate to taste. Add hot chocolate to mug/glass then add Glenfiddich and stir.
Top with a layer of whipped cream and grate chocolate shavings in top. Enjoy responsibly.
Roses and Chocolates Recipe (Photo Credit: Naomi Leslie)
Ingredients:
3/4 part The Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14 Year Old
1/4 part Red Wine Syrup*
4 dashes Chocolate Bitters
Champagne
Method:
Add The Balvenie, red wine syrup, and chocolate bitters to a mixing glass. Add ice and stir briefly. Strain into a flute glass and top with Champagne.
*Red Wine Simple Syrup: Heat 2 parts full bodied red wine to 1 part cane sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Let cool before use.
Manhattan, Mi Amor (Photo Credit: Casa Del Sol Tequila)
Ingredients:
2 oz Casa Del Sol Anejo Tequila
3/4 oz sweet vermouth
1/2 oz agave nectar
2 dashes Angostura Chocolate Bitters
Amarena cherries
In a glass, muddle agave nectar, sweet vermouth and 1 cherry. Add in tequila and ice.
Stir well and top with bitters.
Garnish with remaining cherries.
Pink Lady
by Cointreau
Source: Cointreau / Cointreau
Ingredients:
0.75 oz Cointreau
2 oz Vodka
0.72 oz Fresh Lime Juice
2 oz Sparkling Wine (Crémant De Loire)
3 Whole Strawberries
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker and muddle
Add ice and shake
Strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass
Top with sparkling wine
Garnish with lime twist
MYX Fusions
MYX Fusions was created by the mind of Nicki Minaj and has a perfect pairing for your Valentine’s Day celebration with its watermelon flavor offering. Learn more about MYX Fusions here.
As always, sip safely and surely. And Valentine’s Day should be Valentine’s Month if we’re being real with ourselves here. Enjoy!
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Photo: CarlosDavid.org / Getty