With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, the historically perpetual image of a sweet drink in every glass is as flawed as the original recipes that they emanate from. It’s not necessary to make every Valentine’s Day themed cocktail sweet! This should be a head’s up to the theory that Valentine’s Day always a day to overwhelm your sweet tooth!
There are several ways to entice the drinker into wanting to take their palate to a higher place with Valentine’s Day Cocktails. First of all, the glassware should be exciting. A new coupe’ glass, or an elegant Champagne flute, or if your drink centers around the masculine in image, perhaps an extra heavy Old-Fashioned glass to cradle some extra old rum in relaxation? And there is nothing wrong with upping the game with exotic bitters as a flourish, just before serving. I love the varieties of bitters on the market today. They make my job, very easy.
Keep in mind that Valentine’s Day, really is not a set-in stone holiday for sweet drinks, although a chocolate martini-style drink is never out of place in addition to a luscious dessert. An after dinner cocktail should always offset the dessert.
This should force the bartender to work with their kitchen staff when building a cocktail menu. One would generally not pare a spicy dessert cocktail with more subtle flavors that arrive from the kitchen. Communicate and all will be well!
Here are some examples of Valentine’s Day Cocktails from my Cocktail Whisperer imagination – which has some new ideas for your beleaguered sensibilities. Try one or try them all, delicious and nutritious.
Valentine’s Day Cocktail #1: She Perused A Variety Of Interests
– a take on the French 75… so it’s easy!
Ingredients:
- Absinthe in a spray bottle
- 1 brown sugar cube
- 1 oz. Jamaican Rum
- .25 oz. Oloroso Sherry
- 4 oz. Sparkling Wine
- Cardamom Bitters
Preparation:
- Chill a Champagne Flute with ice and water, pour out when frosty
- Spray the inside of the flute with the Absinthe in the spray bottle
- Add the brown sugar cube
- Add five drops of the Cardamom bitters on the cube
- Add the Jamaican Rum
- Add Oloroso Sherry
- Top with Sparkling wine and serve with a smile
Valentine’s Day Cocktail #2: Raise the Chocolaty!
– ok, I know this sounds sweet, but really, it isn’t…
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Home-made Chocolate Milk, Chocolate syrup and milk.. easy..
- Chocolate Mole’ Bitters
- 1 oz. Mezcal of your choice
- .5 Dark Simple Syrup
- Crushed ice
Preparation:
- Chill a Collins Glass
- Fill a Boston Shaker ¾ with ice
- Add the Chocolate Milk
- Add the Mezcal
- Add the Simple
- Cap and Shake hard
- Strain over crushed ice in a Collins Glass
- Dot with Chocolate Mole’ Bitters
Valentine’s Day Cocktail #3: Sort of Like That Chocolate Thing They Add Vodka To
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Vodka – something decent, please!
- 1 oz. Heavy Cream
- 1 oz. Chocolate Syrup
- .15 Vanilla Simple Syrup- I use fresh vanilla, always
- Large cube ice
- Black Walnut Bitters
Preparation:
- Fill a Boston Shaker ¾ with ice
- Add the Vodka, the heavy cream and the chocolate syrup
- Add the Vanilla simple
- Cap and Shake hard
- Strain over a large cube of ice in a double old-fashioned glass with a paper straw
- Dot with Black Walnut Bitters
