Sometimes, love hurts. But it hurts less when you have a drink to soothe the aching, numb the pain and mend a broken heart — if only for the night. Three bartenders offer up their remedy to Valentine’s Day with three lip-smacking cocktails, plus their suggestions on what to eat and watch, cocktail in hand. Here’s to love!
Midnight In Paris
Recipe by Amanda Reed, Heartwood Provisions, Seattle, WA
- 1 ½ oz bourbon
- ½ oz Meletti 1870 Bitter
- ½ oz cranberry liqueur
- ½ oz lemon juice
- ¼ oz honey syrup*
- 3 drops rosewater
- 1 red rose petal, for garnish
Directions: Combine all ingredients. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with rose petal. *For the honey syrup, combine equal parts clover honey and hot water. Shake or stir to mix.
Meet Cute Q&A with Amanda
Drinking and Eating: “This drink would be great with a fall/winter dish. [On the menu] we currently have a honey roasted duck breast with butternut squash, parsnip, huckleberry and Szechuan pepper jus. I think this combination would be epic.”
Movie Match: “The drink was named after the Woody Allen film. It’s a great film, and fitting a choice.”
Fantasy Patron to Drink With: “Thom York — I’m a huge Radiohead fan. Thom is an emotional and sentimental dude, I think he could appreciate the masculine/feminine nature of this drink.”
Lettre Écarlate
Recipe by Paul Neuenschwander, Firehouse Hostel & Lounge, Austin, TX
- 1 ½ oz gin
- 1 ½ oz Roi Rene Rouge
- ½ oz Licor 43
- 1 lemon twist, for garnish
Directions: Combine ingredients into a mixing glass, add ice and stir. Strain and serve up with a lemon twist.
Meet Cute Q&A with Paul
Drinking and Eating: “I’d eat this with bloody red meat – you’ll note a colored theme here — or sushi.”
Movie Match: “I’ll just jump to Rom-Coms. ‘When Harry Met Sally’ is the best one ever made, so…”
Fantasy Patron to Drink With: “I’d make one for Audrey Hepburn and myself, and we’d drink it with a fine cigar before/during/after the above food pairings, and then we’d make love and fall asleep.”
The Heartbeet
By Graham Hogan, Maria’s, Chicago, IL
- 2 oz beet-infused vodka*
- ¾ oz Raspberry-cilantro syrup**
- ½ oz fresh lemon juice
- Cilantro leaf, for garnish
Directions: Combine in a mixing glass, add ice and shake to mix. Strain and serve up in a coupe with a cilantro leaf garnish.
*For the vodka, wash and peel about 1.5 pounds of beets. Cut into cubes and put in a large sealable container. Add a bottle of vodka, and give it a shake. Put the container somewhere cool and dark for 3 days. Strain out the beets and re-bottle. The vodka should now be bright red and super earthy tasting.
**For the raspberry-cilantro syrup, you’ll need 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, 1.5 cups of raspberries (fresh or frozen) and a handful of cilantro. Bring the sugar and water to a boil and add the raspberries. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and add cilantro. Allow to cool, then strain through a fine mesh strainer without pressing berries and cilantro through.
Meet Cute Q&A with Graham
Drinking and Eating: “I would love to sip on this with a bangin’ New York strip, black and blue. “
Movie Match: “I don’t really care for romantic movies. I’d probably watch Total Recall.”
Fantasy Patron to Drink With: “Oscar Wilde. I think he’d be fun to have a drink with.”
