This Valentine’s Day, whether you’re celebrating love with a special date or toasting to the single life, enjoy these specialty cocktails.
The Love Bug from Alamo Drafthouse
The lovebug—an insect found in parts of Central America and the U.S.—gets its name because once two adults mate, the pair remains together for several days. Even while flying.
Meanwhile, The Love Bug is a specialty cocktail at Alamo Drafthouse in Richardson, rated PG-13. Made with vodka, strawberries, honey, a squeeze of lemon and a splash of sparkling wine, this drink puts an elegant twist on a casual of date night. Fall head over heels for its sweet and bubbly personality.
If you prefer your drinks to be poured from a tap order a local brew like Revolver Blood and Honey, and Peticolas’ Velvet Hammer.
Drink in hand, settle in to watch the newest blockbuster or revivals of classic love stories like The Princess Bride and Moulin Rouge. Enjoy candy and bottomless popcorn (add truffled parmesan for only $1), or satisfy your hunger with pizza and sandwiches. There are even brunch dishes served before 2 p.m.
Recipe:
1 oz. Tito’s Vodka
½ oz. Scratch Honey
½ oz.Strawberry Syrup
1 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
Topped off with one ounce of Cava and garnished with a mint leaf.
Corazón de Roca from Mi Dia
This month’s margarita at Mi Dia, the Corazón de Roca, is sure to entice your taste buds. Strawberry, balsamic vinegar and black pepper agave are not the usual ingredients of a margarita.
But this flavor combination is a delightful surprise. The vinegar and black pepper allow the sweetness of the strawberry shine. You only get a hint of the black pepper in the aftertaste.
The texture of the muddled strawberries is smooth and thicker than your average on the rocks margarita. The natural sweetness is immediate but doesn’t linger on your lips like most artificially flavored mixes.
Recipe:
2 oz. Roca Patrón Silver
1 oz.Lemon Juice
1 oz.Black Pepper Agave
1 Bar Spoon (1/8 oz.) Balsamic Vinegar
1 Fresh Strawberry Muddled
Rhubarb Bitters
Smacked Basil (Garnish)
Strawberry for Garnish
Method:
Muddle strawberry with Black Pepper Agave.
Add the Roca Patrón Sliver, Lemon Juice, Balsamic Vinegar, and Rhubarb Bitters with ice and shake.
Single strain into a short glass and top with ice.
Smack a bit of basil and a sliced strawberry on the rim as garnish.
Hanky Panky from Urban Crust
This month’s specialty cocktail at Urban Crust in downtown Plano is the Hanky Panky. It’s a fun and fruity drink that will get you buzzin’ on love and a little champagne.
The Campari and cranberry juice give the drink its beautiful color, perfect for Valentine’s Day. If you like Vodka Cranberries the Hanky Panky is right up your alley.
Flavored vodka can be daunting for those who like to sip on the good stuff. But I am truly a fan of Deep Eddy’s Lemon Vodka; it’s not too sweet and has a nice kick of tart lemon. Combined with champagne, you can’t go wrong!
Recipe:
1 oz. Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka
.5 oz. Campari
Splash cranberry juice
Champagne
Lemon Twist (garnish)
