Valentine's Day. A day of love or a day of corporate greed? Which ever way you swing, you can still show that someone special that you love them without spending your entire paycheck or more. The wife's favorite cocktail is the Negroni. So for Valentine's Day this year, I'm making 2 cocktails that are riffs on the Gin and Campari duo. Now I know Campari is a turn off for many but we have tons of other recipes on the blog that I'm sure will cover your bases this year no matter which libation you and yours prefer.
A few side notes ladies and gentleman: 1) When in doubt, you can never go wrong with a bottle of champagne. 2) The Bontanique cocktail originally calls for Aperol. The wife prefers Camapri. Feel free to try it either way as they're both delicious. This is also the cocktail I would recommend for those learning to enjoy this bitter liquor as it's topped with club soda. 3) I used about half of the amount of the orgeat listed for each of the below cocktails when I made them. We found them sweet enough...again, feel free to play around.
His Cocktail - Bontanique (Casmir's Lounge, GA)
3/4 oz gin
3/4 oz Aperol
3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
3/4 oz orgeat
1 dash orange bitters
Club soda for topping
Fresh mint for garnish
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add all the ingredients. Shake until chilled. Strain into a Collins glass or double old fashioned filled with ice. Top with club soda and mint.
Her Cocktail - The Chestnut Cup (The Chestnut Club, CA)
1 oz gin
1 oz Campari
1 oz fresh lemon juice
3/4 oz orgeat
Orange wheel garnish
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add all the ingredients. Shake until chilled. Strain into a Collins glass or double old fashioned filled with ice. Garnish.
Happy drinking!