Valentine’s Day needs cocktails
Sure, you probably go out on Valentine’s Day, but if you’ve been married a while like me, you may just stay home. This is “stay at home cocktails,” right? The fact is that us married people know something you single people don’t.
Valentine’s Day sucks.
Yes, I said it. But don’t get me wrong. It’s a great holiday. Any holiday that guarantees sex afterward has my vote. But to go out for a nice dinner on Valentine’s Day? I would rather cut my toenails with my teeth. The plain truth is that it’s crowded on Valentine’s Day. And it’s really freakin’ expensive to boot! So skip the headaches and just stay home and cuddle all night while drinking a few great cocktails. And then enjoy your guaranteed sex.
And that’s where I come in.
With the cocktails, not the sex.
A note on Drambuie
I love Drambuie. When I first started drinking, I wanted to like Scotch so bad I could taste it! But that was the problem. I didn’t really like the taste of it.
My dad wanted to like Scotch, too, but he didn’t really, either. But one thing even wannabe Scotch drinkers can agree on: Drambuie.
It’s Scotch’s sweeter cousin. Hell, who am I kidding, it’s really nothing like Scotch. Well, that’s an overstatement, but this stuff really is a liqueur. A sweet liqueur. As in I can hardly drink it straight now. Again, an overstatement. I still love it. I used to drink Rusty Nails like they were going out of style, but now I rarely turn to one. I only drink one now if someone else asks for one.
I still keep Drambuie, though, because of drinks like the Prince Edward cocktail and the Black Sun Cocktail. And my dad still likes to put a little in his Scotch every so often. Usually only if it’s bad Scotch, though.
And I don’t buy bad Scotch.
The Drambuie Cupid’s Bow cocktail recipe
The Drambuie Cupid’s Bow cocktail is something special. It highlights the honey and floral characteristics without becoming something sickly medicinally sweet.
To make one, combine in a rocks glass:
- 2 oz Lillet
- 1 oz Drambuie
- 10 drops rosewater
- 10 drops Islay Scotch (I used Bunnahabhain 12 year. It called for Ardberg, but I didn’t have any.)
Add ice, and garnish with a lemon rind.
As another note on Lillet, you should get some if you don’t have it. The only problem is that it’s a wine product, so you have to keep it in the refrigerator. But don’t worry: it keeps for a while. I like it on ice, but I keep it for one main reason: Vespers. So if you’re cool, you should get some Lillet. That way, when someone comes over and jokes about James Bond Martinis, you can pull out your recipe for the Vesper. Boom!
But back to the Drambuie Cupid’s Bow Cocktail.
Man, this drink is good! It’s got Drambuie’s honey sweetness, but it has the rosewater floral accent along with just a hint of smoke from the Bunnahabhain.
I have to make this drink for my Dad.
Maybe not on Valentine’s Day because, well, that would be weird, but next time I see him, I am making sure I have a bottle of Islay Scotch, some Drambuie, Lillet, and rosewater. And a dropper to get the measurements right.
Okay, that’s not quite possible. But next time he comes over, and I still have these ingredients left, I am totally making one for him.
Wait for it.
Drambuie is such an old-fashion liquor. I remember seeing it in my grandfather’s bar. I’m intrigued about if I will like it now…
It is old fashioned! I remember my father always liking it. It’s good stuff, but it seems overly sweet to our modern palates. Yet it’s a bit expensive to mix with, so it has a bad rap that way, too.