Ready for your new favorite Valentine’s cocktail? I created this special cocktail specifically for the Bourbon Women. Once a month I contribute a bourbon or whiskey cocktail to them to showcase the versatility and balance found in bourbon cocktails. So while we celebrate relationships in February, let’s take a moment to celebrate the strong women and best friends that lift us up when life gets hard. These are the ladies we cherish and the bourbon women we count on day in and day out to party with us, cry with us and lend us strength when we need it.
I designed a cocktail with bourbon and chocolate, paired it with raspberry because we all want friends that are sweet, but a little tart and sassy when we need it. Along with bourbon, we’ve got a small amount of amaro – a bitter digestive to take the sweet down a notch – and a few drops of a smoke and salt bitter to add just the suggestion of something mysterious.
For this Valentine’s cocktail, I used Foro Amaro, my new favorite amaro. It’s got deep chocolate and coffee tones and has a very rich mouthfeel. It’s also amazing in a Manhattan and a spritz. It’s used in a classic Manhattan at Michter’s Distillery (one of my favorites) so as soon as it became available here I had to splurge to get a bottle.
So whether you are looking to celebrate a relationship or your best friend, or both, mix this one up for your night on the town with your loved ones. Take a few sips, but make sure you drink responsibly, this one could get dangerous!
Boys on the Side
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz bourbon
- 0.75 oz black raspberry liqueur
- 0.25 oz chocolate liqueur
- 0.25 oz Foro amaro (or any amaro with hints of coffee and
- chocolate in it)
- 2 drops of Crude “Pooter” smoke and salt bitters
- Garnish: fresh raspberries
Instructions
- Combine the cocktail ingredients in a mixing glass and add
- ice. Stir until well-chilled and strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass.
- Garnish with fresh or frozen raspberries and enjoy with your best friends.
