We’ve got two days until Valentine’s Day. Much like last year, it appears most of the nation will be in a deep freeze, so here’s the best of the best recipes we’ve received (and we received a record number this year) to warm hearts and souls before you soldier forth to see Fifty Shades of Grey.

Amour de Amatitán
1 ½ oz. Blue Nectar Silver
¾ oz. fresh lime juice
¾ oz. crème de cacao
2 dashes orange bitters
Orange twist

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a coupe. Garnish with an orange twist.

Botran Dark Secret
1.5 oz. Botran Solera 1893
1 oz. simple syrup
1 egg white
1 oz. Port
3 ice cubes
1 strawberry (for garnish)

Shake and strain over ice into a cocktail glass. Garnish with chocolate covered strawberry.

XOXOXO
1.5 oz. Hennessy VS
.5 oz. Antica Formula sweet vermouth
.5 oz. Crème Yvette
Splash of simple syrup
1 dash Angostura bitters
1 dash Fee Brothers Aztec chocolate bitters
3 muddled Black Cherries
1/8th of a lemon
Fresh grated cinnamon
Cherry (for garnish)

Muddle cherries and lemon wedge in a shaker tin. Add all liquid to shaker with ice, shake until well chilled. Strain into glass with large ice cube. Grate cinnamon over the top and garnish with a cherry.

Ketel One Rose Garden
1.5 oz. Ketel One Vodka
.5 oz. Pom Juice
.25 oz. fresh lemon juice
.50 oz. simple syrup
Soda water
Mint leaf (for garnish)

Combine all ingredients. Shake and strain over fresh ice into a collins glass. Top with soda water. Garnish with a mint leaf.

Zammut Cobbler
(Created by Gegam Kazarian)
1 ½ oz Molinari Sambuca Extra
3 oz Prosecco
¼ orange
¼ pear
5 white grapes

Muddle the fruit, add Molinari Sambuca Extra and put in shaker with ice. Strain two times and pour into a chalice. (Ed. Note: I do not own a chalice. I used a nice wine glass instead.)

Tomasito
2 parts Olmeca Altos Blanco
4 parts cranberry juice
1 part lime juice
½ part raspberry liqueur
½ part Agave syrup

Shake all ingredients. Strain into a glass. Garnish with lime.

Pretty in Pink
6 oz. Q Grapefruit
1.5 oz. vodka
.5 oz Campari
Slice of ruby pink grapefruit (for garnish)

Fill a highball glass with ice. Add vodka and then top with with Q Grapefruit. Stir gently and then drizzle on the Campari.

Persephone
1 oz pomegranate juice
1/2 oz Cointreau
1/2 oz St. Germain

Shake and strain ingredients into a flute, top up with champagne or sparkling wine. Garnish with pomegranate seeds.

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