Cupid’s Creative Cocktails

by Madelyn Miller, the TravelLady

Make a glowing toast to the night of love with the Midori Sweetheart cocktail, a fresh blend of passion fruit, elderflower and Midori’s Yubari melon. Topped off with a touch of honey and delicate pink flower petals, this tasty cocktail is the perfect addition to a romantic celebration at home or out on the town:

Midori Sweetheart

By Mixologist Victoria D’Amato Moran

1 part Midori Melon Liqueur
1 part Skyy Passion fruit Infusions
½ parts Elderflower Liqueur
2 parts Passion fruit juice (Welch’s)
½ parts fresh lemon juice
2 drops of honey (¼ tsp.)

Add ingredients into a chilled shaker glass, add ice. Shake and strain into a chilled 6 oz cocktail glass. Garnish with pink or red rose petals and sprinkle with Silver leaf flakes sitting in drink.

Get Yourself "Tongue Tied" This Valentine’s Day

Take it from us, it’s really just a myth that Valentine's Day is a couple's-only holiday. It is the perfect day for anyone, single or taken, to get a little fun and flirty.

Whether you’re taking the town by storm with your single gal pals, finally going to ask out that girl who twists your stomach into knots and gets you all tongue tied, or staying in for a evening filled with romance, make sure your cocktails are as memorable as the chocolates, roses and love letters.

X-Rated Fusion Liqueur is a tempting and delicious treat of ultra-premium French vodka, blended with blood oranges and the essence of mango and passion fruit. It is delicious enough to savor on its own, as a sophisticated indulgence when topped off with champagne, or downright sinful in a variety of delectable cocktails, such as the new devilish "Tongue Tied." And it makes a terrific gift for gals who can appreciate a flavorful drink that's low in calories.

With the flavors of this bright pink spirit on your lips, you can't help but smile after stealing a few sips and trying to knot the cherry garnish of a cocktail like the “Tongue Tied,” a delightful mix of X-Rated Fusion Liqueur and SKYY Infusions Cherry. Competitive types will find themselves in a giggle-filled game, trying to knot that stem faster than her other girlfriends can. Because Valentine’s Day isn’t just a holiday for the heart; it also relies quite heavily on the mouth. Between whispering sweet nothings, nibbling on chocolates, sneaking in smooches and redefining “tongue tied” to be an example of your playful prowess, your mouth will need to take the rest of the month off. But before then, here are a few recipes to wet your whistle and get the evening started in the tastiest way. Let your love flow this Valentine's Day with X-Rated Fusion Liqueur as your sweet and sultry love potion.

Tongue Tied

1.5 oz. X-Rated Fusion Liqueur
1.5 oz. SKYY Infusions Cherry
Splash of Grenadine
Shake X-Rated and SKYY Infusions Cherry over ice.
Strain into a martini glass.
Slowly add a dash of Grenadine so that it sinks to the bottom.
Garnish with a cherry with a knotted stem.

Hopeless RomantiX

1.5 oz. X-Rated Fusion Liqueur
2 oz. Prosecco or Champagne
0.25 oz. Lemon Juice
0.25 oz. Orange
0.25 oz. Pineapple
Muddle pineapple, orange and lemon. Add prosecco and X-Rated Fusion
Liqueur. Strain and serve in a highball glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

X-Rated Passion

2 oz. X-Rated Fusion Liqueur
2 oz. SKYY Infusions Passion Fruit
Splash of Club Soda
Serve on the rocks and garnish with a lime.

Love EliXir

1 oz. X-Rated Fusion Liqueur
1.5 oz. SKYY Vodka
1 oz. Orange Juice
1 oz. Pineapple Juice
0.5 oz. Grenadine
Serve on the rocks and garnish with a lemon twist.

The Beeting Heart

1.5 oz Bols Genever
.5 oz St. Germain
.5 oz Beet Juice
.5 oz Lemon juice
.1 dash Peychaud bitters

Emily's Rose

1.5 oz Bols Genever
.5 oz Cointreau
.5 Grenadine
.5 oz lemon juice
1 dash Regans orange bitters

Mother of Pearl

1.5 oz Bols Genever
.75 oz Lillet Blanc
.5 oz Lemon juice
.25 Simple syrup

William of Orange

1 oz Bols Genever
1 oz Aperol
1 oz Punt e Mes
1 dash Regans orange bitters
Love Elixirs: TY KU Cocktails

Creating the most romantic Valentine’s Day experience, TY KU Asian Wine & Spirits pours the ultimate cocktail of love with new all-natural drink concepts. From the latest trend in sake and soju, TY KU’s portfolio of low calorie beverages free of preservatives, tannins and sulfites lets you create the ultimate date night drinks.

Cheers to love just like celebrity couples that sip TY KU: Sarah Foster & Tommy Haas, Sting & Trudie Styler, Tobey McGuire & Jennifer Meyer, Jay-Z & Beyonce, Jared Kushner & Ivanka Trump, Ashton Kutcher & Demi Moore—who all enjoy hip sips with TY KU’s all-natural ingredients and smooth flavor notes.

Instead of popping bubbly, celebrate your love with TY KU White. Overseen by the most decorated sake masters in all of Japan, this Junmai Daiginjo grade sake is in the top 5% in the world. Making it the perfect choice for special occasions, only a select amount are made every year from hand-polished rice that's harvested only one a year, water from the glaciers of the Fiji mountains that springs only every 50 years, proprietary yeast from the edo period, and hand-made koji.

Price: $150

Set a sensual mood with TY KU Premium Liqueur, not only does the bottle emit a soft green glow, but this low calorie antioxidant enriched beverage is infused with a blend of libido-boosting aphrodisiac ingredients including mood-enhancing Dragon’s Eye, stimulating Damiana and energizing Ginseng. Plus, with its all-natural, low calorie ingredients that deter bloat—you won’t have any trouble slipping into something a little more comfortable after dinner.

Mix it up with the versatile flavor profiles of TY KU Soju and TY KU Sake. Both sake and soju create the perfect base for any cocktail concoction with excellent mix-ability that enhance the flavors that you stir into your drink. Whether your partner likes sweet and you like savory, almost any combination is easy to shake up—and is sure keep lips happy.

Will You Be My TY-tini?

1.5oz TY KU Liqueur
1.5oz TY KU Soju
Squeeze of Lime
Splash of Diet Sprite

Melt My Heart Mojito

TY KU Liqueur
Sprite
Squeeze of Lemon
Squeeze of Orange

Burning Love

TY KU Sake
Cinnamon Hearts
TY-Kiss
TY KU Sake
TY KU Soju
White Chocolate Liqueur
Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup

Ginger Crush

TY KU sake
Diet Ginger Ale
Ginger Snap Cookie

Single Ladies

TY KU Liqueur
Ginger Liqueur
White Cranberry Juice
Squeeze of Fresh Lime Juice

Strawberries & Cream

TY KU Sake
Bailey’s Irish Cream
Irish whiskey
Fresh Strawberries

Let's Get It On

TY KU Soju
Chocolate Liqueur
Top with Light Whipped Cream

Maker’s Mark

One taste of these Maker’s Mark bourbon cocktails will send couples swooning. Delicious and easy to make, these drinks are best paired with Barry White music, candle light and silk sheets.

Cupid’s Arrow

Ingredients:
1 ½ parts Maker’s Mark
¼ part DeKuyper® Crème de Cacao (white)
¼ part DeKuyper Hazelnut Liqueur
Cream or half and half
Bar of chocolate for garnish

Directions:

Fill a Martini shaker with ice, Maker’s Mark, Crème de Cacao and Hazelnut Liqueur. Shake vigorously for a few seconds. Pour into a Martini glass and top with a thin layer of cream or half and half. Garnish with chocolate shavings.

Aphrodite’s Ambrosia

Ingredients:
1 part Maker's Mark
¼ part Apricot Liqueur
6 dashes Peychaud's bitters
Cold Proseco

Directions:

Stir the Maker’s Mark, Apricot Liquor and bitters with ice in a shaker glass. Strain into a champagne flute and top with the Proseco. 　

Aphrodisiacs (derived from the Greek goddess of sensuality, Aphrodite) are known to increase sexual desire and have been popular for centuries. This Valentine’s Day pour on the passion and stir up some romance with these delicious cocktails using top aphrodisiacs such as Liquorice, honey, chocolate, honey and raspberries

Liquorice

The Chinese have used licorice for medicinal purposes since ancient times. The essence of the Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) plan, glycrrhizin, is 50 time sweeter than sugar. Chewing on bits of licorice root is said to enhance love and lust. It is particularly stimulating to woman.

Chocolate - The Aztecs referred to chocolate "nourishment of the Gods". Chocolate contains chemicals thought to effect neurotransmitters in the brain and a related substance to caffeine called theobromine. Chocolate contains more antioxidant (cancer preventing enzymes) than does red wine. The secret for passion is to combine the two.

German Chocolate Cake

½ part Jägermeister (known for its black liquorice taste)
½ part chocolate liqueur
Splash of coconut rum
Splash of butterscotch Schnapps
Combine and shake all ingredients over ice. Strain into a shot glass

Honey - Not much sexier than HONEY, In fact Many medicines in Egyptian times were based on honey including cures for sterility and impotence. Medieval seducers plied their partners with Mead, a fermented drink made from honey. Lovers on their "Honeymoon" drank mead and it was thought to s "sweeten" the marriage

Hot Honey Crisp

–1 Packet Apple Cider Mix
2 ½ Cups Hot Water
3 Ounces Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur
2 Ounces Jacques Cardin Apple Cognac
Garnish w/ Cinnamon Stick and Whipped Cream
Makes 2

Frisky Whisky

1 part Michael Collins
1 part Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur
1 part fresh orange juice
1/4 part simple syrup
2 Dashes angostura bitters

Raspberries invite love and are described in erotic literature as fruit nipples. They are red, which is the color associated with love and passion, and are high in vitamin C.

St. Zipang

4 parts Zipang Sparkling Sake (sure to keep the romance from falling flat)
1 part St. Germaine Elderflower liqueur
Raspberry Garnish
Tommy’s Valen-Tini
2 1/2 parts Tommy Bahama White Sand Rum
3/4 part orange liqueur
3/4 part sour mix
3/4 part raspberry liqueur sinker
Sugar in the raw

Mix the rum, orange liqueur and sour mix. Shake 20 times. Pour into a sugar in the raw rimmed martini glass. Slowly pour in raspberry liqueur so that it sinks to the bottom of the glass. Garnish with a lime twist.

ZA ZA Zoom

1/2 oz Chambord
4 fresh Raspberries
Muddle these two ingredients together
1.5 0z of JC APPLE Cognac
3/4 oz of Pineapple juice

Shake all vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish w/ Raspberries

Between The Sheets

2 parts JC Jasmin VSOP
½ part Cointreau
½ part Tommy Bamaha White Sand Rum
Freshly squeezed lemon Juice
Garnish with an orange twist in a chilled martini glass
L’Amour en Rose
1 ½ part. Tommy Bahama White Sand Rum
2 part SENCE Rose Nectar
½ part Triple Sec

Shake all with ice and strain in a martini glass

JC Rose Nectar

1 ½ parts JC Cognac VSOP
1 ½ parts SENCE
Rose Champagne

Shake JC and SENCE with ice; strain and serve in a martini glass. Fill with chilled Rose Champagne.

Moscato Passion

Made with Barefoot Bubbly Moscato Spumante, this bubbly concoction will add some sparkle to Valentine’s Day whether you’re toasting with that special someone or your best group of friends.

Moscato Passion JPG

1 oz Rose’s Passion Fruit Mojito Mix
1 tsp grenadine
4 oz Barefoot Bubbly Moscato Spumante
Maraschino cherries
Splash of cherry juice

Directions:

In a chilled champagne flute, add passion fruit mojito mix, grenadine and a splash of cherry juice. Top off with Barefoot Bubbly Moscato Spumante. Garnish with maraschino cherries. Serve!

Madelyn Miller is a travel and food writer. She is waiting for Cupid to find someone special for her to share cocktails with. Read her stories on

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