Lover’s Lagoon. McCoy’s Oceanfront at Fort Lauderdale Marriott Pompano Beach Resort & Spa, Fla.
Think of as a moonlit stroll on the beach — in a glass.
Ingredients:
- 1 oz vodka
- 1 oz spiced rum
- 1 oz peach juice
- 1 oz pear juice
- 1 oz plum juice
- ½ oz blue curacao
Preparation:
- Stir all ingredients in a glass without ice.
- Pour mix into a chilled glass.
- Garnish with a mint sprig.
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Fiery Mandarin. Lead Mixologist Eddie Garcia, jade bar at Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Guaranteed to add heat to any romance.
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Absolut vodka
- 1 slice jalapeno
- 1/3 of an orange zest
- 1 oz cranberry juice
- ½ oz lemon juice
- ¾ oz simple syrup
Preparation:
- Muddle jalapeno, add zest and liquids.
- Add ice, shake and double strain.
- Serve up in chilled martini glass with jalapeno slice garnish.
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Fennel. The Umstead Bar, The Umstead Hotel and Spa, Cary, N.C.
Deceptively simple, this three-ingredient cocktail gets a romantic boost from aphrodisiac fennel.
Ingredients:
- 2.0 oz Conniption Navy Strength gin
- .75 oz fennel syrup
- .50 oz lime juice
- Dash of fennel powder
Preparation:
- Mix first three ingredients in a cocktail shaker.
- Fill with ice and shake.
- Strain into a martini glass.
- Garnish with a dash of fennel powder.
- Hint for the adventure home mixologist: The Umstead adds candied fennel fronds to its garnish.
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The Wink. Henry’s Hotel Bar, Harbor View Hotel, Martha’s Vineyard
The name of this cocktail says it all.
Ingredients:
- 1 2/3 oz. gin
- 2 tsp. triple sec
- 1/2 tsp. sugar syrup
- 3 dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters
- 1/2 oz. absinthe, to coat the glass
- Orange twist
Preparation:
- Combine gin, triple sec, sugar syrup and bitters in a shaker over ice and shake.
- Strain into the absinthe-coated rocks glass.
- Finish with a spritz of orange zest and garnish with the orange peel.
