If you’re planning a romantic dinner this Valentine’s Day, why not take it one step further and impress your special someone by showcasing your cocktail skills? Thursday Food visited mixologist and managing director of the Bars to Go Group Patrice McHugh who was happy to whip up a few love-potions recipes to complement your meal and put you in the right kind of mood.

Creamy Kisses

Ingredients:

3 oz Ron Zacapa

2 oz Kahlua coffee liqueur

1 oz half and half

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Hershey’s Chocolate syrup

Cigar sticks

Method:

Combine Ron Zacapa, Kahlua, half and half, and cinnamon into a cocktail shaker. Shake with ice. Pour into a martini glass and garnish with chocolate cigar and chocolate syrup.

Sex and the Sippie

Ingredients:

2 oz Ciroc Vodka

1/4 oz grenadine

1/2 oz cocktail syrup

3/4 oz fresh lime juice

2 oz Zonin Moscato Sparkling Wine

Air bubble infusion

Method:

Combine Vodka, cocktail syrup and fresh lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Pour 1/4 oz grenadine syrup in champagne flute. Pour cocktail in flute then layer air bubble infusion on top.

Recipe for air bubble infusion

Ingredients:

2 oz grape concentrate

3/4 oz Agave nectar

3 oz fresh lime juice

6 oz water

2 oz triple sec

1 tsp granulated lecithin

1/2 tsp powdered gelatin

Method:

Combine all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix with an electric mixer.

Mr Big

Ingredients:

2 oz Maker’s Mark

4 cubes pear

1 oz Cocktail syrup

3/4 oz fresh lime juice

Method:

Muddle syrup and pear into a mixing glass then add lime juice and Makers Mark. Shake, strain and serve over fresh ice in a rock glass.

Strawberry Sweetheart

Ingredients:

2 oz Don Julio Tequila

1 oz Creme de Cacao

1/2 oz Chambord liqueur

1 oz half and half

Strawberry foam topping

Method:

Combine Tequila, Creme de Cacao, Chambord and half and half in a cocktail shaker. Pour cocktail into a rock glass then layer strawberry foam on the top.

Recipe for strawberry foam topping

Ingredients:

5 oz strawberry puree

2 oz honey syrup

1/2 oz fresh lemon juice

1 tsp granulated sugar

1/2 tsp Xanthan

1/8 tsp stabilizer

Method:

Blend all the ingredients together. Pour into an Isi gourmet food and beverage whipper. Add two Isi nitrogen cartridges and shake.