Valentine's Day at home cocktail

Valentine's Day 2021 is going to be a bit different this year! But that doesn't mean you can't still spoil that special someone with a delicious cocktail. And we're here to show you how!

Red Dress - A Valentine's Cocktail by Assistant Manager Leo

If you are planning a romantic, candlelit lockdown dinner date on Valentine's Day, this will kick start the tastebuds and begin the night perfectly! Fruity, floral and complex. Using three liqueurs, orange peel, lemon juice and strawberries truly keeps things simple and empowers all these sophisticated flavours to work together. Here's what you'll need:

45ml Cotswold amaro #1
15ml Aperol
15ml Lemon Juice
7ml Yellow Chartreuse
2 fresh strawberries muddled plus 1 for garnish
A wine glass or Champagne glass to serve it in
Ice cubes

To start, chill down your glasses by adding ice and cold water. Next if you have a mixing glass perfect, if not you can use a pint-sized glass. Add two strawberries and the 15ml of lemon juice, then start muddling. Then add 7ml Yellow Chartreuse (half a tablespoon), 15ml Aperol and 45ml, or about 2 eggcups, of Cotswold Amaro #1.

Now add ice 3⁄4 of the way up and start stirring. This is the important part; we want to stir for about 30 seconds so the drink is diluted as we are not serving this drink over ice. Once ice cold, discard your water and ice from your glass, then pour through a fine sieve to stop any of the strawberries getting in. You can use your spare strawberries for a lovely garnish!

Impress your loved one as the sun goes down and your food is cooking away slowly in the oven. This versatile drink is also a great digestif! By the fire, or by the TV.
Personally, I love this drink as it is seasonally appropriate from November to February. The spices and botanicals used in the Amaro are warming yet fruity. I also love using local ingredients, this is a great chance to try something different, an Italian style digestif, made by Cotswold Distillery. So, in addition to this make sure you go to your local fruit and veg market as many places are still open during this third lockdown. I hope you enjoy this drink as much as I do, see you all on the other side. Salute!