Love is in the air this weekend and it should also be in your cocktails. Forget champagne and roses. Impress your Valentine with one of these love potions.
Sangria Flora
Grab your girlfriends for a Galentine's Day lovefest and a carafe of sangria at Barcelona Wine Bar . This lighter side of sangria contains rosé as its base rather than the heavier, syrupy reds typically used. St. Germain's aromatic elderflower liqueur further enhances the dry sweetness of the wine while lending a hint of bright floral notes without being overpowering. Topped with fizzy water and fresh fruit, this cocktail says cheers to friendship and kindred spirits.
Barcelona Wine Bar, 240 North Highland Ave. NE, Atlanta, 404-589-1010, barcelonawinebar.com
Bleeding Heart
Never fear, craft beer nerds, Second Self hasn't forgotten how much they love you because Bleeding Heart is back on tap for your sipping pleasure. This limited release, amber ale features love notes of cocoa and vanilla and red malts to give it its festive red hue. Sip on draught at bars such as Across the Street Mexican, Chai Pani, Bookhouse Pub, Freight Kitchen & Tap, Tooey's Bar & Tap, Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall, Taco Mac and The Porter. Pick up a growler at Hop City or Stout's Growlers.
Second Self Beer Company, 1311 Logan Circle NW, Atlanta, 678-916-8035, secondselfbeer.com
Wine and Roses
Vin25 in Roswell serves up a beautiful riff on the gin classic , Martinez, using the rose-colored sweet vermouth Cocchi Rosa, St. George Terroir gin and French aperitif Salers gentiane. The lush, mulled wine notes of the Cocchi and the vegetal, bittersweet flavor of Salers blend beautifully with the hints of pine and wild sage from St. George's earthy gin. Wine and Roses is a light, balanced aperitif cocktail to set the mood for an intimate night out on Canton Street.
Vin25, 25 Plum Tree St., Roswell, 770-628-0411, vin25.com
Sloe Death
Don't let the name fool you. Sloe is simply a plum-like fruit used to make a gin-based red liqueur. Head to Decatur for S.O.S Tiki's answer to a Prohibition cocktail . Gin and bubbly create the dramatic base on which this drink is built, with the sloe providing the rosy hue. The mellow sweetness of honeydew coupled with the hazy anise notes of absinthe create a sensual speakeasy in a glass. This cocktail packs a punch, so be sure to have full bellies to pair with your full hearts as you fade into one another after dinner.
S.O.S Tiki Bar, 340 Church St., Decatur, 404-377-9308, www.vicsandwich.com/sos
Credit: Alexa Lampasona
Credit: Alexa Lampasona
La Lorea
Cooks & Soldiers has concocted a honey-coated cocktail full of Spanish sex appeal blending the naturally sweet sparkle of cava with the refreshing floral notes of the bittersweet 1814 Aperitivo and spicy, mulled wine flavors of Cocchi Rosa. A touch of honey gives the sparkler a smoother sip. This bubbly, sangria-like cocktail will transport you from Atlanta's Westside to the romantic green hills of the Basque region of Spain.
Cooks & Soldiers, 691 14th St. NW, Atlanta, 404-996-2623, cooksandsoldiers.com
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