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Table of Contents
Background/Inspiration
Really, this is a pretty simple story. I knew Valentine’s Day was falling on my day of the week at my current bartending job, so I decided to have a special cocktail waiting for my guests. I wanted something delicious and to be a Valentine’s cocktail that could be made for volume at a bar.
Cocktail Journey
I had a basic idea that I wanted a pink or red cocktail I could make that would be accessible for everyone. I browsed the produce section at my local grocery store and found a deal on blackberries, which always make a vibrant red syrup. I added some passionfruit juice to make the flavor a little more complex.
Fun Fact: The bar I work at has more of a “cheeky” vibe, so I called it the “Passion Hole”. I renamed it for my site because search engines are weird.
After that I needed to figure out the garnish. I ordered some red rimming sugar as surefire back-up but I really wanted the garnish to incorporate a heart somehow. I tried stencils, cookie cutters, and pre-made heart shaped candy before landing on candy ribbons.
It took me a while to figure out how to produce a consistent heart at speed with tools I had at the bar but I finally figured out the shot-glass smooshing method. (Actually, the best and fastest way was to use my pliers, but I didn’t have a clean pair to use at the bar and it’s kind of a weird flex.)
Heart’s Passion Valentine’s Day Cocktail with Edible Heart Garnish Recipe
Cocktail Recipe
Cocktail Recipe
- 1.5oz Gin or Vodka (I used Bombay Sapphire, but this cocktail is versatile for most spirits)
- 1 oz Passion fruit Blackberry Cocktail Syrup (instructions below)
- Top with seltzer or press (1/2 seltzer 1/2 sprite)
Rim a glass with red cocktail sugar, fill with ice. Pour gin/vodka over the ice, followed by syrup and top with seltzer or press. Give it a quick stir and top with strawberry heart garnsh.
Passionfruit Blackberry Cocktail Syrup Recipe
This recipe can be pre-made up to 2 weeks in advance.
- 1 cup blackberries
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup passion fruit juice
- 1 tbsp citric acid
- tiny pinch of salt
Put the blackberries in a bowl or mixing cup and crush with a muddler of the back of a wooden spoon. Sprinkle salt, citric acid, and sugar over the berries. Cover and allow to sit for 2-4 hours. This will extract the juice and flavor of the berries without having to heat the syrup (which changes the flavor). Add passion fruit juice and blitz with an immersion blender. Strain mixture, first with a sieve and then a fine strainer to remove all seeds/pulp.
Store covered in the fridge until ready to use.
Edible Heart Garnish for Romantic Cocktails
–Red Candy Belts (I used sour strawberry) These ones were especially delicious and I ended up snacking on the leftovers.
Cut the candy ribbons into 3 inch strips. Fold the strips in half and use a shot glass (or clean pliers) to smoosh the fold. then take the other ends and smoosh them together to form a heart. These can be premade and kept cold to hold their shape.
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