This year’s Valentine’s Day toast can be interpreted in many ways, so feel free to impose your own expectations, circumstances and desires on its meaning as you see fit. It comes from New Orleans bartender Kimberly Patton-Bragg, current beverage director at Palm and Pine where she is exploring agave and sugar cane based spirits to pair with their Mexican and Caribbean influenced fare. The drink features spicy rye whisky accented with Plantation’s intensely flavorful OFTD rum, is offset by lightly bitter Lillet Rouge, and is sweetened by Sorel, a decadent hibiscus and spice liqueur. It’s a recipe for love indeed and a sensational cocktail.

“Keep your eyes wide open before marriage, half shut afterwards.” —Benjamin Franklin

I chose a new Rye created by my friends at Cali Distillery, a small craft house based in California run by Marni and Howard Witkin. They have been producing some unique and exceptional spirits with a California spin over the past few years and this new rye is one of my favorites. It’s bold and spicy, bottled at a very high 95.5 proof, and contains 93% rye grain (a lot!) along with malted barley which rests in American and then French Oak barrels. They describe their rye this way: “Clear mountain streams flow down from the snowpack of the Sierras, through groves of California oaks and out into the rich farmland of the Central Valley. We tried to capture that California magic in our Three Rivers Rye Whiskey. The magic of water, wood and grain transforms into a rich, whiskey with citrus, molasses and dark honey notes.” I think I’m in love – cheers!

 “The man who says his wife can’t take a joke forgets that she took him.” —Oscar Wilde

Knowing Glance by Kimberly Patton-Bragg

1 ¼ oz rye

¾ oz Plantation OFTD rum

¾ oz Lillet Rouge

¼ oz Sorel

Stir ingredients with ice and strain into a favorite glass. Expressed lemon peel wrapped cherry garnish.

See more festive cocktail ideas:

and don’t forget to