Whether you’re staying in with your special someone this Valentine’s Day or sitting home alone trying to forget The Jerk Whose Name Shall Not Be Mentioned, we’ve got the grownup beverages you need.
The Love Below
Some people love chocolate, some people love cherries, some people love bourbon and some people love cabernet. Oh, and some people love beer.
Funky Buddha believes that on Valentine’s Day, all of these people should have a product. The Love Below, a seasonal limited release that comes out this month, is a bourbon and cabernet barrel-aged Russian imperial stout blended with 100-percent chocolate and cherries. Funky Buddha describes the beer thusly: “Thick and sultry, this is a beer best consumed with a very special friend.” We can’t help but assume they’re reading that in their best Barry White voices. Funky Buddha beers are stocked at various places, but the easiest way to make sure you get ahold of this is to head to the brewery and taproom, 1201 NE 38th St. in Oakland Park.
A Fine Wine Recommended by an Expert
Want to impress your beloved with an encyclopedic knowledge of wines? Is the only thing stopping you the small detail that you lack an encyclopedic knowledge of wines? Head over to Wine Watch, 901 Progresso Dr. in Fort Lauderdale, or check them out at winewatch.com. The shop’s selection changes, so it’s not necessarily helpful to mention particular bottles. From the Rhone Valley to the Alsace to Tuscany to, um, Walla Walla, the shop has all the major winemaking regions covered. Also covered are all sorts of price points. Yes it is possible to leave with a wallet that’s a few hundred dollars lighter than when you walked in, but they also have plenty of wines priced at less than $50 and even $20. Money helps, but knowledge is crucial.
Federalist Wines
It’s also possible to go to the grocery store and get a good wine. These are quality mid-range wines named after people who usually get schools named after them – George Washington represents Zinfandel, Ben Franklin’s the face of Cabernet Sauvignon and, in an entirely acceptable departure from the Founding Fathers theme, Abraham Lincoln reps the red blend. Oh, and another Zinfandel bears the name of some guy named Alexander Hamilton. (Broadway mega-hit Hamilton hasn’t exactly hurt Federalist wines, which are now served at Hamilton performances.) Plus they’re easy to find (stocked in places such as Publix) and a bottle will get you change from an Andrew Jackson. (Some people also call them $20 bills.)
Mango Mojito
Impress your special someone with the tropical flavors of Florida. We picked this beverage from the menu of one of our favorite cocktail spots, Blue Martini. It’s a sophisticated-yet-fun little number that the Blue Martinistas make with Cruzan mango rum, actual mango, lime, agave, mint and club soda. And if the whole Tom-Cruise-in-Cocktail thing isn’t your deal, just head on over to Blue Martini – 2432 E. Sunrise Blvd. – and let the pros do it.
