You could open a bottle of wine or grab a couple of beers out of the fridge, but if you really want to make an impression, mix your date a cocktail—one that, regardless of their usual at the local watering hole, is sure to please. Making a cocktail at home sets a romantic mood, and not just because alcohol relaxes people and lowers their inhibitions; the right cocktail sends a message a message that depends on the person you're trying to seduce and what they find appealing.
Clair McLafferty is a craft bartender and the author of Romantic Cocktails: Craft Cocktail Recipes for Couples, Crushes, and Star-Crossed Lovers (available now), a sleek red book featuring more than 100 drink recipes. Her expert advice: "If someone tells you that they dislike whiskey or love mezcal, it’s about paying attention to those little things and making a cocktail based on them. Really to me, that’s the essence of a romantic cocktail—paying attention. It’s making a small gesture. It’s letting someone know that you listen and that you want to craft something just for them."

While “love potions” may not technically exist, McLafferty originally set out to write a book focused on aphrodisiac cocktails, and a few of those recipes made it into the final draft, including a martini made with oyster shell-infused vodka. After offering the disclaimer that she’s “not a doctor and can’t give medical advice,” McLafferty points out that some of the foods purported to have aphrodisiac qualities, like hot peppers, do have known effects on the human body. With peppers, for example, she says, “Capsaicin warms you up and increases blood flow, but it doesn’t necessarily lead directly to stimulation.”

She adds, “While the ancillary effects might lend themselves to romantic pursuits, nothing has ever been scientifically proven about the link between these ingredients—even oysters—and sexual arousal.” The words “nothing has ever been proven” might sound discouraging, or you could think of them as presenting an opportunity. Find a willing research partner, mix a few drinks, and draw your own conclusions.

McLafferty’s book features cocktails for just about any love-related situation, whether you're hooking up or happily coupled. Self-medicating after a breakup? Try the I Love You Like a Punch in the Head (recipe below). The book also makes sure you have everything you need to mix and serve drinks properly, because when it comes to romance, presentation matters. McLafferty confesses that on the rare occasion she makes a cocktail at home, she might put it in a stemless wineglass from IKEA, but she says it’s much sexier to serve drinks in the appropriate glassware. After all, “You drink with your eyes first,” and that’s why people are willing to pay more for spirits that come in beautiful bottles. She adds, “In the industry, we call it ‘drinking the bottle’, but it’s just basic psychology. If you believe that something is going to taste delicious, you’re already primed that it is going to be delicious, whether or not it’s perfect.”

Trying a new recipe? Don’t make a drink for the first time in front of your date, because you’ll be more nervous. “Practice it beforehand,” McLafferty cautions. “Also, taste it before you serve it.” If it doesn’t taste quite right, the problem is probably fixable. She shares some basic tips: “If it’s too sweet, add a dash of bitters. If it’s a little bit too bitter, add a tiny bit of salt, because flavor chemistry is really fucking weird.”

If your date likes the drink, and the night goes well, it doesn’t have to end there. McLafferty sees long-term romantic potential here—and she’s talking about the cocktail, of course. “Taste and scent memory is one of the strongest triggers that we have. If you make a romantic cocktail, and it is something that you maybe come back to with the person you love a few years later or every year on the anniversary of that date, it will take you back every time to that first experience. It’s something that can become very special, and even more romantic as time goes on.”

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I Love You Like a Punch in the Head

by Beckaly Franks of The Pontiac in Hong Kong

Ingredients

• 3/4 ounce tequila
• 3/4 ounce mezcal
• 3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Becherovka (a bittersweet herbal liqueur, described as "a mature Fireball")
• 1/2 ounce rich simple syrup
• 1/2 ounce egg white (about 1 small egg white)
•Bitters, for garnish
• Grapefruit twist, for garnish

Process
Shake tequila, mezcal, lemon juice, Becherovka, rich simple syrup, and egg white vigorously without ice. Add ice and shake again. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with Bitters Art and express a grapefruit twist over top. Discard the grapefruit twist.

If you're feeling crafty: Bitters art is kind of like latte art, except that it is drawn in egg foam with added bitters instead of by carefully pouring textured milk into the mug. There are two ways to make a design: first, by spraying bitters over a stencil onto the foam, or second, by using a dropper to add a few drops, and then using a toothpick or straw to finish the design.