Valentines Day is just around the corner and I’m especially excited to celebrate it this year… with my FIANCE! I’m really really happy to be engaged, so bear with me this year as I plan my wedding while working and writing. I’ll be posting proposal details soon – [squeal]

So Colin and I usually go to a fancy dinner on Valentines day. And we may or may not this year – we haven’t decided yet. I’d be perfectly fine just spending the day at home with movies, food and cocktails. We have fun doing practically nothing, which I absolutely love. One of our favorite things to do at home is come up with little creative projects we can do together, sometimes involving far-fetched ideas for early retirement – silly I know, but we have tons of fun doing it. When we first started hanging out years ago, we had this obsession with claw machines and wanted to write and illustrate a zine about it. Who knows, we might start that up again.

Whether you’re planning to stay home or go out, I have the perfect Shaker & Spoon cocktail recipe to share with you- mix this floral drink for yourself or someone special before or after dinner. We’re going to be playing with GIN, and this is just one of 3 gin cocktail recipes I’ll be sharing. I’ll be posting the other recipes this week, before Valentines day. This one’s called the Gin Flower and it’s so pretty, light and fragrant.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1/4 oz flower syrup
• 2 dashes angostura bitters
• 1 dash grapefruit bitters
• 1 flower petal
• 2 oz gin

I used Hendrick’s gin, which is pretty smooth, but what I love most about it is the shape of the bottle. The flower syrup that came in this month’s Shaker and Spoon box is my new favorite – it’s a blend of rose, chamomile and hibiscus flavors. I love the fresh, floral taste. Reminds me that pretty soon, it’ll be Spring.

Can we just talk about these flower petals for a minute? Aren’t they precious? This tiny detail adds so much character to the drink.

Here’s how you mix the drink:

The Gin Flower is a cocktail that gets stirred and served on the rocks.

• Add all of the liquid ingredients to a dry mixing glass. Fill the glass with ice and use a bar spoon to stir 20 rotations.
• Strain into a rocks glass over fresh cubed ice.
• Garnish by floating one petal on top of the drink.

The Gin Flower is such pretty Valentines Day cocktail, but it’s so gorgeous, I want to make it year round. I am in love with its pale pink hue. One of my best friends is getting married in a few months, and I’d love to serve this for her bridal shower. I see many cocktail parties with the Gin Flower in my future.

I hope you guys enjoy Valentines day with your special someone. For all you gin lovers out there, try this recipe and let me know what you think.

And remember- if you subscribe to Shaker & Spoon, a sweet (very well-packed) box gets delivered to you each month with all these ingredients, so all you really need to get is the alcohol. Agency Addicts readers to get 15% off Shaker & Spoon boxes, so don’t forget to subscribe using our special code: AGENCY15 

Drink responsibly.