Romance is in the air on Valentine’s Day.  Raise a glass with your Valentine to celebrate the holiday dedicated to love.  The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley provides premium flavors for every occasion with its Beverage Artistry™ line of blends and bases and its Culinary Traditions™ line of fruit purees and concentrates.  Even in February, when fresh produce is as hard to target as Cupid’s arrow, mixologists and chefs can easily enjoy the bountiful flavors of spring, summer and fall with The Perfect Purée’s rich offering of flavors.  For a liquid take on chocolate and raspberries, the Chocolate Raspberry Truffle by Dana M. Bruner of The Perfect Purée makes for kiss-worthy lips:

Ingredients:
•       1 oz. Godiva Liqueur
•       1 oz. Perfect Purée Raspberry Puree, thawed
•       ½ oz. vodka
•       ½ oz. simple syrup

Method: Place all ingredients into a glass filled with ice. Shake vigorously in a Boston Shaker for 10 seconds. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with fresh raspberries.

Looking to really heat things up?   The Passion Añejo created by Dana M. Bruner of The Perfect Purée will warm the heart while providing a twist on this often very berry-based day.  Perfect Purée’s Beverage Artistry™ Passion Colada blend imparts a sophisticated base for this cocktail at just a flick of the wrist.

Ingredients:
•       2 ½ oz. Perfect Purée Passion Colada, thawed
•       1 oz. Chinaco Tequila Añejo
•       ½  barspoon Perfect Purée Ginger, thawed
•       ½ lime, juiced
•       ½ oz. orgeat syrup

Method:  Combine all ingredients into a glass filled with ice. Shake vigorously in a Boston Shaker for 10 seconds.  Strain into an ice filled Collins glass.

Not feeling the love this year?  Don’t be bitter!  Stir up a cocktail instead of being stirred up by couple’s in love with “A Bitter Heart” by Joseph H. Ehrmann of Elixer.

Ingredients:
•       2 oz. Square One Botanical Vodka
•       .5oz Campari
•       2 oz. Perfect Purée El Corazon, thawed
•       5 inches of fresh rosemary sprig

Method:  In a mixing tin, strip ¾ of the rosemary sprig leaves in and set aside a good looking short top of the sprig for garnish. Muddle the rosemary and add the remaining ingredients. Fill with ice and shake hard for 10 seconds. Strain up into a cocktail glass and garnish with the rosemary sprig.

Finally, for a dessert that provides a complement to berries and champagne, Pomegranate Sorbet offers a lovely way to end your Valentine’s Day feast.

Ingredients:
•       8 oz. cold water
•       2 tsp. gelatin powder
•       20 oz. Perfect Purée Pomegranate Concentrate, room temperature
•       8 oz. simple syrup (1:1 sugar and water)

Method: Sprinkle gelatin over cold water.  When the gelatin has completely dissolved, warm the mixture slightly and whisk into room temperature Pomegranate Concentrate and simple syrup.  Freeze in an ice cream machine.