Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! To celebrate, we created a gift guide for every type of relationship — from romantic partners, to platonic pals, to cuffing season situationships. Gift-givers can swap out the traditional gift of roses and chocolate for perfectly pink gin, a one-of-a-kind fragrance that doubles as a cocktail garnish, a zero-proof spirit full of botanicals (that happen to be well-known aphrodisiacs), and more!
NATIONAL
- Backcountry Cocktails: Civilized Drinks for Wild Places: Nature lovers will love this book — where else can someone learn how to make killer cocktail, while not getting killed by a bear?
- Tamworth Garden Damson Plum Gin: On Wednesdays (specifically… Wednesday, February 14th) we drink pink with Tamworth Distilling’s magenta-hued spirit.
- Tamworth Garden Sylvan Mist: Luxury is the name of the gifting game with Sylvan Mist, the world’s first gin perfume!
- The Pathfinder Hemp and Root: This zero-proof spirit is herbaceous and full of botanicals that are well-known aphrodisiacs!
LOCAL
- Bluebird Distilling: Pick up a bottle of Juniperus Gin (full of aphrodisiacs) for the gin to your tonic!
- Cake Life Bake Shop: The Fishtown bakery offers treats that are love at first bite, from X-rated Sugar Cookie Conversation Hearts, to maximalist heart-shaped cakes, to Cupid’s cupcake box!
- Char & Stave Coffee: Gift-givers looking for a way to espresso their love can purchase coffee from Char & Stave — the roastery boasts barrel-aged beans for the whiskey lovers, as well as other premium roasts!
- El Merkury: Get love delivered to your doorstep with Churro Grams and Churro Bouquets! Looking for a romantic date night out? El Merkury also has Churro Heart Sundaes in-store.
- Poi Dog Sauces: Valentine’s Day just got saucier with a six-course dinner courtesy of Chef Ari Miller ft. Poi Dog Sauces and La Colombe coffee! Plus, Poi Dog is partnering with Giuseppe’s Market at Samuels Seafood to create the ultimate at-home oyster bundle.
- Tenango Rum: The perfect gift for the rum-antic — open a bottle to complete a candlelit dinner with luxurious libations.
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LOCAL
Bluebird Distilling
Bluebird Distilling, Phoenixville’s award-winning grain-to-glass craft distillery, boasts the perfect spirits for Valentine’s Day gifting, including its flagship Juniperus Gin (750ml, 90 proof, $39.99). There’s no better spirit for a G&T lover — distilled first from Rye, this gin is infused with botanicals and spices from around the world (some of which are said to be aphrodisiacs), including juniper, angelica root, evergreen, and more!
For those enjoying a romantic dinner complete with the famed aphrodisiac, oysters, can open a bottle of Breakwater Bourbon, the collaborative spirit from Adkins and the Jetty Rock Foundation, the 501(C)3 nonprofit arm of the coastal lifestyle and apparel brand Jetty. Ringing in at 90 proof with tasting notes of light smoke, sweet cherry, vanilla, baking spice, candied ginger, soft corn, vanilla, and toffee, this spirit pairs perfectly with the popular mollusk.
Gift-givers can buy these spirits (and more!) online, at Bluebird Distilling’s bottle shop, or at either Char & Stave location.
Bluebird Distilling’s bottle shop is open every day from 1 – 11pm.
Char & Stave’s hours of operations (at both locations) are Monday through Thursday 7am – 11pm, Friday through Saturday 8am – 12am, and Sunday 8am – 11pm.
100 Bridge St, Phoenixville PA | bluebirddistilling.com | Instagram: @bluebirddistilling
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Cake Life Bake Shop
Cake Life’s uber-popular Conversation Heart Sugar Cookies return this year, with both sweet and spicy messages. Whether you’re “sweet-talking” or “talking dirty” this Valentine’s Day, these sweet treats are love at first bite.
- The “spicy” 3-pack boasts blush-worthy phrases like “Pound Town,” “Eat Me,” “Giddy Up” and more – consider these confections a crash course in Dirty Talk 101.
- The “sweet” 3-pack includes cookies piped with messages like “I Love You,” “XOXO,” and “Cutie Pie.”
Couples (or throuples?) can spice things up with Cake Life’s X-rated rendition of the famed conversation hearts – or keep it sweet with flourless chocolate cakes, Cupid’s Cupcake Box, two-tier funfetti heart-shaped cakes, and more.
Additional highlights from the Valentine’s Day menu include Two-Layer Heart-Shaped Cakes, Cupid’s Cupcake Box, and the beloved Petal-Pistachio Heart Cookies (recently named one of the tastiest pastries in the city by Eater Philly!). See the entire menu with pricing here. The Fishtown bakery’s Valentine’s Day specials are available for pre-order online from Sunday, January 21 through Sunday, February 25 (pre-orders require at least 4 days advance notice), as well as in-store throughout the month of February.
Cake Life Bake Shop | 1306 Frankford Ave | www.cakelifebakeshop.com | Instagram @cakelifebakeshop
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DYK it’s rumored that coffee is an aphrodisiac? Gift-givers looking to find a unique addition to any coffee enthusiast’s lineup can look no further than Char & Stave, the Pennsylvania roastery and full-service café-by-day, cocktail bar-by-night helmed by Jared Adkins of Bluebird Distilling. Influenced by Adkin’s distilling experience, Char & Stave makes “coffee by whiskey people,” with its Barrel-Aged Roasts that utilize a process strikingly similar to the aging process of Bluebird Distilling’s wide catalogue of brown spirits. Char & Stave’s flagship Four Grain Bourbon Aged Blend is aged in brown spirit barrels used to make the distillery’s noted whiskeys and bourbons. Char & Stave coffee is available nationwide online.
In addition to the roastery’s barrel-aged blends, Char & Stave also offers five signature roasts, including Bluebird Morning ($18), Everyday ($18), Workout Fuel ($19), Dark Voodoo ($18), and Adventure Espresso ($18).
Char & Stave | PURCHASE ONLINE HERE | www.charandstave.com | Instagram: @charandstavecoffee
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El Merkury
El Merkury, Philadelphia’s home for scratch-made Central American street food, is celebrating Valentine’s Day with swoon-worthy twists on its signature dessert – the churro. Dessert lovers can sweeten anyone’s Valentine’s Day, whether they’re a romantic partner, bestie, or family, by sending a Churro Gram ($28), which includes heart-shaped churros, dipping sauce, and a customizable note. Instead of a dozen red roses, gift-givers can surprise their loved ones with a Churro Bouquet ($55), a stunning arrangement of glittery flower-shaped churros, complete with dipping sauce and a love note.
Here’s how it works:
- Orders must be made online 24 hours before delivery
- Delivery is available within a 5-mile radius from both El Merkury locations
- Both options will be delivered from February 9th through February 14th with delivery windows between 1pm and 6pm
Lovebirds looking to enjoy a sweet treat together can swing by both El Merkury locations (Chestnut Street and Reading Terminal Market) to try the store’s limited-edition Churro Heart Sundae ($8), an indulgent heart-shaped churro dusted in red, pink, and white sprinkles, placed atop a cup of soft serve covered in dark chocolate drizzle. This special Valentine’s Day offering will be available in-store from February 9th through February 14th.
Hours of operation:
Reading Terminal Market: Monday – Friday, 10am – 6pm, Sat- Sunday, 8am – 6pm
Flagship Chestnut Street: Monday – Saturday, 11am – 8pm
Rittenhouse: 2104 Chestnut St, Philadelphia PA | Reading Terminal Market: 51 N 12th St, Philadelphia PA | www.elmerkury.com | Instagram: @elmerkury
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Looking to gift an experience? In a saucy Valentine’s Day collaborative feast, Chef Ari Miller, known for his critically acclaimed concept Musi, his role in the two-person team behind Poi Dog sauces,and recently viral, expletive-filled pasta content, is teaming up with tablescape and event curation company Citrine, to host a romantic two-night Valentine’s Day Feast! Tickets for the “Get Saucy” Valentine’s Day Feast, held at La Colombe Coffee Roasters (1335 Frankford Ave) on February 13 and 14 — with two seatings per night; the first at 6 pm and the second at 8:30 pm — are $135/person, and are online for purchase now.
Miller, who specializes in live fire cooking, zero-waste, and non-industrial sourcing, has curated a six-course menu that perfectly marries his own culinary proclivities with partner Chef Kiki Aranita’s line of highly versatile Hawai’i-inspired condiments, Poi Dog sauces – and, of course, La Colombe coffee. Guests can indulge in an optional beverage pairing courtesy of Fell 2 Earth Vermouth and Mural City Cellars, plus every guest takes home a gift bag loaded with unique goodies.
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Poi Dog, the AAPI woman-owned sauce producer, and the seafood czars behind Giuseppe’s Market at Samuels Seafood, are partnering up to present the ultimate at-home Valentine’s Day shell-ebration! Couples can dive into the ultimate pairing of oysters and Poi Dog Chili Peppah Water with the Cupid’s Arrow Oyster Bundle for $40. The kit includes:
- 5 oz. bottle of Poi Dog Chili Peppah Water
- One dozen Cupid’s Arrow Oysters (from Massachusetts)
- A premium Dexter High-Carbon Steel Oyster Knife
With Valentine’s Day on a Wednesday this year, there is over a week’s worth of opportune time to get saucy with the ultimate aphrodisiac duo. Cupid’s Arrow Oysters are plump, juicy and have an intensely briny taste with a clean finish. There is a defined vegetal undertone, which pairs perfectly with Poi Dog’s spicy and tangy Chili Peppah Water. The sauce brings a vinegary, gingery zing, and a muted spiciness that complements the inherent flavors of premium oysters without overpowering them.
The Cupid’s Arrow Oyster Bundles are available exclusively for pickup at Giuseppe’s Market at Samuels Seafood (3400 S Lawrence St, Philadelphia, PA) from February 1st through 17th. Giuseppe’s Market at Samuels Seafood hours of operation are Monday through Saturday from 8am – 4 pm.
Poi Dog Sauces | PURCHASE ONLINE HERE | www.poidogphilly.com | Instagram: @poidogforever
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Tenango Rum
Tenango Rum (750ml, 80 proof, $49.99), the brand-new, woman- and Latina-owned spirit founded by Sofia Deleon (owner of Philadelphia’s El Merkury!), is the perfect gift for any rum-antic or budding mixologist. Lovers planning an intimate dinner at home can use the rum in a bevy of luxurious libations like Espresso Martinis, Old Fashioneds, Mojitos, and more. Gift-givers can purchase at select New Jersey retailers, with PLCB listing coming soon, as well as online.
Tenango features rich notes of cocoa, banana, coffee, almond, and tropical fruits (most of which are rumored aphrodisiacs), which seamlessly dance with the whiskey notes imparted by the second use barrel, adding flavors of butterscotch and caramel, making this the perfect rum for whiskey lovers.
The rum also aims to provide a sustainable income for Guatemalan communities via employing women and craftspeople to hand-make the vibrant covers that adorn each bottle. The traditional Mayan sheaths are woven on a traditional foot loom by a Guatemalan Kik’che’ Women’s co-op that specializes in this cultural practice.
www.tenangorum.com | Instagram: @tenangorum
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NATIONAL
Backcountry Cocktails: Civilized Drinks for Wild Places
A perfect gift for nature lovers (throw in a planned camping trip, and voilà — Valentine’s Day gifting is done!), Backcountry Cocktails: Civilized Drinks for Wild Places ($28), penned by booze baron Steven Grasse and award-winning food and travel writer, Adam Erace, is the only book that teaches readers to make killer cocktails — while not getting killed by a bear.
Backcountry Cocktails has over 40 cocktail recipes perfect for all skill levels, in addition to camp-side culinary creations, portable and packable recipes, tips, and tricks for surviving the wilderness (including How To: Scare a Bear), commentary from an array of wildlife experts, fun forays into foraging, and more! Written in collaboration with Tamworth Distilling’s mixologist and canoe guide, Lee Noble, Backcountry Cocktails ($28) is available for purchase on Amazon.
All recipes require relatively few ingredients, making them pack-able, portable, and batchable, ideal for enjoying on-the-go no matter what kind of adventure (or weather) is on the books. With an array of flavor profiles ranging from sweet to savory, there is something for everyone; spanning recipes such as the Maple Slush, White Mountain Watermelon Sangria, Appleseed Sour, frozen fizzes, foraged creations, and more that tie the imbibing experience directly to the environment.
Backcountry Cocktails | PURCHASE ONLINE HERE
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Tamworth Garden Damson Plum Gin
Tamworth Distilling, the rural New Hampshire distillery best known for its bold experimentation with local flora and fauna, offers a wide selection of boozy Valentine’s Day gifts, including the magenta-hued sipper, Tamworth Garden Damson Plum Gin, that boasts a perfect balance of sweetness and tartness.
Tamworth Distilling’s Damson Plum Gin, a prime spirit for Valentine’s Day gift-giving, has roots dating back to 18th century Britain, now celebrated as a perfect pink sipper as an ideal token of love for anyone this holiday. Tamworth Garden Damson Plum Gin is made by infusing tart, sweet damson plums harvested during early fall, into gin. The spirit pairs damson plums with juniper, bitter orange, anise hyssop, and hops to create a tartly sweet and herbaceous sipper that sits at a low proof, making it ideal for enjoying neat, stirred into a zhuzhed-up Negroni, or used in suggested recipes from Tamworth Distilling mixologist Lee Noble, like the Damson Gin Fizz, Plum Crate, or Damson Twist.
Tamworth Distilling | PURCHASE ONLINE HERE | Instagram @tamworth_distilling
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Tamworth Garden Sylvan Mist
Give the gift of luxury this Valentine’s Day with the world’s first wearable and drinkable gin: Tamworth Garden SYLVAN MIST, an enchanting gin atomizer that goes well beyond the glass. This consumable cocktail garnish branches between both scent and spirit as a wearable woodsy unisex fragrance and cocktail modifier.
Birthed from two years of research and development, this high-density aromatic gin and perfume is a world first and is presented in a 100 ml glass bottle with an atomizer spray pump and gorgeous gold hardware. The limited-edition cocktail garnish and alluring scent is presented in a luxurious turquoise gift box and is now available for $80.
The flavor profile boasts sunny boreal forest, fresh cut grass, violets, kiwi skin, and honeydew melon. The assembly of boronia flower and violet leaf establish the base structure of a classic perfume. While more masculine fractions of balsam fir and citrus rind contribute weight and ground the base notes, chamomile flowers round out the brightness, offering mellow soft, top notes.
Tamworth Distilling | PURCHASE ONLINE HERE | Instagram @tamworth_distilling
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The Pathfinder Hemp and Root
The Pathfinder Hemp and Root is a nonalcoholic spirit made with eight botanicals, including well-known aphrodisiacs like wormwood, saffron, and juniper, as well as natural terpenes and bad-vibe-dispelling mystique. Housed in a beautifully decorated bottle, this zero-proof libation brings the intense flavor and aromatic characteristics of a spirit to Valentine’s Day cocktails, but with the added bonus of a crystal-clear memory of the romantic evening.
The zero-proof elixir has risen to cult status from features in outlets such as The New York Post, Food Network, Forbes, Bloomberg Pursuits, The New York Times, Liquor.com, and Oprah Daily. In drinks, The Pathfinder shines in a signature spritz recipe, but it can also be taken as a shot, sipped neat, served on the rocks, or used to modify a multitude of classic cocktails. In other words, it fits right into the back bar of any cocktail destination as well as it does on a home bar cart.
The Pathfinder Hemp and Root | PURCHASE ONLINE HERE| www.drinkthepathfinder.com | Instagram @drinkthepathfinder
