Valentine’s Day 2026 – She Took My Hand
This year’s Valentine’s Day cocktail is a bit different. Ok, yes there are some flowers in the recipe, but the base is a Whisky Sour. I took inspiration from Adam Dewar and his addition of tea in whisky based cocktails. On top of that, I added a few personal touches and the drink was ready to go.
Yet, I went with a slightly mellower, but not less complex blended grain whisky from Compass Box. I am just a big fan of their whiskies and the Hedonist was the first bottle I tried all the way back in 2016. Furthermore, I added cold brewed Sencha tea with Sakura as well as rose blossoms. To further play on those Japanese flavours I added a tiny bit of Sudachi eau de vie, an exotic citrus eau de vie distilled by Matthias Sievert from Spiritus Rex.
1 Bsp. Spiritus Rex Sudachi Eau de Vie
2 Dashes MS Better Bitters Mt. Fuji
2,25 cl Yoshien Mizudashi Sencha Sakura Rose
2,25 cl Lemon Juice
2,25 cl Giffard Gomme Syrup
Garnish: Five Spice Powder;
Song: James Blake – I Had A Dream She Took My Hand;
Interestingly enough, the drink tastes exactly like a ice tea. All the ingredients integrated themselves perfectly. There is neither a pronounced whisky taste nor a noticeable bitterness from the tea. Towards the aftertaste a certain coconut flavour become noticeable which I associate with the Compass Box. I am quite happy with this recipe and it definitely is a cocktail for non-whisky drinkers, too.
