Inspired by the velvety, bourbon-barrel aged Cooper & Thief Red Blend (SRP: $29.99), Editor of Apartment Bartender, Elliott Clark, devised two easy-to-recreate cocktails featuring the unexpected wine. Along with the recipes, he let us in on his tips for snapping the best photo of your mixology masterpiece. Try your hand at these serves to really impress your Valentine this year!

“The Mischief Maker takes the warmth of Cooper & Thief’s red blend wine to a whole new level with the addition of fresh blood-orange juice and spiced rum. The best way to capture this hot toddy variation is in a wintry type of vibe, so consider styling elements that indicate the season, like these pine needles, or even a fireplace in the background.”

– Elliott Clark, @apartment_bartender

Mischief Maker

Created by Elliott Clark, @apartment_bartender

INGREDIENTS:

2 oz Spiced Rum

½ oz Fresh Blood Orange Juice

½ oz Cooper & Thief Red Blend Wine Syrup*

3 – 4 oz Hot Water

Garnish: Blood Orange Slice

METHOD: Combine all ingredients into a glass mug and stir. Garnish with a slice of blood orange.

*For the Cooper & Thief Red Blend Wine Syrup: In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of Cooper & Thief Red Blend and 1 cup of sugar. For added spice, add in broken cinnamon sticks, all spice, star anise, and cloves. Bring to a light simmer, and gently stir to dissolve the sugar. Strain out the solid and store the syrup in a glass jar in the refrigerator.