Biophilic Design 101

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January 10, 2025

A home that uses the principles of biophilic desigvn.

Everywhere you turn these days in the design world, it seems like you hear about “biophilic” design and how it’s predicted to grow in popularity. The name sounds like an adjective for a tree hugger, or at the very least someone enjoys forest bathing.

The definition had become a little murky, and—now that it’s popular—one that gets applied to a very wide array of things. The term was first coined by biologist E. O. Wilson in his 1984 book Biophilia, The Diversity of Life, Naturalist. He defined it as “an innate and genetically determined affinity of human beings with the natural world”. In the design world, people sometimes refer to anything “natural” (curvy, made of wood or linen, involving a plant, etc.) as biophilic, but it is certainly more than that.

Biophilic Design 101

A smart article in Metropolis Magazine discusses what it is—and isn’t. The gist is that this type of design emphasizes that which advances health, wellbeing, and fitness. Engagement with nature is also important, especially when it is done often and for extended periods of time.

ArchDaily also explores the concept in great detail. In the introduction, it defines biophilic as “Considering the physical, mental, and emotional needs of people, interior designers use human-centered approaches to address how we live today.”

How Does The Concept Work?

So what does that look like? Instead of a couple of ferns on a shelf, think bigger. How about a living wall or (if feasible) a row of small trees inside. You of course need natural light and good ventilation, and to incorporate natural materials (including building materials) that are free from chemicals including VOCs, formaldehyde, and other harmful substances. Incorporate sliding doors where possible, creating a space that blurs the line between inside and out. It should make you—and others in your household plus anyone who comes to visit—feel at ease, comfortable, and nourished.

Needless to say, incorporating a full range of these design concepts can get very expensive and be difficult to maintain. (Hello, living wall!) Obviously, if you’re going to incorporate a large number of plants in your space, you want them to be ones that grow quickly and are easy to care for—and basically ones you can’t kill. And it’s not enough to have a linen-upholstered sofa but nothing else natural in the room. Think of it as an overall experience—and one in which you can participate; wrap a column in rope; use latex-free wall finishes such as milk paint, Roman plaster, or chalk paint.

Ultimately, you have to choose how much you want to incorporate, but the idea is that you should create a complete environment rather than simply pick out a few pieces. The best advice is to do a sort of reverse Marie Kondo: if it sparks joy (and it’s natural), bring it on!

Story by Stephen Treffinger
Photo by Don Kaveen

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Healthy Dessert Recipes for Your Dietary Needs

By

Kylie Thomas

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January 10, 2025

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A brown plate holds a vegan cheesecake coated in raspberries, blueberries, and a strawberry swirl.

Give into your sweet tooth without derailing your health goals! We know how hard it can be to ditch the desserts when you’re starting a diet or simply are trying to eat healthier. That’s why this collection features delicious and healthy dessert recipes, including keto-friendly delights, gluten-free cakes, vegan cheesecakes, and low-sugar treats. These recipes prove that satisfying your cravings doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your wellness journey. Discover how to enjoy delicious desserts while staying on track with your New Year’s resolutions and savor the success.

Healthy Dessert Recipes for Your Dietary Needs

Recipes For a Small Nutritious Step Forward

Simple Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

This Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread is a delicious and sneaky way to get your kids (and let’s admit it, sometimes even ourselves) to eat their vegetables! Full of zucchini and bursting with chocolate, this moist bread is sure to be a hit for anyone’s chocolate cravings. The addition of espresso powder enhances the flavor, making it even more irresistible and adult-worthy.

Miso Tahini Swirl Healthy Brownies

This unique recipe incorporates the nutrient-rich powerhouses of tahini and miso paste, adding a surprising depth of flavor to this classic treat. Beyond their delicious taste and health benefits, these brownies offer a touch of the unexpected. Experiment with different swirling techniques to create beautiful and artistic designs within the batter.

Guilt Free Peanut Butter Cups

One of the hardest parts of starting a diet or getting around food allergies is having to give up most of the candy you get from the store. But, don’t worry, with our Guilt Free Peanut Butter Cups, you can still have your Reese’s Cups and save a little money while you’re at it. We think dark chocolate and sugar-free peanut butter go better together anyways.

Apple Bourbon Quinoa Cake

We know you may not normally see quinoa in cake recipes but once you try it, you may just never go back. Quinoa is a rich source of protein and fiber, making sure to aid your body as your taste buds focus on the flavor. The end product is a satisfyingly dense cake with a dash of bourbon and hot apples on top.

Gluten-Free Desserts

Gluten-Free Whole Grain Apple Cider Layer Cake

This dreamy Gluten-Free Apple Cider Layer Cake is one of our personal favorites from the TABLE Magazine archives. Even though it features a delightful blend of classic holiday spices and a touch of whiskey, this moist cake is still perfect for any occasion (especially birthdays). We also recommend getting creative with your decorating. After all, it’s a masterpiece inside and out!

Gluten-Free Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies

The delicate flavors of these Gluten-Free Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies will hook you with one bite. We craft these cookies with almond flour, lending a bit of sweetness to the flavor, and then add in fragrant Earl Grey tea. Perfect for sharing with friends and family alongside a cup of tea, these shortbread cookies are not only delicious but also a healthier alternative to traditional flour-based treats.

Gluten-Free Pound Cake with Stewed Fruit and Mascarpone

A topping of luscious stewed fruit compote and creamy mascarpone intermingles with a moist and tender texture in this recipe. Our Gluten-Free Pound Cake proves that a cake can be just as delicious without the addition of regular flour. Instead, we use whole-grain sorghum flour, adding a subtle nuttiness and a touch of earthy undertones.

Gluten-Free 7 Spice Oatmeal and Golden Raisin Cookies

This recipe for Gluten-Free 7 Spice Oatmeal and Golden Raisin Cookies showcases the ease of baking with gluten-free grains. A delightful blend of warm spices and sweet raisins, these cookies are both scrumptious and easy to digest. With a focus on flavor and texture, these crisp and crunchy cookies are a delightful treat to make on a whim.

Easy Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake

Our journey towards the perfect chocolate cake came with a surprise turn when we ran out of all-purpose flour while testing. This led us to experiment with Caputo gluten-free baking flour from Italy, and the results were better than we originally thought. The cake emerged with a remarkably rich, smooth, and moist texture that we have not been able to recreate otherwise.

Whole Grain, Gluten-Free Mixed Berry Pie

The berries in this gluten-free and whole grain pie are up to you as we handle the hard work for making the perfect crust. Healthy and delicious coexist in this blend of nutritious grains. Serve it warm from the oven with a scoop of vegan or dairy-free ice cream for a combination you don’t have to feel guilty eating.

Keto Desserts

Easy Keto Pumpkin Spice Frosty

Craving the taste of something sweet without the sugar crash? This keto-friendly Pumpkin Spice Frosty recipe delivers all the flavors of dessert that you love without the toll on your body. Creamy pumpkin spice goodness tastes even better when you’re staying true to your health goals. This way you can still have your fall staple without compromising your keto journey

Low Carb Keto Lemon Cranberry Quick Bread

Indulge your sweet tooth without compromise featuring fall flavors with this Keto Lemon Cranberry Quick Bread. This delicious recipe satisfies your cravings for a bright, comforting treat while staying true to your health goals. Plus, the use of simple and fresh ingredients make this a recipe that even a beginner baker can take on.

Keto Pumpkin Donuts

These Keto Pumpkin Donuts are a revelation for those following a ketogenic diet. They’re fluffy, homemade, gluten-free, low-carb, and sugar-free. Plus, who can deny the addicting taste of warming pumpkin spice? Now you can have your coffee and donuts in the morning with no worries of the aftermath.

Vegan Desserts

Vegan Berry Macadamia Cheesecake

This elegant dessert builds out of vibrant layers of red berries and a creamy, plant-based cheesecake filling. Macadamia nuts and cashews are the secret ingredients to a deep, rich flavor that vegans and those with lactose allergies can bite into. Plus, the slather of fresh berries on top appeals to the eyes as well as the stomach.

Vegan Apple Cider Muffins

Vegan muffins are a nutrient-full way to start your morning or just to have as a snack between meals. The blend of juicy apples and spices is one that kids and adults will both fall in love with. These muffins are also oil-free for clean eating and use an egg replacement such as Ener-g egg replacer powder.

Gluten-Free, Vegan Jammy Blueberry Bars

The versatile crust of these Vegan Jammy Blueberry Bars is a recipe to keep in your back-pocket for making other desserts vegan-friendly. In fact, this inclusive recipe is free of the top eight allergens and is even gluten-free to appeal to just about anyone. Try pairing them with a small bowl of vegan yogurt to start your day.

Vegan Mexican Chocolate Tart

Ground cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and chili powder mix into dark chocolate to create a tart that upgrades your regular Mexican chocolate. The vegan aspect comes from using vegan butter, coconut cream, walnut butter, and chickpeas for the meringue. After using a torch on the top, this Vegan Mexican Chocolate Tart is ready to turn heads away from the usual desserts you see.

Story by Kylie Thomas

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An Ayurvedic Cleanse Isn’t Just About What You Eat

By

Emma Riva

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January 9, 2025

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A plate of Kitchari, part of an Ayurvedic cleanse

Everybody wants to do a cleanse. It’s a juice cleanse. It’s a maple syrup and lemon cleanse. It’s an only watermelon cleanse. It’s intermittent fasting. It’s a detox. It will solve all of your problems, your skin will be clear, you’ll lose weight, and you’ll wake up full of energy and ready, willing, and able to meditate all of the time with a pure and open heart. The obsession with cleansing is a perfect example of the neurosis of wanting a quick fix, if you can just cut out the right thing or work harder. But, unfortunately, it rarely works like that. After a month of juice cleansing, maybe all you have is indigestion and a bad temper. Ayurvedist Kyle Roberts wants people to know that there’s another, more intuitive way to cleanse that comes from ancient traditions.

The five day Ayurvedic cleanse focuses on getting into alignment with your body and its desires, but also with the world around it. The tradition designed the cleanse to be sustainable and to ease you back into day-to-day life once you finish it. It’s not entirely fasting, and it isn’t prohibitive. Instead, Roberts replaces daily normal meals with intuitive eating and Kitchari, a bland but nutrient-rich porridge meant to simplify the desire for hunger. While the guidance of a practitioner is optimal for an Ayurvedic cleanse, it runs on principles anyone can integrate into their life.

Get in Touch with the Seasons

“There are four important times of year: the two solstices and the two equinoxes,” Roberts explained. “These are ideal times to change with the season and make sure we align with our environment. That’s the core of Ayurveda, to integrate yourself with your surroundings rather than working against it.” So, in the dregs of January, maybe it makes more sense to lean into calm and rest than to suddenly become a gym rat or long-distance runner.

As part of Roberts’ Ayurvedic cleanse, he and his students do “technology fasts,” which may not mean what you think it means. Yes, no phones, but no electric lights, either. “After the sun goes down, all the lights in the house go off. People just light candles at night. Some people are tech-addicted — there’s always another email,” he said. But you also don’t have to spend time just in silent meditation every moment. “I do tell people, ‘What are you going to do, just stare off into space?’ So I do recommend some leisure activities. I tell people to play cards, play scrabble, listen to a book, or listen to a podcast,” Roberts said.

One thing he noted is that doing a cleanse does require mental discipline and an understanding of self-sacrifice. “A cleanse is never convenient. There’s always going to be more work to do that you’re missing.” In order to really commit to the cleanse, you have to find a way to accept that.

Meditate on Your Meals

Ideally, you cook the Kitchari yourself in your own kitchen. “You’re there for the process and it’s your creation, so you’re intimately involved with it,” Roberts said. He admitted “It’s actually a really boring thing to do.” But part of the Ayurvedic cleanse is learning to be okay with boredom. The simplicity of the Kitchari is to rest the system and reset the body. “It’s more about rhythm and symmetry. I tell people to just eat when they’re hungry.”

But how do you know when you’re hungry? It can be hard to differentiate hunger from boredom or stress-eating. Part of the acceptance of boredom is then being able to separate out what you actually want. When you’re not looking at your phone or listening to the news while eating, you become present with it. “Part of this rebuilding is to build mental intelligence. Ask yourself, ‘Is this real hunger?’ and be patient.” Soon, you’ll be able to understand your body’s cues and what times of day you want to eat.

However, Roberts clarified that not eating at all and restricting yourself is the opposite of what he’s doing. “There are a lot of people who disguise their eating disorder as Ayurvedic eating or veganism,” he said. He cautions against doing full fasting, and he warns that things like intermittent fasting can have diminishing returns. The goal of the cleanse isn’t to starve yourself. Ideally, it’s not prohibitive, but rather additive. You gain a deeper understanding of your food and a meditative approach to eating where even simple flavors can feel deep and fulfilling. After the cleanse, you can also re-integrate sweet flavors into your diet through herbal jelly, honey, and milk. You might find you appreciate them more.

Understand Your Own Mind

Roberts does the cleanse with his students, and has practiced Ayurveda himself for over twenty years. “Five days is a decent entry point to do this cleanse,” he said. “You see where you mess up. Part of the sweet spot is doing it with a group, so that there’s accountability.” He sees it like running. If you want to run a marathon, do long runs twice a week. “What is hard can become easy,” he said.

And, if you come into a cleanse already frustrated at following a list of rules, you might not get the most out of it. “You’re trying to follow your intuition and figure out how your body works and how your mind works. The goal is to be more integrated into your daily life and into the season, so you can live in more alignment.”

You also understand what you gravitate towards and why you take things out of your diet or lifestyle. When do you want to drink alcohol? What do you feel when you want to eat snacks? “Certain things have a grip over us. Why we’re upset over that thing is that we’re powerless over the things that have a grip over us. Through cleansing, you might loosen that grip, not entirely, but just a little bit,” Roberts said. The cleanse shows you your desires, and once you go back to your day-to-day life, you can understand better whether or not you want to fulfill them.

If you want to try an Ayurvedic cleanse, Kyle Roberts’s Kitchari and Post-Cleanse Rejuvenation recipes are easy to make at home.

Story by Emma Riva
Photography by Dave Bryce

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A Menu for the Zodiac Sign Aquarius (January 20-February 18)

By

Wade Caves

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January 9, 2025

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Gluten-free pound cake topped with Stewed Fruit and Mascarpone.

Aquarius coincides with the depths of winter, when the Sun’s path crosses the ancient Water-Bearer constellation. For ancient Romans, this was a time of ritual cleansing, where citizens would walk through streets to be struck with purifying whips called februa – and this festival gave us the month name “February.” That theme of purification and renewal persists in our modern New Year’s traditions and resolutions.

Aquarius, Bearer of Waters

Despite its airy nature, Aquarius maintains deep ties to water (aqua is in the name!) – particularly in its heated forms. Ancient texts emphasize this sign’s unique relationship with water infrastructure, a sign which inspired and celebrated humanity’s advancement in harnessing this element through aqueducts and sisterns. Those born under Aquarius’s auspices often find restoration in heated waters, whether through therapeutic baths, hot springs, or steam rooms, supporting both physical and mental wellbeing.

The Water-Bearer’s urn, catching the starry waters from the river constellation Eridanus, speaks to this sign’s essential role in dispensing aid to the needy. The urn could only hold so much, and its limited capacity was thought to reflect a fundamental truth: one must give to receive anew. This image crystallizes Aquarius’s connection to human welfare and progress, and warns against the futility of excess and extremes in human outcomes. The urn serves as a metaphor for sustainable distribution – taking only what can be properly utilized and shared.

Winter’s austerity shapes Aquarian judgment, sometimes erring toward excessive caution even when more liberal attitudes might serve. Yet this sign carries remarkable intellectual capacity – Aquarians possess an innate ability to self-teach, absorbing knowledge through curiosity and independent study. Their tendency toward prudence, while occasionally overzealous, stems from a deep appreciation for resource management and human need.

Aquarius’ Relationship with the Seasons

As with the other signs, it’s important to note that the sign of Aquarius and the constellation of Aquarius are not the same thing. Constellations are groups of stars visible in the night sky, while zodiacal signs are equal divisions of the Sun’s apparent path throughout the year, known as the ecliptic. The zodiacal signs are linked to the seasons, not the stars themselves.

The twelve zodiacal signs can be grouped into three categories based on their relationship to the seasons. The cardinal signs mark the beginning of each season and are associated with change and new beginnings. The fixed signs fall in the middle of each season and are known for their stability, determination, and resolute nature. Lastly, the mutable signs stand between the close of one season and the start of the next. These signs are associated with adaptability, flexibility, and the ability to navigate change with ease.

Aquarius and the Winter

As a fixed sign, Aquarius stands in the heart of winter, where the season’s grip is most unyielding and nature seems frozen in contemplation. This enduring quality is fundamental to your nature, dear Water-Bearer. You thrive in environments that allow you to develop your unique ideas and maintain your chosen principles with unwavering conviction. Setting and pursuing personal betterment goals is where you truly excel. Your ability to remain committed to your ideals, even when they challenge conventional wisdom, is both your strength and your signature.

This fixed nature grants you exceptional intellectual persistence and ideological resilience. However, you may find it challenging to compromise on your vision or to adapt your methods once you’ve determined your course. This steadfast quality influences various aspects of your life, from your social causes to your personal philosophy, where your commitment to certain ideals remains unshakeable. Like the winter season that holds the world in its crystalline clarity, you excel at maintaining your perspective with cool rationality and determined focus.

New Goals for Aquarius

Celebrate your relationship with water: Create intentional rituals around heated water experiences – regular hot baths, steam rooms, or hot springs visits. Use these moments not just for physical restoration but as opportunities for mental clarity and problem-solving.
Re-think your tendency toward austerity: Notice where excessive caution might be holding you back from growth or joy. While prudence serves you well, practice distinguishing between necessary restraint and habitual restriction. Consider areas where measured abundance might better serve your goals.
Strengthen your natural teaching abilities: Your gift for self-directed learning can benefit others. Document your learning processes and share your knowledge systematically. Consider mentoring or creating educational content in areas where you’ve developed expertise, focusing on empowering others to learn independently.

What Qualities Does Aquarius Have?

As an air sign, Aquarius exhibits the intellectual qualities common to this element – rationality, abstract thinking, and social awareness. However, Aquarius uniquely combines this airy nature with the symbolism directing the flow of water, suggesting a capacity to channel and distribute intellectual resources rather than merely accumulating them.

Among air signs, Aquarius is distinguished by its fixed quality, manifesting as unwavering dedication to principles and ideas. This fixity, combined with the air element, often results in strong ideological convictions and innovative thinking that can seem ahead of its time (or, in more interesting cases, can seem decidedly fixed in the past).

The sanguine temperament of Aquarius manifests in an energetic approach to both physical and mental activities. This hot and moist constitution thrives on movement and circulation, explaining the traditional emphasis on heated waters and their therapeutic effects. Regular immersion in warm waters – whether through baths, hot springs, or steam rooms – helps maintain the optimal balance of these qualities.

Aquarius’ Relationship to Food

In dietary terms, the sanguine temperament benefits from foods that support warmth without creating excess heat. Aquarians often do well with broths, soups, and foods prepared with moderate warming spices. However, as the water-bearer suggests, proper hydration is key – warm herbal teas (like rosemary, sage, and melissa) and naturally flavored waters can help make hydration an enjoyable ritual rather than a chore. Traditional medical astrology particularly emphasizes blood circulation for Aquarius – especially in heart, brain, and the extremities (both hands and feet). This points to the importance of cardiovascular support through circulation-enhancing foods and spices that promote healthy blood flow throughout the body.

Best Foods to Balance Aquarius

For most seasons, these foods are good for supporting the sanguine temperament associated with Aquarius:

Land: Chicken, turkey, veal, rabbit, lean pork.
Surf: Trout, cod, haddock, halibut, perch, sole, tilapia, and shellfish like shrimp and scallops.
Grains: Wheat, rice (especially white rice), oats, quinoa, millet.
Vegetation: Lettuce, cucumber, melon, grapes, apples, pumpkin, squash, ripened berries, pears, peaches, leafy greens like spinach and arugula.
Dairy: Fresh cheese, milk, cream, yogurt and cottage cheese.
Beverages: Still water, light herbal teas, fresh fruit juices.
Alcohol: Light white wines, wheat beers, gin, vodka-based cocktails.

In the winter months, when the cold is greater and the sanguine temperament may need to consume more heat to stay in good health, it’s advisable to introduce more warming and substantial foods:

Land: Beef, lamb, venison, duck, goose.
Surf: Salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, anchovies.
Grains: Rye, barley, quinoa, buckwheat, spelt, corn, wild rice.
Vegetation: Root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, beets), warming spices (ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg), leafy greens (kale, spinach) , onions, garlic, leeks, chili peppers, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, dates and figs.
Dairy: Aged cheeses, full-fat yogurt, ghee and kefir.
Beverages: Ginger tea, chai, bone broth, turmeric drinks, hot chocolate.
Alcohol: Full-bodied red wines, dark beers, mulled wine, brandy, whiskey, port fortified wines.

A Menu for the Zodiac Sign Aquarius (January 20-February 18)

Mulled Wine

Warm up Aquarius’ soul with a Mulled Wine that’s made with a full-bodied red wine and fresh winter ingredients. The addition of cloves, allspice, and cinnamon are all great to increase this sign’s sanguine temperament. It’s a simple way to help you kick up your feet, relax, and feel like yourself again when times get hard. Plus, you can save the extra Mulled Wine for up to three days later in the fridge.

Creamy Kale Soup with Halloumi

Since the start of Aquarius aligns with the bitter cold of January, our Creamy Kale Soup with Halloumi is just the thing to keep your body full of nutrients when the sun seems to disappear. This soup takes advantage of lacinato kale which thrives in the wintertime. Once you toss in onion and garlic, this soup becomes a safe-haven for Aquarius’ wish for comfort.

Braised Duck Leg in Green Chile with Cumin-Infused Roasted Carrots

The healthy fat of duck legs make them the perfect accompaniment to Aquarius (not to mention ducks’ own connection to the water). We upgrade a juicy, braised leg with the heat of green chile and cumin spiced carrots which also adds in the root vegetable that this sign’s body desires. This meal helps sustain Aquarius throughout those snowy evenings with a focus on promoting healthy blood flow.

Gluten-Free Pound Cake with Stewed Fruit and Mascarpone

It cannot all be spices for Aquarius. In fact, this sign needs ripe berries and whole-grains just as much as it does the warming aspects. Our Gluten-Free Pound Cake uses a blend of brown rice flour, sorghum flour, and tapioca flour. Together this creates an earthy, nutty, mild, and sweet flavor you won’t be able to achieve otherwise. The topping of stewed or fresh berries and mascarpone add the perfect finishing touch to this indulgent dessert.

Bio

Wade Caves, based in Brooklyn, NY, is an astrological consultant and educator specializing in problem-solving applications of astrology. He teaches astrological divination and astronomy at the School of Traditional Astrology. Wade also publishes his work on world astrology through Skyscript’s In Mundo publishing desk and hosts the World Astrology Summit, a conference dedicated to the advancement of astrology for global problem-solving. Website: wadecaves.com • skyscript.co.uk/inmundo. Email: hello@wadecaves.com.

Story by Wade Caves

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Melt Your Heart Valentine’s Day White Chocolate Cocktail

By

Kylie Thomas

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January 8, 2025

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Two cat shaped mugs sit with a Melt Your Heart Valentine's Day cocktail in each and topped with ginger.

Let’s be real for a moment. Valentine’s Day takes place during the winter, leaving a chill in the air with even the warmest embraces. Get ready to cuddle and cozy up to your beloved with our Melt Your Heart Valentine’s Day White Chocolate Cocktail. You’ll fall in love with this hot, sippable surprise of white chocolate and tart cherry. It’s sort of like hot chocolate but much better because there’s tequila involved.

Is White Chocolate Actually Chocolate?

This debate has probably ruined relationships. So, before you get into a fight about this while making this white chocolate cocktail: yes, white chocolate is chocolate. It contains the same cocoa beans as regular chocolate, but goes past several of the normal steps. In order to qualify as chocolate, white chocolate has to have at least 20% cocoa butter in it according to the FDA. However, the white chocolate haters and deniers are not exactly wrong: the FDA didn’t consider white chocolate to be chocolate until 2002, because it did not have the chocolate liquor solids that give milk and dark chocolate its color and taste. But that changed over time as white chocolate became more popular in both baking and retail shopping. Sure, the sweetness of white chocolate isn’t for everyone, but it’s delicious in this cocktail, and if you don’t like it, there’s plenty of tequila in the drink too.

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Melt Your Heart Valentine’s Day White Chocolate Cocktail

Author: Kaitlin Fellers

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Description

A recipe as sweet as your love.

Ingredients

Scale

For the cocktail:

3 oz full fat coconut milk
1.5 oz white chocolate syrup (see below)
1.5 oz tequila
1 oz tart cherry juice
Ginger bitters
Mug for glassware
Milk chocolate curls for garnish

For the white chocolate syrup:

480 grams 35% white chocolate discs (we used Mon Aimee)
270 grams full fat oat milk or coconut milk
35 grams white sugar

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

For the cocktail:

Add coconut milk, white chocolate syrup and tart cherry juice to a saucepan and bring up to a low simmer over medium-low heat.
Remove from heat and pour into your favorite mug, then add your tequila and a few dashes of ginger bitters (to taste), then stir to combine.

For the white chocolate syrup:

Add all ingredients until a medium saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and the chocolate has melted.
Stir constantly to ensure your syrup doesn’t burn and keep a close eye on your temperature.
Transfer to a container while the syrup is still hot, scraping the side of your saucepan with a rubber spatula.
Allow to cool and store refrigerated for up to a month.

Recipe by Kaitlin Fellers
Photography by Dave Bryce
Styling by Anna Franklin

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Two Slow Dancers Valentine’s Day Whiskey Sour

By

Kylie Thomas

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January 8, 2025

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Two small cocktail classes hold a valentine's day cocktail in a red color with a foam on top and edible flowers as a garnish.

Get ready to wrap your arms around the one you love the most and sway to the beat of our intimate take on a Whiskey Sour. The base of bourbon or rye in this Valentine’s Day cocktail provides a robust and slightly spicy start. Then, you get the rush of fruity relief and creamy texture that follows. Finally, top it all off with a little bit of red wine for a romantic finish. This cocktail is sure to get your heart pumping!

Why Is This Cocktail Called “Two Slow Dancers”?

This Valentine’s Day whiskey sour gets its title from Mitski’s “Two Slow Dancers.” In the song, Mitski reflects on the inevitable change that comes with growing up. As a couple, you can use change to either grow apart or grow together. Mitski imagines old lovers dancing in a school gymnasium where the first fell for each other. “They used to have something together that is no longer there and they’re trying to relive it in a dance, knowing that they’ll have to go home and go back to their lives,” she said.

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