Nov- 2020
It was a very painful phase when Rob and I broke up and still lived together. I would look at him and think, 'Why the f are you still here?' but at the same time, wish he could stay longer. The worst type of breakup is when you have nothing to blame and just two people growing apart 🤷🏻‍♀️

Something about going through a breakup makes you create the cringiest things, like the journal you wrote and the cringiest cocktail creation. I created the first version of this in 2021, which kicked off my mixology journey. I wanted to make something bitter and sour in the color of blood. So I infused gin with some hibiscus for that blood-looking color. In this revision, I used rum instead, which I think is a better pairing in terms of flavor. The original version just felt flat and very one-dimensional and hard to swallow (that’s what she said), but I guess it matches the concept of heartbreak. I then added a barspoon of Pandan, which complemented all the ingredients and gave more dimension to the drink. Also, it made the drink even bloodier in color. Then I stuck rose petals over some syrup to create the heart shape. When you drink towards the end, it leaves you with an empty heart for some theatrical effect

Recipe:
- Hibiscus infused Rum 2oz
- Cointreau 0.5oz
- Lemon juice 0.5 oz (I tried both lemon and lime juice and still prefer the lemon over lime in this drink)
- Pandan extract 1 barspoon
- Dashes of bitters