https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/food/2023-02-02/more-for-your-hearts-desire-on-valentines-day/

More for Your Heart’s Desire on Valentine’s Day

By Wayne Alan Brenner, February 2, 2023, 4:45pm, On the Range

Funny, isn’t it, how the holiday of the heart is so often associated with the treats we’re going to send the stomach?

Nah, not when – like right now – you’re reading the Food section of the Austin Chronicle.

We’ve got an array of restaurant-centric dining options already wrangled for your perusal (and we’re adding to it constantly, as the big day approaches), yes.

But we also have a couple – this day is all about couples – of extra delights to help spark your romantic plans:

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MADHU CHOCOLATE: VALENTINE'S CHOCOLATE PARTY

There’s not much on this day of spooning and goo-goo eyes that can beat a few hours of games, booze, crafts, and (of course) chocolate at the new headquarters of Austin’s own Madhu Chocolate.

We told you about Harshit Gupta and Elliott Curelop’s local font of rich dark sweetness back in 2020, and then we reported on how they’d won a Good Food Award in 2022 for their cacao-powered excellence, and just last week noted that they’re up for another honor for their sublime Saffron bar. Safe bet to say, then, that this is the Valentine’s Day treat you’re looking for, because Madhu’s chocolate party (on Sun., Feb. 12, 11am-1pm) includes:

Strawberry Station Make your own chocolate-covered strawberries with your choice of four handmade chocolates for dipping, plus a variety of toppings. Everybody gets eight strawberries to work with.

Arts and Crafts Station Because you have to put your fancy strawberries in a box, right? They’ll help you personalize that container of yum with all sorts of art supplies – and you can craft up a few Valentine's Day cards as well.

Boozy Station There’ll be mimosas and Irish coffees included with your ticket, with a selection of juices and liqueurs to choose from. And if you’re not a big drinker? No problem! They’ll have plenty of fancy booze-free options as well.

And among the stations, there’ll be other fun games, too – with a chance to win extra strawberries for dipping, those acclaimed Madhu chocolate bars, and more.

Sure, we’ve got the reservation link up there already, but it (like a taste of fine chocolate) bears repeating: Click here for tickets.

Or, wait, is whiskey your, um, your … love language?

Then we totally need to add a new sub-headline:

WHEN WHISKEY'S YOUR LOVE LANGUAGE

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Garrison Brothers, the ultra-premium bourbon that’s distilled and handcrafted in the beautiful Hill Country of Hye, Texas, has an impressive wrangling of spirits for bourbon lovers on Valentine’s Day. There are eight different expressions for you to try, and all of them priced under $150, but we reckon these three will set you up for a start:

Garrison Brothers Small Batch | $79.99 Their classic bourbon – Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey – was the first one on the market and what made the Garrisons famous. One taste and you’ll know why.

Garrison Brothers HoneyDew | $79.99 This is the Small Batch infused with Burleson’s Texas Wildflower Honey, resulting in a smooth, light bourbon with a sweet finish. Garrison co-founder Nancy Garrison created this easy sipper with master distiller Donnis Todd.

Garrison Brothers Guadalupe | $149.99 This is the brothers’ newest expression, launched in 2022, and it’s been aged four years in toasted and charred white American oak barrels – and an additional two years in port casks imported from Portugal. That Donnis Todd, he’s not messing around, tell you what.