The season of romance is firmly upon us, with Valentine’s Day quite literally around the corner. If you’ve ever wandered past a florist or gift shop and wondered “why today?”, you wouldn’t be alone. While the value of Valentine’s Day to relationships can’t really be questioned, how and why it came to exist becomes more and more mysterious the deeper you dig.
Where did it come from?
As with many events in the Western Christian tradition, there is something of a dotted line between the modern version and its pagan origins. There is some evidence that the Roman feast of Lupercalia, a fertility festival that took place in February each year, is the originator. This featured animal sacrifices, plenty of nudity, and a more general bacchanalia to herald the arrival of spring. For the clergy, this would clearly never do - in 494 AD the Christian church under Pope Gelasius I forbade participation, deeming it entirely contrary to Christian teachings. Tradition holds that he appropriated the festival as the Feast of the Purification (Candlemas), celebrated on February 2, but it is likely in reality that the Christian feast was established earlier on.
Nevertheless, the festival survived in folklore, often in much more lurid form - for example, the rumour that there was some sort of “lottery” for pairing lovers together has never been substantiated, and paintings depicting it are almost certainly pretty fanciful. What is sure, though, is that even one William Shakespeare saw its narrative potential, beginning his famous Julius Caesar with a scene at Lupercalia.
But who was Saint Valentine?
As with almost everything around Valentine’s Day, there is some enigma around who the man actually was. There are two, if not three possible candidates - and indeed these may all be the same person, with the details lost to time.
We do know there was a priest called Valentine who was beheaded on the orders of Claudius II (Claudius Gothicus), in 269 AD. He had attracted the emperor’s attention by preaching the Christian message and conducting marriages between young men and women against the emperor’s express orders. At the time married men were not expected to serve as soldiers, as it was believed they were too concerned about their wives to commit to the task.
Valentine was arrested and imprisoned, but put into the care of Asterius, an aristocrat. Committed to trying to convert the Romans to Christianity, Valentine spent much of the time explaining his beliefs, including the miracles that had cured people of various ailments. Asterius had a blind foster child, and he made a pact with Valentine saying that he would convert to Christianity if he could heal her. The priest did indeed cure the child, and his whole family became Christians, releasing Valentine from his prison
What happens next is also up for debate. Some sources say that when he went on to meet Emperor Claudius, he was impressed by Valentine's intellect until he tried to persuade the emperor to stop paying homage to pagan gods and turn to Christianity. Enraged, Claudius ordered him to suffer what was known as a ‘triple execution’ - being flogged, stoned and beheaded - on 14th February. And so a Christian martyr was created.
His story doesn’t end there however. St Valentine was removed from the Catholic liturgy in 1969 because of the confusion surrounding his identity, however he remains on the register of officially recognised saints, and there are places that claim to contain his remains. There is a skull in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Rome, as well as bones in Birmingham Oratory, and since 1999 a small wooden box marked ‘Corpus Valentini Martyris’ in St John Duns Scotus in Glasgow. To deepen the mystery even further, in 1836 the Carmelite priest John Spratt received a gift from Pope Gregory XVI of a small vessel said to be smeared with the blood of Valentine, which is now in the Carmelite Church in Whitefriar Street, Dublin.
So - why him?
While this seems an unpromising start for a patron saint of lovers, it was another English writer who is likely responsible for connecting the dots. The poet Chaucer is often credited with popularising 14th February as a day for romance with his poem “The Parlement of Foules” in 1381. The theme was famously taken up by Charles, Duke of Orleans in a love poem to his wife, written while he was a prisoner in the Tower of London after the Battle of Agincourt. It was written (of course) on the 14th February 1415, and is most likely the first true Valentine’s card:
My Very Gentle Valentine
by Charles d’Orleans (c. 1394-1465)
My very gentle Valentine,
Alas, for me you were born too soon,
As I was born too late for you!
May God forgive my jailer
Who has kept me from you this entire year.
I am sick without your love, my dear,
My very gentle Valentine.
(translation by Michael R. Burch)
The manuscript is preserved in the British Museum, should you be in Bloomsbury and wish to indulge in some heartbreak.
As well as the strong association with romance, St Valentine is also the patron saint of beekeeping, epilepsy, fainting, travelling and plague. If this seems a disparate range of things, it’s no surprise given the foggy origins of the saint himself!
A cocktail menu to celebrate
Whether you prefer to think of Valentine’s Day as a hedonistic Lupercalia, a heartrending exploration of true love, or simply a cute holiday for you to enjoy, we have some cocktail recipes that will help the occasion pass beautifully.
Bleeding Heart Negroni
For this bittersweet take on a classic Negroni, we use our Hidden Curiosities gin for an aromatic and peppery base, mixed with Belsazar Rosé Vermouth and classic Campari. We then add pomegranate and strawberry to ramp up the sweet, sour and bitter elements, and finish off with unique Dashfire cardamom bitters.
25ml Belsazar Rosé Vermouth
25ml Campari
5ml Pomegranate purée
1 fresh strawberry
Dash of Dashfire Cardamom Bitters
In a heavy tumbler, muddle the strawberry until nice and fine. Add the pomegranate, then add the gin, vermouth and campari. Add the dash of cardamom bitters and stir, then serve with a large rock or two of ice.
Hanky Panky
Aptly named, the Hanky Panky cocktail was first invented by Ada Coleman, a famous female bartender who worked at the Savoy Hotel back in 1903. It’s full of delicious herbal and citrus notes, with a cooling spice from the Fernet. Garnish with orange peel for an old school flavour with a modern air.
25ml Cocchi Torino Vermouth
10ml Fernet Branca
Orange peel, to garnish
Add your ingredients to a cocktail shaker with some ice, then wet shake them together. Strain into a chilled glass (a Nick & Nora or coupé would be perfect), then garnish with the expressed orange peel. A little vintage elegance for your evening.
The Cure
This one is a little more elaborate, but we think it’s worth the effort to get the stunning final result. Luscious blackberry flavours from Crème de Mûre intertwine with the bright vermouth, while the Fernet and Amaro add deeper notes. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a generous garnish of sansho pepper bring a tangy brightness that makes this cocktail really sing.
25ml Cucielo Blanco Vermouth
10ml Crème de Mûre (blackberry liqueur)
10ml Asterley Bros Dispense Amaro
5ml Fernet Branca
5ml Yuzu sake (optional)
Dash of fresh lemon juice
6-8 sanshō peppercorns (or sichuan peppercorns)
Add the gin, vermouth, blackberry liqueur, Amaro and Fernet into a cocktail shaker. Add ice and wet shake, then strain into a chilled coupé glass. Pour in the sake gently (if using), and add a small spritz of fresh lemon. Float the peppercorns in the drink, then serve, enjoying the spicy, cooling, warming and medicinal qualities all at once. A truly heady drink and a real aphrodisiac.
However you choose to spend your Valentine’s Day, we hope you can find some peace with your loved one, or some good mischief to get into.
If your partner is a gin lover, why not give them a gift they will really appreciate? Our gin has won many awards, and can arrive straight from out stock to your door.
Shop HERE for the perfect thing to fill your glass.
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