Opinion | Valentine’s Day drinks that will lead to a steamy night, from spicy margaritas to chocolate martinis
- Alcohol can increase desire, but too much decreases ability when it comes to a steamy night. So are any drinks guaranteed to light the fires of love?
- We look into the science and folklore behind cocktails and drinking as we search for Aphrodite’s ultimate tipple
Ah yes, it’s that time of year. Advertisements for roses, chocolates and heart-shaped balloons have reached their peak – Valentine’s Day is well and truly upon us.
While I’m all for the romance, I am far more interested in talking about the relationship between alcohol and libido, and what, if any, drinks we can use to further “enhance” an evening on top of the fancy meal you’ve surely already made a reservation for. But first, let’s dive into the science.
Alcohol, in small amounts, can increase sexual desire by stimulating the hypothalamus. This is the part of your brain that regulates your body temperature, hormone levels and libido, among other things. And this can lead to a heightened sex drive by the same mechanism that can make your body feel all hot and flustered.
At the same time, your frontal lobes – the part of the brain responsible for thought, memory and judgment – are impaired. This lowers one’s inhibitions, which can present as confidence and spontaneity.
The brain’s reward circuits are also flooded with dopamine, a neurotransmitter that, in simple terms, makes you feel euphoric and “buzzed”.
All these chemical reactions sound like a tipple can lead to a pretty steamy night, but the question remains: is there a particular spirit or cocktail that is an especially potent aphrodisiac to maximise these effects?