The Dark Romance Book Trope Cocktail Menu: Dangerously Good Drinks for Complex Characters

Sip. Read. Obsess. Repeat.

Good books deserve better drinks. We matched eight classic dark romance tropes with a cocktail that captures the mood, and every recipe below is simple enough to make at home with a shaker and a few basics.

Must be 21+ to enjoy. Please drink responsibly. Every recipe has a no-alcohol swap at the end of this post.

What you'll want on hand: a cocktail shaker, a strainer, a jigger (or tablespoon measure), and plenty of ice. Fresh citrus juice makes a real difference.

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1. Forbidden Love: Pomegranate Martini

Some loves shouldn't exist... but here we are.

• 2 oz vodka
• 1½ oz pomegranate juice
• ½ oz black cherry juice
• ½ oz fresh lemon juice

Shake everything with ice until very cold. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a cherry or a single rose petal.

2. Enemies to Lovers: Spicy Margarita

Hate tastes better on the rocks.

• 2 oz tequila
• 1 oz blood orange juice
• 1 oz fresh lime juice
• ½ oz agave syrup
• 2 thin jalapeño slices (or a pinch of chili powder)

Muddle the jalapeño in your shaker, add everything else with ice, and shake hard. Strain over fresh ice in a glass rimmed with chili salt. Garnish with a dried orange wheel.

3. Morally Gray: Black Old Fashioned

Not a villain. Just honest.

• 2 oz bourbon
• ¼ oz maple syrup
• 2 to 3 dashes black walnut bitters
• Orange peel and a cherry

Stir the bourbon, maple syrup, and bitters with ice for about 30 seconds. Strain over one large ice cube. Twist the orange peel over the glass, drop it in, and add the cherry.

4. Secret Society: Velvet Negroni

Some doors should stay closed. Drink anyway.

• 1 oz gin
• 1 oz sweet (red) vermouth
• 1 oz Campari
• 3 blackberries

Muddle the blackberries gently in a mixing glass. Add the gin, vermouth, and Campari with ice and stir until chilled. Strain over fresh ice and garnish with a blackberry.

5. Obsession: Cherry Manhattan

One drink and you're mine.

• 2 oz rye whiskey
• 1 oz sweet vermouth
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• 1 tsp syrup from a jar of dark cherries

Stir everything with ice for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with two cherries.

6. Betrayal: Blackberry Sour

Sweet at first. Then it ends you.

• 2 oz bourbon
• 1 oz fresh lemon juice
• ¾ oz simple syrup
• 4 to 5 blackberries
• 1 egg white (optional, for the foam)

Muddle the blackberries in your shaker. Add everything else and shake without ice for 15 seconds, then add ice and shake again. Strain into a glass over fresh ice. Skip the egg white if you'd rather, it will just be less frothy.

7. Redemption: Vanilla Espresso Martini

For the monsters who try to be better.

• 2 oz vodka
• 1 oz cold brew concentrate (or chilled espresso)
• ½ oz vanilla syrup
• 1 dash chocolate bitters (optional)

Shake very hard with ice, at least 15 seconds, since that's what creates the foam on top. Strain into a chilled martini glass and float three coffee beans on the surface.

8. Touch Her and Die: Rum Punch

Jealousy looks good on you.

• 2 oz dark rum
• 1 oz blood orange juice
• 1 oz passionfruit juice
• ½ oz fresh lime juice
• ¼ oz grenadine

Shake with ice and strain over crushed ice. Garnish with cherries on a cocktail pick (a dagger-style pick if you're feeling committed to the theme).

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No-Alcohol Swaps

Every drink above works as a mocktail with one simple change. Replace the spirit with an equal amount of:

• Martinis and sours: chilled black tea or sparkling water
• Margarita: sparkling water plus an extra splash of lime
• Old Fashioned and Manhattan: strong cold black tea with a splash of maple or cherry syrup
• Negroni: non-alcoholic aperitif, or grapefruit soda
• Espresso Martini: just skip the vodka and keep the cold brew and vanilla
• Rum Punch: add extra passionfruit juice and a splash of sparkling water

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Same tropes. Different hangovers.

Which cocktail matches the book on your nightstand right now? Tell us in the comments.