There are almost too many ways to go about picking a drink on Valentine’s Day. Do you go with something solid and classy like wine, but risk of seeming too serious? Do you order a Between the Sheets and hope your date thinks it’s as funny as you do? I argue for a third option: symbolism. The Bacardi Cocktail, first enjoyed in Cuba in the early 20th century, is actually fairly representative of Valentine’s Day: Depending on how you feel about it, it’s either a sweet, lighthearted reminder of life’s simple pleasures, or a branded, commodified contrivance designed to make you feel bad in the morning.

And did I mention it’s pink?

Bacardi Cocktail

2 oz light rum

1 oz fresh lime juice

1/2 oz grenadine

Shake the ingredients with ice, and strain them into a cocktail glass.

The result is similar to a pink daiquiri, with a hint of grenadine flavoring (which, originally, tasted like pomegranate). If you keep quiet about it, I won’t even tell the Bacardi Corporation that you’re using another brand of rum, and they won’t sue you. Yes, this apparently actually happened. For the record, it was in 1936.

If you’re feeling ambitious, impress your date by rimming the cocktail glasses with some handmade pink Campari dust. To make the dust, prepare a smooth, flat surface with a slightly raised rim (like a cookie sheet, baking tin or even a large plate) by lining it with tin foil. Once you’ve done that, pour in about five ounces of Campari, making sure to spread it as thinly and evenly over the surface as you can. Allow the Campari to dry completely. Depending on the resilience of the container you’re using, you can put it on a warm surface — I used a stovetop burner on the lowest setting — to speed up the process. After it’s almost completely dried, lift the tin foil and scrape the resulting material into a bowl, where, if it hasn’t crystallized already, you can use a pestle or a wooden spoon to reduce it to the consistency of kosher salt.

Next, grab a cocktail glass and a slice of lime. Taking care to apply even pressure, run the lime around the outside of the glass only. Then, place the dust on a plate or saucer large enough to accommodate the glass, turn the glass upside down, and dip it briefly into the saucer, creating a thin, even ring of dust on the outside edge of the glass.

On the other hand, if you feel like actively fighting the sentimentality and plentiful, delicious chocolate of Valentine’s Day, you might want to consider making a statement with the Amaretto Sour. Made from apricots and almonds, amaretto sounds like “amaro” and “amore”— words whose meaning should be obvious — but is actually named for “amaro,” the Italian word for “bitter.” When put in the Sour, it’s a biting reminder that, even if your love life gives you lemons, you can still get something better than lemonade out of it.

Amaretto Sour

2 oz amaretto

1 oz fresh lemon juice

Mix the ingredients in a rocks glass and add some ice cubes.

Then pick up your copy of Origin of Species and celebrate Darwin Day instead. Either way, you can score one more for commemorating natural selection.