Mixology Contest Yields Scientific Love Potions for Valentine’s Day

“Brain Chemistry for Lovers” introduces cocktails designed to simulate feelings of love; tasting contest to be held at 3 Doors Down

For Immediate Release

PORTLAND, OR — Jan.20, 2010 – Is the key to love to be found in art or science? This is the question vocalist Valerie Day and pianist Darrell Grant address in the reprisal of their popular show, “Brain Chemistry for Lovers.”

“In the show, we discuss a trio of chemicals called monoamines and their role in the experience of falling in love,” says Day. “Dopamine creates intense energy and exhilaration. Norepinephrine gives us sweaty palms and that walking-on-air feeling. Serotonin can actually make us temporarily insane. We thought it would be fun to combine ingredients that can simulate these feelings and put them in a Valentine’s Day cocktail.”

To create this concoction, Day and Grant enlisted the expertise of Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) neuroscientist Dr. Larry Sherman Ph.D., who served as science advisor for the show; Bobby Heagerty, OHSU’s Neuroscience Community Affairs and Education Director; Virginia Sewell, BrainNet board member; and Amanda Thomas, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry’s (OMSI’s) Science Pub Director. Matthew Stiles, bartender at 3 Doors Down Café, served as expert mixologist for the team.

But it turned out it was too hard to create just one cocktail and so a contest was born. Three delectable drink recipes – the Don Juan, the Mata Hari, and the Scarlett O’Hara – were devised that combine all three monoamines using different ingredients.

You can try them at 3 Doors Down Café between Jan. 22 – Feb. 5 or at home by viewing the recipes online at www.brainchemistryforlovers.com or http://tinyurl.com/BrainChemistryFacebook. Then, cast your vote in the “Monoamine Mixology Contest” on the Brain Chemistry Facebook page or at 3 Doors Down Café. Those who vote at the café will be entered in a drawing for prizes offered by the Bagdad Theater, OMSI and 3 Doors Down.

Brain Chemistry for Lovers, a multi-media concert, is an innovative combo of cabaret and science lesson using music, film, and the latest discoveries in the world of neuroscience to explore the most universal of all human experiences: romantic love. The one-night reprisal on Tues., Feb. 9, at 7:00 pm at McMenamins’ Bagdad Theater (3702 Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard) is part of the popular Science Pub Series presented by OMSI. The Bagdad will serve the highest-rated cocktail from the contest at the performance.

Tickets for the performance of “Brain Chemistry For Lovers” can be purchased online at Ticketmaster, or in person at the Bagdad Theater or Crystal Ballroom box offices. 3 Doors Down Café is located at 1429 Southeast 37th Avenue in Portland. For reservations and information, call 503-236-6886 or visit www.3doorsdowncafe.com.

For details about the creation of the Monoamine Cocktail for the “Brain Chemistry for Lovers” show, contact Valerie Day at www.valeriedaysings.com or www.brainchemistryforlovers.com.