With all the declarations of love and romance swirling about, Valentine’s Day brings with it several avenues for which to celebrate. Having a libation with a loved one is a cherished moment, and our all-new Valentine’s Day drinks roundup might help you drum up some ideas for your sips.
This year’s Valentine’s Day roundup focuses strictly on cocktails, featuring a bevy of spirits with the expected hues of pink, red, and related colors. What we enjoyed about putting this roundup together was how vividly presented the drinks were and the variety of cocktail styles from drinks on the rocks, served up and riffs on familiar classics. Also, lots of raspberries. So many raspberries.
If you have a Martini or Gimlet fan in your life, you’re in luck with this guide. Does your boo enjoy an Old Fashioned? We’ve got a nice one in this roundup using a brand we’re big fans of that might be obvious to readers familiar with our usual coverage. Do you have a rum fan in your midst? There’s lots to love here. No matter what your flavor, it’s in this roundup.
Cheers to all the lovers that are and the lovers to be. Happy Valentine’s Day and do sip safely and surely.
—
Photo: Getty
1. Amante 1530 Spritz
Source:Amante 1530
Directions:
3 parts D.O.C.G. Prosecco
2 parts Amante 1530
1 part high-quality soda water
Gently combine over ice in a tall, clear glass. Add a squeeze of Amalfi lemon. Drop it in.
2. Bayou Cosmopolitan
Source:Bayou
Ingredients:
2 ounces of Bayou White Rum
1 ounce cranberry juice
1/2 ounce quality orange liqueur
1/2 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice
Method:
In a cocktail shaker add all ingredients. Top with cubed ice and shake vigorously for 10 seconds.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add a lime wheel or lime wedge for a tart addition or an orange for a slightly sweeter take.
3. Big Love
Source:Cointreau
Ingredients:
0.5 oz Beet Juice
1 oz Cointreau
0.25 oz Lemon Juice
1.25 oz Strawberry Shrub
1.25 oz Vodka
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a shaker full of ice
Shake well until chilled
Strain it and serve it in a coupette
4. Blinker
Source:other
Blinker (mocktail recipe from Fresh Victor’s H. Joseph Ehrmann)
1oz Fresh Victor Grapefruit & Sea Salt
2.25oz Spiritless Kentucky 74, Ritual, or Free Spirits (to make boozy, use bourbon of your choice)
.25oz raspberry syrup (or grenadine)
Garnish:three raspberries on a pick
Ice: cube
Glass: cocktail
Shaker Method:
In a cocktail shaker, add all ingredients, fill the shaker with ice, shake well(to chill and dilute) and strain over ice in a 10-12oz glass. Add garnish and serve.
5. Blood Orange Paloma
Source:other
Ingredients:
1 part Avión Silver
½ part Fresh Blood Orange Juice
¼ parts Lime Juice
1 part Grapefruit Juice
Blood orange slices and sea salt for garnish
Citrus wheel for garnish
Sea salt for garnish
Preparation:
Fill your glass with ice and add Avión Silver tequila. Add fresh lime juice along with fresh blood orange juic and grapefruit juice. Stir everything together and then garnish, as desired. If you like it sweet, feel free to add agave nectar or simple syrup!
6. Bourbon Raspberry Sour
Source:Woodford Reserve
Directions:
2 parts Woodford Reserve Double Oaked
.5 parts Chambord or Raspberry Syrup
.75 fresh Lemon Juice
3-4 Woodford Reserve Chocolate Bitters
Combine all ingredients in a shaker, add ice, shake, and double strain into a coupe or martini glass. Garnish with three skewed raspberries.
7. Box of Chocolates Old Fashioned
Source:Cedar Ridge
Directions:
2 oz Cedar Ridge Port Cask Bourbon
.5 oz Demerara simple syrup
2 dashes chocolate bitters
Directions:
Add bitters, syrup and bourbon into cocktail glass over king cube. Stir well. Rub the orange peel around the inside of the glass. Garnish with orange peel and bada bing cherry.
8. Coming Up Roses
Source:other
Ingredients:
2 oz Empress 1908 Elderflower Rose Gin
¾ oz Fresh Lemon Juice
.5 oz Lillet Rosé
.5 oz Raspberry Syrup
Egg White
Garnish: Fresh Raspberries
Method: Add ingredients to cocktail shaker and shake without ice to emulsify egg white. Add ice to tin then shake again. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with fresh raspberries.
9. Cupid Cuervo
Source:Jose Cuervo
Ingredients
1 ½ oz Cuervo Tradicional Plata Tequila
1 oz Campari (Italian aperitif)
1 oz Blanc vermouth
1 Strawberry
1 Lime wedge
Garnish: Orange twist with a heart punched out
Glass: Rocks
Directions:
Muddle the strawberry and lime wedge in a mixing glass.
Add the remaining ingredients and fill with ice.
Stir, and strain into a rocks glass filled with one large ice cube.
Garnish with an orange twist with a heart punched out as well as the punched out heart.
10. Dark & Gloomy
Source:other
Ingredients:
1 part Kraken® Black Spiced Rum
3 parts Ginger Beer
Pinch of silver or black Cocktail Shimmer / Edible Glitter
Directions: Layer all ingredients in a chalice filled with ice and garnish with black sugar rim.
11. Down Thyme
Source:other
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Mount Gay Eclipse
0.5 oz Lemon
0.5 oz Raspberry Syrup
4 oz Soda
Raspberry Syrup:
Muddle raspberries into your simple syrup, strain and serve.
Instructions:
Add all ingredients except soda into the glass and stir.
Add ice, finish with soda and garnish with raspberry and/or thyme
12. Flotador
Source:Mezcal UNIÓN Uno
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Mezcal Unión Uno
1.5 oz Hibiscus-Infused Water *
1 oz Lemon Juice
0.5 oz Orange Liqueur
0.5 oz Agave Honey
3 scoops of Lemon Sorbet
Worm Salt
Ice
Rosemary Sprig
Instructions: Frost a tall glass and rim with worm salt. Add ice and Mezcal Unión Uno. Add hibiscus-infused water, lemon juice, orange liqueur and agave honey. Mix all the ingredients well and serve with lemon sorbet. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary. Enjoy!
13. French Metropolitan
Source:St.-Remy Signature
Ingredients:
2 oz St-Rémy Signature
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
3 Dashes of Bitters
1 Maraschino Cherry
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with cracked ice and stir
Strain into a chilled footed glass
Garnish with Maraschino cherry and serve
14. Goji Martini
Source:other
Ingredients:
1¾ oz Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal
2/3 oz sweet vermouth
1/3 oz goji berry liqueur or 1/6 oz Cointreau Noir
Lavender bitters
Instructions:
Stir all ingredients with ice in a mixing glass.
Strain into a chilled glass.
Garnish with an orange twist and a lavender sprig.
15. Hibisco Disco Margarita
Source:Kilinga Silvestre
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz Kilinga Silvestre (infused with Hibiscus tea)
¾ oz Elderflower Liqueur (St Germain)
½ oz Fresh Lime juice
Glass-Cocktail Glass
Process-Shaken
Ice-Cubed to shake with / None for Service
Garnish-Optional Lime Twist
How to Make It:
1. Infuse Kilinga Silvestre Bacanora with Hibiscus ‘tea’. ***
2.Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and fill with ice.
3. Garnish with a twist of lime for a more ‘zingy’ nose, or leave ungarnished if you prefer.***
Add dried hibiscus leaves ‘tea’ to the Kilinga and leave for about an hour.
Give the mix a brief stir halfway through the process, and just before straining.
DO NOT HEAT THE MIXTURE- alcohol will do the job of extracting the flavors you need.
Once infused, strain out the hibiscus leaves using a coffee filter (ideally) or a fine cocktail strainer. If you’re using hibiscus tea bags, gently squeeze them out and remove. Keep your infused hibiscus-infused Kilinga in a glass bottle or jar in the fridge to keep away from natural light and in perfect condition until ready to use.
How much hibiscus you need will depend on what you can get hold of, what your flavor preferences are, and how many you’re making!
As a guide to get you started:
Use 4-5 heaped teaspoons or 4-5 hibiscus tea bags per bottle of Kilinga. You most likely won’t want to infuse a whole bottle, so 1 tea bag or heaped teaspoon of hibiscus will do you for 3-4 cocktails.
16. Honey Whiskey Sour
Source:Fraser & Thompson
1 oz Fraser & Thompson North American Whiskey
1 oz Cointreau
1.5 oz Honey Simple Syrup*
1.5 oz Orange Juice
.5 oz freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
2 dashes Bitters
Brandied cherries
Directions:
Whisk all of the ingredients, except the cherries, in a bowl (or use a cocktail shaker filled with ice). Pour over ice. Add cherries, they’re mandatory.
*For the honey simple syrup:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup water
Combine ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to just a simmer, then remove from heat and let cool. Store in the fridge.
17. Kiss Me Paloma
Source:other
INGREDIENTS:
2oz LALO Tequila
1.5oz Fresh Grapefruit Juice
3oz Sparkling Water
.5oz Fresh Lime Juice
.5oz Agave Syrup
Pinch of Salt
Garnish: Lime Wedge
METHOD:
Add LALO, fresh juices, agave syrup, and a pinch of salt to an ice-filled shaker tin. Shake and strain into a salt-rimmed, ice-filled collins glass. Top with sparkling water, and garnish with a lime wheel or wedge.
18. Letters From Lola
Source:Calistoga Depot
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Fame & Misfortune Whiskey Finished In Port Casks
0.5 oz blood orange liqueur
0.5 oz strawberry syrup
0.75 oz lemon juice
1 egg white
2 oz No 69 JCB Brut Rosé
Angostura bitters
Lavender sprig for garnish
Directions: Combine all liquid ingredients except the JCB Brut Rosé into a cocktail shaker and dry shake hard for 10 seconds. Add ice and shake again until thoroughly chilled and properly diluted. Strain into a coupe glass and top with JBC Brut Rosé, angostura droplets and a lavender sprig.
19. Match Made in Manhattan
Source:Four Roses
Ingredients:
2 oz Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon
1 oz Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth
2 dashes bitters
Cocktail cherry for garnish
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass. Stir for 30 seconds or until cocktail is well chilled. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish.
20. Old Fashioned Lovin’
Source:Humble Baron
(created by Humble Baron’s DeAndre Jackson)
1.5 oz Uncle Nearest 1856
0.5 oz St. Germain
0.25 oz Simple Syrup
4 drops Barrel Aged Bitters
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Directions:
Fill a mixing glass or cocktail shaker with ice
Add Uncle Nearest 1856, St. Germain, Simple Syrup, Barrel Aged Bitters and Angostura Bitters
Strain the mixture into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice
Garnish with a lemon (yellow) rose and mint bouquet
21. Proper Peaches
Source:Proper No. Twelve
2 oz Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey
.5 oz simple syrup
1 peach, diced
3-4 mint leaves
Splash of soda water
Muddle peaches, simple syrup & mint leaves in a shaker. Add Proper No. Twelve and fill shaker with ice. Strain into rocks glass.
22. Raspberry Martini
Source:Minke
Ingredients:
1.5 ounces Minke Gin
.5 ounces Dry Vermouth
.5 ounces Raspberry Syrup
Garnish: Fresh or frozen raspberries
Method:
Stir the gin, dry vermouth, raspberry syrup and ice together in a shaker or mixing glass. Double strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with raspberries.
23. Rhubarb Bramble
Source:Edinburgh
Ingredients:
1.5 ounces Edinburgh R&G Gin Full Strength
.75 ounces fresh lemon
.75 ounces sugar gomme syrup
.25 ounces crème de cassis
Method:
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add the gin, lemon juice and sugar syrup and shake until ice cold
Strain into a rocks or tumbler glass filled with crushed ice and pour over the shaken mixture. Drizzle the crème de cassis over the top.
Garnish with an orange twist and a blackberry.
24. Rosa Gimlet
Source:Codigo 1530
2 oz Código Rosa
1 oz Lime Juice
0.75 oz Simple Syrup
3 Raspberries (muddled)
Raspberry Garnish
Method: To prepare, simply add all the ingredients to a shaker, shake vigorously, strain into a glass, and garnish with raspberries.
Garnish: Fresh Sprig of Rosemary
* Hibiscus-Infused Water:
Boil water and add sugar. Mix until dissolved. Add hibiscus and rosemary and let rest for a few minutes. Strain mixture into container.
25. Rosa Romance
Source:Rosa Regale
3 oz Rosa Regale Red
1 oz gin
½ 5 oz Grand Marnier
2 dashes of orange bitter.
Combine the gin, Grand Marnier & bitters in a mixing glass and stir until very cold. Strain into a coupe glass and top with Rosa Regale Red. Garnish with something sweet.
26. Sammy’s Love Potion #55
Source:Sammy's Beach Bar Rum
Ingredients:
1 ounce Sammy’s Beach Bar Red Head Rum, divided
4 ounces chilled champagne
Garnish: fresh lemon twist
Preparation: Add half the rum to a chilled champagne flute. Slowly add the chilled champagne until ½ inch from the top. Top with the remaining rum. Garnish with a fresh lemon twist.
27. Scarlet Heart
Source:Eric LeGrand
Ingredients:
1.75 oz Eric LeGrand Whiskey
.5 oz Cherry Heering liqueur
.5oz Egg White
.5oz Blackberry puree
3/4oz Lemon Juice
1oz Lychee juice
.5 Demerera Simple Syrup
Gold Flakes dusted on our Berry garnish
Directions:
Add all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice
Stir the mixture in the ice to chill it
Strain the cocktail out of the mixing glass into a shaker
Dry shake the cocktail very vigorously to make sure it gets that nice foam top (no ice inside shaker just liquids)
Pour cocktail into coupe glassware over ice cube
Dust Berry Garnish with gold flakes
Lay garnish over an ice cube
28. Sorel Hibiscus Mule
Source:Sorel
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Sorel Liqueur
1/2 oz Fresh Lime Juice
Top with Ginger Beer
Garnish: Lime Wheel
Directions: Add Sorel and Fresh Lime Juice into a highball glass filled with ice, Top with ginger beer and garnish with a lime wheel.
29. Tia Tonic
Source:Tia
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Tia Maria
2.5 0z Tonic Water (Q Mixers)
Grapefruit or Lemon
Ice
Directions: Simply combine the Tia Maria with tonic water over ice, and garnish with a twist of grapefruit or lemon peel for a quick and easy cocktail combination with a fizz.
30. Watermelon Grape Margarita
Source:Gran Centenario
Ingredients:
1 cup Gran Centenario Plata Tequila
2 cups Frozen Watermelon
2 cups Frozen Red Seedless Grapes
¾ cup Fresh Lime Juice
1 cup Simple Syrup
1 cup Ice
2 slices Seeded Jalapeño or Serrano Chile (Optional)
Garnish: Lime wheel and fresh red grapes
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
Garnish with lime wedge and fresh red grapes.
Recipe serves 4.
