Not everyone goes out on February 14. With an eye towards saving money, many people will stay home, especially Millenials. They’ll celebrate Valentine’s Day with their own cooking — and their own cocktails.
And the time to stock up on those cocktail ingredients is now, before next week’s rush. So here are 14 romantic drink recipes for mixology-minded consumers who want to whip up something imbibable to impress their significant others.
Make Me Melt
(shown above)
1 ½ oz. Raspberry vodka
1 ½ oz. Orange vodka
1 oz. Chambord
1 oz. Sprite
1 Orange peel
1 Whole strawberry
In a mixing glass, muddle 1 whole strawberry. Add raspberry and orange vodka and shake vigorously. Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass and add Sprite. Top with Chambord and garnish with an orange peel.
The mixologists at STK Midtown and STK Downtown in New York created this recipe.
Love Potion #9
1 ½ oz. Sobieski Citron vodka
½ oz. Raspberry Torani syrup
½ oz. Sweet and sour
½ oz. Pomegranate juice
1 Lemon wedge
Place all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake sharply until well chilled then pour into a chilled martini glass rimmed with sugar. Garnish with a lemon wedge and enjoy.
The mixologists at Trevi Italian Restaurant inside The Forum Shops at Caesars Las Vegas, created this recipe.
Frozen Love
2 oz. Casamigos blanco tequila
1 oz. Pomegranate juice
1 oz. Fresh lime juice
½ oz. Simple syrup
Add all ingredients into shaker. Add ice. Shake vigorously for 8-10 seconds. Fine strain into rocks glass over large ice cube (can freeze rose petals in cube for garnish). Garnish with 5-6 pomegranate seeds over top of cocktail.
The mixologists at Casamigos created this recipe.
The Smoked Blossom
1 part John DeKuyper & Sons Fleur elderflower liqueur
2 parts Connemara Irish whiskey
½ part Fresh lemon juice
½ part Simple syrup
2 dashes Orange bitters
Combine ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Dudley Delhagen, 2015 DeKuyper Cocktail Master, created this recipe.
Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Margarita
(Serves 2)
3 parts Sauza Silver tequila
1 parts DeKuyper Triple Sec liqueur
2 part Pucker Strawberry schnapps
6 parts Sour mix
2 Chocolate-covered strawberries
Chocolate shavings for rimming
Add all ingredients to a blender, puree until smooth. Serve in glasses rimmed with chocolate shavings and garnish each with a chocolate-covered strawberry.
The mixologists at Sauza created this recipe.
Amour Rouge
1 part Grey Goose vodka
1 part Pineau des Charentes
½ part Crème de Cassis
2 tsp. Lemon juice
1 dash Angostura bitters
1 Small cluster red currants
Lemon twist
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add all ingredients. Shake well and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with zest of lemon and cluster of red currants.
The mixologists at Grey Goose created this recipe.
Black Cherry 75
1 ½ oz. Zodiac Black Cherry vodka
1 oz. DeKuyper raspberry liqueur
½ oz. Simple syrup
Orange wedge
4 oz. Prosecco
Add ingredients except prosecco to mixing tin (squeeze orange wedge then discard). Shake and strain into tulip glass. Top with prosecco and garnish with a lemon twist
The mixologists at Zodiac created this recipe.
The B.M.H. (Bite Marked Heart)
1 ½ oz. Vida mezcal
1 oz. Red bell pepper purée*
¾ oz. Lime juice
½ oz. Starvation Alley cold pressed cranberry juice
½ oz. Serrano syrup
Combine mezcal, lime, purée, cranberry and Serrano syrup in shaker tin. Shake and fine strain into a coup.
*For red pepper puree: Combine 1 oz. of water per medium bell pepper (seeds removed) in a blender and puree. Fine strain the end result.
Joe Davis, bartender at Three Degrees in Portland, OR, created this recipe.
Valentine Sparkler
1 ½ parts Cruzan aged light rum
½ part Vanilla simple syrup
½ part Unsweetened fresh cranberry juice
4 parts Sparkling wine
Combine all ingredients in a champagne flute and stir twice. Garnish with an orange peel cut in the shape of a heart.
The mixologists at Cruzan created this recipe.
Cupid’s Cider
1 ½ parts Hornitos Black Barrel tequila
¾ part Apple cider
2 parts Water
¾ part Cinnamon syrup *
1 part Lemon juice
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Combine all ingredients together and serve. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and an apple wedge. Can be served hot or cold.
*For cinnamon syrup: Mix together 1 part sugar, 1 part water and 4 crushed cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil (approximately 1-2 minutes). Once cooled down, strain into a glass.
The mixologists at Hornitos created this recipe.
The Art Of Seduction
2 oz. Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate vodka
½ oz. Fresh lemon juice
¼ oz. Rich Demerara syrup
1 Whole strawberry
Chandon Rosé
Chocolate drizzle
Muddle strawberry in Boston Shaker. Add Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate, lemon juice and rich demerara. Shake and double strain. Make an artistic design with chocolate in a Martini glass. Top with Chandon Rosé. Serve with a chocolate strawberry on the side.
Mixologist Devin McCullough created this recipe.
A Kiss Before Midnight (Valentine’s Day)
1 ⅓ oz. Baileys Salted Caramel liqueur
1 oz. Zacapa Rum 23
2 oz. Chilled espresso
1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Crushed pretzels for garnish
Place chocolate chips in a metal mixing bowl.m Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring a boil. Hold the bowl of chocolate chips over the saucepan and slowly stir chocolate until melted, Once melted, lace the rim of a Martini glass in the chocolate and dust with crushed pretzels. Place glass to the side. Combine Baileys Salted Caramel, rum and chilled espresso in a mixing glass with ice and stir until chilled.Strain contents into garnished Martini glass.
Mixologist Alex Fletcher created this recipe.
Breakup Shakeup
1 ½ oz. Atlantico Reserva rum
¾ oz. Pimm’s liqueur
1 oz. Raspberry purée
¾ oz. Cinnamon coconut simple syrup
½ oz. Lemon juice
1-2 dashes Bittercube Cherry Bark vanilla bitters
Add all ingredients into a mixing glass, shake with ice and strain into a cocktail or Martini glass.
The mixologists at Rhumbar in The Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas created this recipe.
#SingleForLife
2 oz. Larrenssingle VSOP Armagnac
½ oz. Tempus Fugit Creme de Cocoa
½ oz. Cynar
½ oz. Cinnamon syrup
Egg white
Dry shake all ingredients except cinnamon syrup, then add syrup and shake with ice. Pour in coupe and garnish with Peychaud’s bitters in the shape of a heart.
Dan Rook, head bartender of South Water Kitchen in Chicago, created this recipe.
