Valentine’s Day is around the corner which means dim lights and a nice dinner with someone special. For others, this is a fantastic evening to get-together with friends and celebrate fraternal love.
Either way, there’s a need for a round of drinks, and that’s where cocktails come in. Sure, when it comes to quenching your thirst and getting in the right mood, any drink will rise to the occasion. If you want to do it right, though, you’ll want to have a few Valentine-inspired cocktail recipes up your sleeve.
Get drunk in love this year.
1. Cranberry Gin Fizz
Gin is super trendy right now, especially all those new craft gins made with exciting aromatics! Sophisticated but very pleasurable, gin is always the right choice, and it’s much better when served in a fizzy drink. The gin fizz is one of the oldest cocktails in history, and it’s still popular. It’s easy to see why; it’s delicious and easy to put together. For a Valentine’s Day rendition, we’re tainting it red with tangy cranberry juice.
Ingredients:
Gin (Bombay Gin or Hendrix)
Lemon Juice (Real or Concentrate)
Simple Syrup
Instructions:
- Fill tall glass with ice
- Add 2 ounces of gin, 1 ounce of lemon juice and another oz of simple syrup
- Fill half of the glass with cranberry juice and top it with soda
2. The Pink Russian
The White Russian is a creamy, lusciously sweet vodka-based cocktail, and let’s say it out loud, creamy cocktails are underrated. How to say no to a coating, boozy drink that tastes like a milky coffee? A traditional White Russian is based on vodka, half & half (or cream) and coffee liqueur, a delicious digestive on its own. Our Valentine’s version will need a splash of grenadine to turn it into a sexy pink drink. You can also use the syrup left in a cherry jar. As for the vodka, if you can, find a berry-scented version; it’s even better.
Ingredients:
Vodka (Greygoose, Titos or Kettle One)
Coffee liqueur (Kahlua or Bailey’s)
Half & Half Milk
Grenadine (Rose’s Grenadine)
Instructions:
- In a short glass filled with ice, add 1.5 ounces of vodka, 1 ounce of coffee liqueur, and 2 ounces of half & half, but do so gently, without disturbing the bottom layer
- Top with a splash of grenadine, and then slowly stir to create a marbled effect
NOTE: You can substitute the coffee liqueur with white crème de cacao for a brighter pink color
3. Pomegranate Cosmo
The Cosmo is the most fashionable of martinis. Ruby red, slick, and nicely balanced between sweetness and tanginess, what’s not to love? You can revamp your Cosmo easily, and take the 90s classic to the new century by merely substituting the traditional cranberry juice for an antioxidant-rich pomegranate juice.
Ingredients:
Vodka (Greygoose, Titos or Kettle One)
Lemon Juice (Real or Concentrate)
Pomegranate Juice (Real or Concentrate)
Instructions:
- In a shaker (or a coffee cup with a lid), add ice, 2 ounces of vodka, half-an-ounce of lemon juice, and 2 ounces of pomegranate juice
- Shake, shake, shake and strain into a martini glass. Then throw in a few fresh pomegranate seeds for a WOW factor
4. Raspberry Kir Royale
Bubbles are just celebratory and instantly compatible with Valentine’s Day. They just feel Right. Well, it turns out you can make cocktails with sparkling wine too. For this one, we’re making a classic Kir Royale, which is quite fancy already and we’re improving it with fresh raspberries.
Ingredients:
Champagne
Creme de Cassis (DRILLAUD CREME DE CASSIS)
or Berry liqueur (DRILLAUD BLACKBERRY LIQUEUR)
Instructions:
- In a chilled flute glass, add nine parts Champagne and one part creme de cassis or any other berry liqueur
- Leave some room for three or four fresh raspberries and enjoy!
5. Champagne Sorbet Float
Why not have two Champagne based cocktails on our list? After all, serving Champagne with your Valentine’s dinner is already a great idea. This time, we’re keeping it simple, but the results are extraordinary. Try to find coupe champagne glasses for this one, which are wider. If you can’t find any, use white wine glasses.
Ingredients:
Champagne
All Natural Sorbet
Instructions:
- Pour the Champagne into the glasses but leave room for a scoop of high-quality, all-natural sorbet
- Scoop in the sorbet. You can use any fruit sorbet, but for us, the best are the ones flavored with strawberries or peach
This cocktail is so pretty it can be dessert too!
From everyone here at Radio5 Events, wishing you the sweetest, happiest Valentine’s Day, cheers!