Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, if you didn’t already know. Sure, it’s a rather overblown commercial holiday, but it comes every Feb. 14, so why not take the opportunity to celebrate the love in your love, whoever or whatever that is.
And while flowers, Champagne and chocolate are nice, we like a festive cocktail, whether you’re with a significant other or just hanging with friends. Here are 10 recipes we like for this year.
Ingredients
- 1 oz. Vegas Baby vodka
- 6 oz. Berry sparkling lemonade
- 1 ½ oz. Aperol
- ½ oz. Lemon juice
- Orange wheel strawberry slice garnish
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
- Shake until the shaker is cold.
- Strain into a wine glass.
- Garnish with orange wheel and strawberry slice.
Notes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz. Astral Tequila Blanco
- 1 ½ oz. Fresh grapefruit juice
- ½ oz. Fresh lime juice
- ½ oz. Cinnamon-agave syrup
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker.
- Add ice, shake and strain into an ice-filled rocks glass rimmed with salt.
- Garnish with a grapefruit wedge.
Notes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz. The Pathfinder Hemp and Root
- 1 ½ oz. Tamworth Distilling Flora gin or non-alcoholic gin substitute
- 2 oz. Chilled hibiscus tea*
- 1 dropper Bittermens Burlesque bitters
- Top with 2 oz. dry sparkling rosé alcoholic or non-alcoholic
Instructions
- Stir the first four ingredients together over ice in Collins glass.
- Top with sparkling wine.
Notes
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Koloa Kaua’i cacao rum
- ½ oz. Luxardo cherry liqueur
- Three dashes of Angostura bitters
Instructions
- Add ingredients to a cocktail stirring glass.
- Stir well, then let it sit for a minute.
- Strain the cocktail into a chilled serving glass.
- Garnish ostentatiously with roses and/or chocolate covered cherries.
Notes
Ingredients
- ¾ oz. Bombay Gin
- ½ oz. St. Germaine elderflower liqueur
- ¼ oz. Citric acid
- 4 oz. Mio sake
- 1 dash plum bitters
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- Stir, strain, and pour into a coupe glass.
- Garnish with edible glitter spray.
Notes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz. Monkey 47 Distiller’s Cut Edition 13 gin
- 1 oz. Blueberry juice
- ¾ oz. Lemon juice
- ¼ oz. Maple syrup
- 1 tbsp. Blueberry jam
Instructions
- Pour ingredients into cocktail shaker.
- Add ice and shake.
- Fine strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass.
- Garnish with maple caramelized bacon strip.
Notes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz. Bisquit & Dubouché V.S.O.P. Cognac
- ½ oz. Aperol
- 1 oz. Watermelon syrup granulated white sugar and watermelon juice
- ¾ oz. Lemon juice
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients into a shaker.
- Strain into into chilled coupe.
- Garnish with a watermelon cube.
Notes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz. Cîroc Passion vodka
- 1 oz. Pineapple juice
- ¾ oz. Hibiscus syrup
- ¾ oz. Lemon juice
- Top off with Champagne/sparkling wine
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except the sparkling wine into a shaker.
- Add ice and shake for about 8 to 10 seconds.
- Double strain into a coupe glass.
- Top off with Champagne/sparkling.
- Garnish with edible flowers.
Notes
Ingredients
- 1 strawberry
- 1 ½ oz. Broken Shed Vodka
- ¾ oz. Elderflower liqueur
- ¾ oz. Fresh lemon juice
- ½ oz. Simple syrup
- 1 dash Orange bitters
- 1 Egg white
Instructions
- In a shaker, muddle the strawberry.
- Add the remaining ingredients.
- Dry shake, then shake again with ice.
- Double strain into a coupe.
- Top with a freeze-dried strawberry.
Notes
Ingredients
- 2 parts Knob Creek 7 year old rye
- ¼ part Strawberry liqueur
- ¼ part IPA syrup*
- 2 dashes Orange bitters
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in a mixing glass
- Stir and strain into a rocks glass.
- Garnish with a lemon twist.