One of my favorite pastimes during Valentines is mixing the perfect Valentine’s Day cocktails. My friends often ask me what my go-to ingredients are.
So, right now, that’s fantastic strawberry, some fabulous bittersweet and ripe berries, several kinds of unusual citrus, and, as always, a wide array of enchanting scents that make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And then, there’s the matter of choosing the right base spirit.
I think vodka and gin are both excellent for what we might call ‘romantic’ cocktails. They’re neutral enough not to overwhelm, and their very smoothness places them in good compatibility with fresh, lively, and aromatic cocktails.
Still, I think any number of high-quality, mild-flavored spirits would be just as successful. And finally, if you have the option, always go for effervescence!
The 18 Best Valentine’s Day Cocktails
1. Raspberry Romance Martini
I take great pleasure in creating a Raspberry Romance Martini, the ideal cocktail for Valentine’s Day. This libation begins with vodka and raspberry liqueur and then adds the necessary fresh lemon juice to achieve a perfectly balanced drink.
It is a beautiful cocktail garnished with fresh raspberries and served up in a chilled martini glass.
Ingredients
2 oz vodka
1 oz Chambord or raspberry liqueur
1 oz fresh lemon juice
1 oz simple syrup
Fresh raspberries for garnish
Optional: 1 oz cranberry juice
Instructions
1. Take a cocktail shaker and fill it with ice. Pour in the vodka, Chambord or raspberry liqueur, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and, if you prefer, cranberry juice.
2. Shake vigorously until the exterior of the shaker is chilled, approximately 15 seconds.
3. Strain the blend into a cold martini vessel.
4. Using a cocktail pick, add fresh raspberries to the drink so they may be eaten with the first sip. Serve immediately.
2. Love Potion Sangria
My favorite Valentine’s Day cocktail is Love Potion Sangria. With red wine, brandy, triple sec, fresh raspberries, and orange slices, this drink is a sweet and seductive elixir.
You could sip it on a sultry night, or you could serve it at a day party with a group of your closest friends. Either way, it’s a perfect drink for any Valentine.
Ingredients
1 bottle of red wine (750 ml, preferably a fruity red wine like Merlot or Shiraz)
1/2 cup brandy
1/4 cup triple sec or orange liqueur
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 orange, sliced
Instructions
1. In a big glass container, blend red wine, brandy, triple sec, and sugar. Mix well until the sugar has completely dissolved.
2. Add the raspberries and orange slices to the pitcher and stir them gently into the mixture.
3. For maximum flavor, let the sangria chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours.
4. Pour into a glass and serve it very cold. And to make it even more special, be sure to include some fresh fruit when doling out each serving. That way, everyone can say they got kissed by fruit on Valentine’s Day!
3. Velvet Cherry Fizz
Valentine’s Day is an opportunity to spread some love and happiness in the world; it’s a chance to induce some smiles and maybe even a few heart palpitations. I can’t think of a better way to do it than with everyone’s favorite, cocktails!.
Ingredients
2 oz cherry vodka
1 oz black cherry juice
1 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
Club soda
Ice
Fresh cherries, for garnish
Instructions
1. Take a cocktail shaker and fill it with ice, then pour in the cherry vodka, black cherry juice, fresh lime juice, and simple syrup.
2. Shake vigorously until the combination is nice and frigid.
3. Pour the mixture through a strainer into a glass packed with ice.
4. Finish off with some club soda and freshly picked cherries. Serve without delay.
4. Passionate Paloma
Valentine’s Day cocktails are some of my favorites to dream up, and the Passionate Paloma is a real winner. Made with silver tequila, fresh and sweet grapefruit, tangy lime juice, and passion fruit, this cocktail is light, refreshing, and just right for sipping on an intimate evening.
Ingredients
2 oz silver tequila
2 oz fresh grapefruit juice
1 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
1 oz passion fruit juice
Splash of soda water
Grapefruit wedge or twist for garnish
Instructions
1. Take a shaker filled with ice and pour in the tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, simple syrup, and passion fruit juice.
2. Combine and chill by shaking well.
3. Pour the mixture into a glass full of ice and let it do its work.
4. Finish with a splash of soda water on top and garnish with a wedge or twist of grapefruit. Serve as soon as the drink is prepared.
5. Cupid’s Cosmo Cocktail
When Valentine’s Day rolls around, my favored elixir to mix and sip is Cupid’s Cosmo Cocktail. This refreshing assemblage of vodka, triple sec, and cranberry and lime juices may not look or sound too different from a straightforward cosmopolitan, but it is—frankly—a better drink.
Ingredients
- 2 oz vodka
- 1 oz triple sec
- 1 oz cranberry juice
- 1/2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/4 oz simple syrup
- Lime wheel or twist for garnish (optional)
Instructions
1. A cocktail shaker should be filled with ice before adding the vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, lime juice, and simple syrup.
2. Chill the mixture by shaking it vigorously for about 15 to 20 seconds.
3. Pour into a martini glass that has been chilled.
4. If you wish, you can add a lime wheel or twist as a garnish.
6. Strawberry Rose Spritz
The cocktail I find most delightful for Valentine’s Day is the Strawberry Rose Spritz. This effervescent cocktail is a delicious blend of fresh strawberries, rose syrup, gin, and sparkling rosé wine.
If you want to add a little romance to your V-Day celebration, I definitely recommend this drink.
Ingredients
1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 ounce rose syrup
2 ounces gin
3 ounces sparkling rosé wine
Ice cubes
Fresh rose petals and strawberry slices for garnish
Instructions
1. Take the ripe strawberries and sugar in a blender and turn them into a smooth mixture. You now have a lovely strawberry puree to use in your dessert.
2. Take an ice-filled shaker and add 2 ounces of the strawberry puree, together with the syrup and gin. Shake until the contents are thoroughly well and chilled.
3. Pour the blend into a glass filled with ice and crown it with sparkling rosé wine.
4. Combine by gently stirring, and before serving, make sure to garnish with fresh rose petals and slices of strawberry.
7. Sweetheart Sgroppino
I really love to make cocktails for Valentine’s Day, and my Sweetheart Sgroppino is a delightful drink. It starts with raspberry sorbet and builds into a layered, luscious cocktail made with chilled Prosecco and vodka, then garnished with fresh raspberries and mint.
Ingredients
1 scoop raspberry sorbet
2 ounces chilled Prosecco
1 ounce vodka
1/2 ounce lemon juice
Fresh raspberries for garnish
Fresh mint leaves for garnish
Instructions
1. Add a serving of raspberry sorbet to a glass that has been chilled.
2. Pour the well-chilled Prosecco and vodka over the sorbet.
3. Introduce the lemon juice and stir gently to blend.
4. Before serving, add fresh raspberries and mint leaves for garnish.
8. Tender Kiss Cooler
On this Valentine’s Day, I enjoy mixing romantic cocktails such as the Tender Kiss Cooler. This delectable drink is a combination of vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, and lime juice, making it a well-balanced and refreshing flavor experience.
To take the drink one step further, I like to pour it over ice—my preferred method of serving any cocktail—and finish it off with a garnish of mint leaves and a spritz of club soda.
Ingredients
2 oz vodka
1 oz triple sec
1 oz cranberry juice
1 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz simple syrup
Soda water (for topping)
Fresh mint leaves (for garnish)
Instructions
1. Take a shaker and ice it down. Pour in the vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, lime juice, and simple syrup.
2. Mix thoroughly until the combination is cold.
3. Pour into a highball glass containing ice, then finish with soda water.
4. Before you serve it, you should add fresh mint leaves as a garnish.
9. Flirty Fig Daiquiri
A Valentine’s Day cocktail does not need to be red or pink to be special. The Flirty Fig Daiquiri features fresh figs, light rum, and fresh lime juice.
I love how this unique flavor makes a playful version of the classic cocktail.
Ingredients
Fresh figs (2-3 ripe figs)
Light rum (2 oz)
Fresh lime juice (1 oz)
Simple syrup (0.5 oz)
Triple sec (0.5 oz)
Ice cubes
Lime wheel or fig slice for garnish
Instructions
1. Start by taking the fresh figs and removing their stems. Then, cut the figs into quarters.
2. In a shaker, mash the figs to extract their juices.
3. In the cocktail shaker, combine the light rum, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, and triple sec.
4. Put ice cubes in the shaker, cover it tightly, and shake it with zeal until the contents become cold.
5. Pour the blend into a pre-chilled cocktail glass and adorn with a slice of lime or a fig wheel before you present it to your esteemed guest.
10. Amore Amaretto Sour
I adore making the Amore Amaretto Sour, a cocktail that is absolutely perfect for Valentine’s Day. When you combine amaretto liqueur, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup, you’ve got a drink that is not only delicious but also a lovely way to toast to your sweethearts.
Ingredients
- 2 oz amaretto liqueur
- 1 oz fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 oz simple syrup
- 1/2 oz bourbon (optional for added depth)
- Ice cubes
- Maraschino cherry, for garnish
- Lemon slice, for garnish
Instructions
1. In a shaker, mix together the amaretto, lemon juice, simple syrup, and bourbon (if using).
2. Add ice cubes to the shaker, then shake it with vigor until the contents are thoroughly chilled.
3. Pour the mixture into a rocks glass containing fresh ice and let it chill.
4. Add a maraschino cherry and a lemon slice for garnish. Then, serve right away.
11. Blushing Berry Bramble
An excellent Valentine’s Day cocktail is the Blushing Berry Bramble. I adore the way gin, fresh lemon juice, and blackberry liqueur blend together.
With the fresh blackberries and a lemon twist, this drink has an extra romantic touch.
Ingredients
2 oz gin
1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
0.5 oz simple syrup
0.5 oz blackberry liqueur (such as crème de mûre)
Fresh blackberries (for garnish)
Lemon twist (for garnish)
Crushed ice
Instructions
1. In a mixing container, blend the gin, lemon juice, and syrup. Fill the container with ice and shake vigorously.
2. Pass the mixture through a sieve—preferably a fine one—into a glass filled with crushed ice.
3. Gently pour the blackberry liqueur over the top to produce a “blushing” effect.
4. Add fresh blackberries and a twist of lemon as a finishing touch. Serve without delay.
12. Heart’s Desire Mimosa
Mimosas receive a romantic reinterpretation for Valentine’s Day in the form of the Heart’s Desire Mimosa. It combines the orange liqueur Cointreau with blood orange juice and champagne and tops the whole with fresh raspberries.
Ingredients
Orange liqueur (such as Cointreau or Grand Marnier)
Freshly squeezed blood orange juice
Champagne or sparkling wine
Pomegranate juice
Fresh raspberries
Optional: rose water
Optional: sugar for rimming
Instructions
1. To produce sugar-rimmed champagne flutes, first moisten the rims with blood orange juice. Then, dip the glasses in sugar until the rims are evenly coated.
2. In every flute, add 1 ounce of orange liqueur, 1 ounce of blood orange juice, and a dash of pomegranate juice.
3. Finish filling the glass with the iced champagne or sparkling wine, so that it is almost completely full.
4. Decorate with fresh raspberries and, if you like, add a drop of rose water for a delicate and fragrant touch. Serve right away.
13. Enchanted Elderflower Elixir
Valentine’s Day is a good time to get together with your friends and make cocktails that celebrate the day. Enchanted Elderflower Elixir is a great candidate for your cocktail menu.
Its refreshing blend of gin, elderflower liqueur, fresh lemon juice, and soda makes it feel sparkling and festive, which should be all any of us ask for on this “holiday.” A drink should be a little magical, if not a lot.
Ingredients
- 2 oz gin
- 1 oz elderflower liqueur
- 1 oz fresh lemon juice
- 0.5 oz simple syrup
- 3 oz sparkling water
- Ice cubes
- Lemon twist or edible flower for garnish
Instructions
1. Take a cocktail shaker and fill it with ice cubes. Add the gin, elderflower liqueur, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup to the shaker.
2. Combine the mixture well by shaking it, and then chill it.
3. Pour the combined mixture into a glass filled with ice cubes. Then top it with sparkling water.
4. Gently stir and add a lemon twist or edible flower before serving as a garnish.
14. Romantic Rosé Margarita
In my opinion, the Romantic Rosé Margarita is the perfect cocktail for Valentine’s Day. When I mix it, I use rosé wine, tequila, fresh lime juice, and simple syrup.
Then I garnish the glass with either fresh strawberries or rose petals.
Ingredients
* 2 oz rosé wine* 1 oz tequila* 0.5 oz triple sec* 1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice* 0.5 oz simple syrup* Lime wedges and salt for rimming the glass* Fresh strawberries or rose petals for garnish
Instructions
1. Take a lime wedge and run it around the glass’s rim, then dip the glass into salt to get a nice salted edge.
2. Mix rosé wine, tequila, triple sec, lime juice, and simple syrup in a shaker. Fill the shaker with ice, and shake it as if you were trying to turn the contents into the consistency of a frozen margarita.
3. Pour the mixture into the prepared glass that is filled with ice.
4. Add fresh strawberries or rose petals as a garnish, and serve at once. Savor your intimate Rosé Margarita!
15. Sweet Serenade Sling
For Valentine’s Day, I always mix up a batch of Sweet Serenade Slings. This makes a perfect cocktail for your festive February 14th dinner.
Its refreshing, deceptively simple blend of gin, cherry liqueur, and freshly squeezed lemon juice makes for a pleasant prelude to your candlelit meal.
Ingredients
2 oz gin
1 oz cherry liqueur
1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 oz simple syrup
Club soda
Fresh cherries and lemon wheel for garnish
Instructions
1. Take a cocktail shaker and fill it with ice. Pour in the gin, cherry liqueur, lemon juice, and simple syrup.
2. Shake the cocktail vigorously for about 15 seconds or until it is thoroughly chilled.
3. Pour into a highball glass filled with ice and top with club soda.
4. Before you serve, add an embellished touch with fresh cherries and a wheel of lemon.
16. Whispering Whiskey Smash
The Whispering Whiskey Smash is a bourbon whiskey cocktail with lemon juice and fresh mint that makes for a refreshing drink with a not-so-common garnish and a Memphis-sweet profile. If you were to ask experts what bitters to use in this drink, they’d say none!
Ingredients
- 2 oz bourbon whiskey
- 1 oz fresh lemon juice
- 0.75 oz simple syrup
- 5-6 fresh mint leaves
- Lemon wheel and mint sprig for garnish
- Ice cubes
Instructions
1. In a cocktail shaker, gently crush the fresh mint leaves with the simple syrup.
2. Into the shaker, pour in the bourbon and the fresh lemon juice.
3. Add ice cubes to the shaker and shake it vigorously until the contents are well chilled.
4. Pour the combination into a chilled glass filled with ice, then add a wheel of lemon and a sprig of mint for garnish.
17. Be My Valentine Bellini
The Be My Valentine Bellini makes a festive addition to any February 14th celebration. It takes the classic Italian Prosecco cocktail in a charming new direction by first muddling fresh raspberries and lemon juice in each glass.
Then the cocktail is built by pouring in Prosecco and raspberry liqueur for a sweet, yet slightly tart, toast to your one and only.
Ingredients
1 cup fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 bottle Prosecco, chilled
1 ounce raspberry liqueur
Fresh raspberries, for garnish
Instructions
1. Puree fresh raspberries with sugar and lemon juice in a blender until smooth. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to separate the seeds from the liquid.
2. Add approximately 1 ounce of raspberry puree to each champagne flute.
3. Gently stir to combine, then top with chilled Prosecco.
4. Each glass should receive a splash of raspberry liqueur and be finished with a fresh raspberry for garnish. There you have it, in the moment, a delightful cocktail with an absolutely huge flavor profile.
18. Passionfruit Love Punch
The cocktail I made is called Passionfruit Love Punch. It’s a perfect drink for Valentine’s Day or any day when you want to serve something special with a bit of romance attached.
It has fresh passionfruit juice, lovely white rum, and bright pineapple juice. When you taste it, you almost don’t notice the lime juice and grenadine offering a refreshing twist.
Ingredients
Passionfruit juice (fresh or bottled)
White rum
Pineapple juice
Lime juice
Simple syrup
Grenadine
Fresh passionfruit (for garnish)
Instructions
1. In a cocktail shaker, mix together 2 ounces of passionfruit juice with
1.5 ounces of white rum. Follow this with 1 ounce of pineapple juice, 0.5 ounce of lime juice, 0.5 ounce of simple syrup, and a splash of grenadine.
2. Add ice to the shaker and shake it vigorously and well until the contents are thoroughly chilled; this will take approximately 15 to 20 seconds.
3. Pour the mixture into a glass filled with ice, then garnish with fresh passionfruit or slices thereof. And then, my friends, serve.
