If you're among the 89% of couples that celebrate Valentine's Day, you're likely looking for a new way to have fun this year. After all, everything needs to be perfectly romantic as February 14 approaches.
Valentine's Day cocktails are a great way to set a romantic mood and feel frisky. Here, we're going to talk about some delicious drinks that you can brew this year to get romance on tap.
Read on to learn how to make 12 Valentine's Day cocktails that will make your day- and night- both special and memorable.
1. Sparkling Champagne
If you're looking for an easy way to feel romantic this year, a nice bottle of champagne will do the trick. While it isn't a cocktail, per se, its bubbly sweetness is a great way to lift your spirits.
No preparation is necessary. All you need to do is pop the cork and enjoy!
Champagne is widely connected with romance for many reasons. It's exotic, fancy-looking, and screams 'luxury.'
There's also a scientific basis for the champagne-romance connection. It can help relax the blood vessels and get both men and women in the mood to connect both physically and emotionally. Combined with the giddiness that it gives you, it's perfect for Valentine's Day fun.
Imported wine from France or Italy is a nice way to take a staycation this Valentine's Day. It brings the romance of European drinks to your home... and you don't need to lift a finger. Sparkling Rosé has a unique pink color that sets the tone for romance as well.
2. Red Wine
Simple wine is yet another low-effort Valentine's Day drink. Though not a cocktail, it is another option that will get you excited for a romantic date.
Red wines like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir are synonymous with romance. If you want to splurge, you can get many amazing wine options.
Some of them even are even worth a few thousand dollars. This is far from necessary as a simple $30 bottle will taste bold and rich as well, but a more expensive bottle is something to consider if you've had a good year and want to amp up the romance.
Regardless of your budget or specific tastes, wine also opens up the opportunity for more romantic experiences. You and your partner can cut up some cheese that pairs perfectly with your selection. Linger and focus on the delicious flavors together.
This is also really fun if you have other couple friends that you want to invite over. Wine tastings are always a good idea, and they're even better on Valentine's Day.
3. The Lovebug Cocktail
Now that we've exhausted some simple pour-and-serve alcohol options, it's time to get into some great romantic cocktail recipes. The first is called the "Lovebug Cocktail," and it lives up to its name.
This drink is a twist on the classic Vodka/Cranberry. Pink and fruity cocktails are perfect for delicious Valentine's drinks. It's tasty and looks great in a cocktail glass to boot.
For one drink, gather:
- 1 ounce of vodka
- 3 ounces of white cranberry juice
- 2 ounces of lemon/lime soda or ginger ale
- 1 ounce of grenadine
If you want to make the drink red instead of pink, you can use red cranberry juice instead of white.
Fill your cup with ice and pour the four ingredients together. Shake them up a little bit. Serve the resulting cocktail immediately.
As you can see, this is an extremely simple recipe. It should only take about 3 minutes.
4. The Spiked Pink Lady
February 14 is usually a cold day, but you can still bring a little bit of summer fun to date night. This alcoholic twist on classic strawberry lemonade is for those who miss warm weather and want to bring some warmth to their table.
Bring in:
- 1+3/4 cups of vodka
- 8 cups of pink lemonade
- 1 cup of fresh or frozen strawberries (unsweetened)
- 4 cups of chilled lemon/lime soda
- A pinch of sugar
This will make 18 drinks overall. Divide the recipe by 18 unless you want to wind up with a lot of alcohol. Or don't - it freezes well and you can make it into a blended ice drink in the coming days!
This drink takes a little longer than others to prepare. This is because you will need to freeze your lemonade. Pour 4 cups of lemonade into ice cube trays and freeze them until they're solid.
Transfer the ice cubes to a punch bowl. Pour the vodka, strawberries, and the 4 remaining lemonade cups onto the ice. Stir the soda in slowly.
Mix this drink in with the frozen 4 cups of lemonade.
Serve immediately. You can add to the fun by moistening the rims of your 18 glasses and rolling them in sugar. This adds a sweet touch to a delicious drink.
5. Pink Señoritas
Another drink for lemonade lovers, a Pink Señorita is made with the following ingredients:
- 1 cup of tequila
- 1/2 cup of triple sec
- 2+1/4 cups of pink lemonade (still or sparkling- your choice)
- 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice
- 4 lemon slices
- 2 cups of ice
- Lemon wedge
- Coarse salt
This will get you 4 servings, so you and your partner can each have 2 deliciously fruity cocktails. It's a little more complex than the Spiked Pink Lady, but not by much. It will take about 10 minutes to make your 4 glasses.
Grab a glass and create a salt rim. Rub a lemon wedge on it and dip them into salt. It's that simple!
Then, you're going to add your pink lemonade, lemon juice, triple sec, tequila, and ice to each glass. Distribute the ingredients equally across the 4 servings.
Put a lemon slice on the rim of each glass and voila! You've got Valentine's Day cocktail perfection.
6. The Citrus Mezcal Cocktail
Mezcal is a somewhat similar liquor to tequila. The main difference is that the flavor is more complex. It's a little smoky and adds something unique to any cocktail you can think of.
This delicious liquor is perfect for Valentine's Day. It's the base of the Citrus Mezcal, one of our favorite simple cocktails.
Grab:
- 2 ounces of mezcal
- 1 ounce of rosé
- 4 ounces of grapefruit soda
- 1 ounce of fresh lime juice
- 3 sprigs of thyme
- Salt
- Grapefruit wedges
This will only make one glass, so you'll need to double the ingredients for 2 people.
Take out a shaker and pour in your mezcal, rosé, and lime juice. Shake it all up for 10 seconds. This drink is really fast to make once you gather all the ingredients, so you'll have more time to amp up the romance.
Create a salt rim for your cocktail glass, add ice, and pour the drink into it. Then top it off with the grapefruit soda to make the most of the flavors.
Add your thyme, grab a grapefruit slice for garnish, and enjoy!
7. Strawberry Pina Coladas
Want something blended, fruity, and somewhat like a smoothie? Strawberry Pina Coladas are a great choice.
This is a drink that requires a decent number of ingredients:
- 1/4 cup of alcoholic coconut cream
- 1 cup of pineapple juice
- 1 cup of ripe strawberries (chopped up)
- Crushed ice
- Whole strawberries
- Pineapple wedges
- Mint leaves (if desired)
Despite all these ingredients, making the drink is simple. Pour everything besides the whole strawberries, pineapple wedges, and mint into a blender. Blend until it's thick and fruity.
Your fresh fruit and mint leaves will be garnishes. Skewer them and serve.
8. Passionfruit Margaritas
Looking to shy away from the pink drinks? That's totally fine- there are tons of other delicious, fruity, romantic cocktails for Valentine's Day.
Passionfruit is sweet and lives up to its name. You're sure to have a passionate date when you make this fruity one-of-a-kind cocktail.
Plus, the recipe is pretty simple, so you won't need to spend a lot of time prepping. It only takes 10 minutes to make the perfect margarita.
To make four beverages, get:
- 1 cup of tequila
- 1/4 cup of orange-flavored liquor (any type is okay)
- 1 cup of passionfruit nectar
- 1 lime
- 2 teaspoons of superfine sugar
- A tiny pinch of salt
Put all of these ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Shake it well.
Then, pour the result into 4 martini glasses. Rub each rim with a lime wedge (made from 1/4 of the lime). Then squeeze the lime juice from one wedge into each drink.
Serve immediately.
9. Champagne Margaritas
Passionfruit margaritas are a great choice for those who love tequila. However, you also might enjoy a champagne alternative if you're feeling bubbly.
To make 6 servings, you'll need:
- 1 cup of silver tequila
- 1/2 cup of fresh-squeezed lime juice
- 1/4 cup of orange liquor (pick your favorite kind)
- Lime wedges
- Salt
Put all of the ingredients besides the lime wedges and salt into a large pitcher. Stir all of them together well.
Then, grab 6 champagne flutes and run lime wedges around the rims. Roll or dip them in salt. Divide the margaritas evenly between the flutes and put a lime wedge on each rim.
Like many recipes in this post, you'll notice that you're making more cocktails than you might need for 2 people. While 3 margaritas aren't out of the question for some people, it might be too much for others.
Either divide the recipe up with a calculator or make the full thing and save the leftovers. This will ensure that you get the most out of your ingredients.
10. V-Day Mimosas
Valentine's Day mimosas are simple 3-ingredient drinks with 10 minutes of prep time. To get 4 servings, you'll need:
- 1 bottle of chilled champagne
- Grenadine
- Strawberries cut into heart shapes
After cutting your betties, put 2-3 of them onto skewers. You'll need one skewer per glass.
Fill 4 champagne flutes with your champagne until they're 2/3 full. Add 1 tablespoon of grenadine to each.
Garnish your glass with strawberry skewers and serve.
11. Sex on the Beach
The name of this drink really says it all. Sex on the Beach is a great aphrodisiac. It's perfect for couples looking to get physical this Valentine's Day.
For one serving of the best SOTB, you'll need:
- 1+1/2 ounces of vodka
- 1 ounce of peach schnapps
- 2 ounces of orange juice
- 2 ounces of cranberry juice
- Ice
- An orange wedge
Fill up a glass with ice. You can use as much or as little as you want. It won't alter the recipe in any other way.
Add your alcohol servings and orange juice to it. Pour the cranberry juice on top.
Stick an orange wedge to garnish the drink and serve it immediately.
12. Chocolate Martini
If you prefer chocolate to fruit, that's A-OK. A chocolate martini is a perfect way for any chocoholic to get their buzz.
You'll need:
- 4 ounces of Baileys
- 4 ounces of chocolate liquor
- 4 ounces of vodka
- 3 tablespoons of chocolate syrup
- Ice
- Shaved chocolate
This will make 2 servings, so all you need to do is use one glass for you and another for your partner!
Pour 1 ounce of chocolate syrup onto a plate and dip the rim of your glass into it. Then drizzle the inside of each glass with the remaining 2 ounces of syrup. 1 ounce in each glass should be plenty.
You can then start making the drink itself. Add your vodka, Bailey's, and chocolate liquor to a cocktail shaker. Fill it with ice for 20 seconds to chill it. Then, divide the result between your 2 glasses.
Voila!
We all know that chocolate-covered strawberries are the most romantic (and sexy) food. You can pair your chocolate martini with some chocolate-dipped strawberries if you're looking for a good food/drink pairing.
Better yet, just share a bowl of plain fresh strawberries with your lover. The chocolate from the drink will bring out the best in the berries.
Start Making Valentine's Day Cocktails Today
Alcohol can be a natural aphrodisiac, but only if you set the mood with the best cocktails. Now that you know some ways to get romance on tap, it's time to start brewing Valentine's Day cocktails that you and your partner will love.
Liquorama offers hundreds of different alcohol varieties so that you can find the right base for your next favorite drink. We're excited to help you brew love this February, so contact us to learn more about Valentine's Day drinks and how to start making them.