4 Easy Valentine Cocktails To Set The Mood This February
Valentine's Day doesn't just have to be about flowers, chocolates and other well-trodden romantic gestures; with a bit of imagination, you can rekindle the spark with that special someone in a fresh way.
Why not try out these cocktail recipes inspired by the patron saint of love? They're sure to tickle your taste buds and make the evening all the more entertaining.
Thresh As A Daisy
Ingredients:
- 50ml Ciroc Red Fruit vodka
- 10ml Luxardo Maraschino
- 25ml Lemon juice
- 20ml William Fox Pineapple Syrup
- 20ml Free Range Egg White
- 3 Sweet Blackberries
- Ice
Your tongue will be tangoing with joy when you take a sip of this deliciously fresh, gloriously fruity cocktail. It's one of those Valentine's cocktails which will remind you that spring is on the way and that you'll soon be waving goodbye to the cold, dreary days of winter.
To make it, first muddle the blackberries in a cocktail shaker then add the Ciroc Red Fruit vodka, the Luxardo Maraschino and the lemon juice. Pop in a good handful of ice and shake all these ingredients for 10 seconds. Strain the contents of the shaker into a glass, get rid of the ice, then add the pineapple syrup and the white of 1 egg to the shaker. Give this a solid 10 to 20 seconds of shaking to combine the two and create a foam, then strain this through a fine sieve onto the glass to capture any of the shell that might have crept in by accident. Garnish the cocktail with nitro dried berries and pineapple chunks for a delightful final flourish.
Lovers Blush
Ingredients:
- 85ml Gordon's Pink Gin
- 15ml Dry Vermouth
- 3 Dried Cherries
- Twist of Lemon
- Ice
Providing a real hit of tartness, this is one of those valentines gin cocktails that's perfect for couples who're not too keen on sickly drinks. It's always better to save your sweetness for the conversation, after all.
Conjuring up this cocktail is also super simple, and you don't need to be a professional mixologist to get great results. First you need to grab your ice shaker, add a good number of cubes, then pour over theGordon's Pink Gin and dry vermouth in quick succession. There's no need to shake anything up this time; just let the ice do its work, stirring the mixture slowly for around a minute. All you need to do to finish up is strain it into a suitably stylish Martini glass and then top it off with the cherries, not forgetting to add a twist of lemon at the end to give it a hit of citrus.
Good Night Kiss
Ingredients:
- 1 Dash Angostura Bitters
- 125ml Veuve Cliquot Yellow Label Brut Champagne
- 30ml Campari
- 1 Sugar Cube
The night has to end some time, but before you slink upstairs together, why not kick back with one more of our easy valentines cocktails that features the most romantic and indulgent of all ingredients; our old friend Champagne. This is the kind of cocktail that you can imagine sipping on a Parisian boulevard with your lover by your side, so it's great to banish those February blues.
You don't even need a shaker to make this uncomplicated cocktail. Start by placing the sugar cube in the bottom of a champagne flute, if you have one to hand. Hit this with a dash of the bitters to create that compelling contrast of sweet and savoury that most cocktail connoisseurs love. Top it up with the champagne, perfectly chilled from the fridge, then finally add the Campari so that the liquid takes on a glorious rosy glow and seems to radiate and reflect the love and companionship that you feel for each other. A little stir with a cocktail spoon, or any handy piece of cutlery, will ensure that the ingredients are properly intermingled before you dive in.
Love Potion
Ingredients:
- 90ml Bombay Sapphire Gin
- 30ml Lime Juice
- 30ml Elderflower Liquor
- 150ml Rosé Champagne
- Ice
By brewing up a love potion cocktail for you and your partner, you're guaranteeing a night of romance like no other. The floral notes of the gin and the elderflower are counterpointed by the zing of the lime juice, making for a lip-smacking combination that will snap you out of any post-dinner slump. Then the rosé champagne livens things up even further with its bubbly composition and its rich, pink colouring. With a love potion like this, you're sure to get lucky this Valentine's Day.
You'll need your cocktail shaker again for this one, so give it a rinse and then add the Bombay Sapphire gin along with the lime juice and the elderflower to get all these flavours mingling. It's important to opt for good quality spirits, even if you're making a cocktail at home, since you will really taste the difference if you skimp on branded ingredients. Sling in some ice and give the whole thing a good shake for at least 10 seconds to get it nice and chilled. Using a strainer, empty the contents of the shaker into a large cocktail glass, then finally cap things off with the champagne and a couple of ice cubes, if you want to keep it cool while you sip.
Hopefully, these easy Valentines cocktails will inspire you to get creative on February 14th this year. You don't need to break the bank or take up your whole evening to push the boat out with such simple recipes on your side. When love is in the air and you're gazing at your partner over the rim of a cocktail glass, the world will seem like a much nicer place.