A Whole Lotta Love: 26 Valentine's Day Cocktails

By David Klemt Feb 8, 2018 5:00pm

Whether your guests are celebrating Valentine’s, Galentine’s, Palentine’s or Anti-Valentine’s Day, Wednesday of next week is a big bar and restaurant day. There’s a lot of pressure on those celebrating February 14, but there’s even more pressure on operators to execute a flawless Valentine’s Day.

Well, we’re here to help alleviate some of that pressure.

Read this: This Valentine’s Day Bar Promotion Sets Guests’ Hearts Aflutter

Below you’ll find over two dozen cocktail recipes that run the gamut of base ingredients: gin, vodka, tequila, whiskey… There are recipes here for every type of bar, restaurant and guest. You have enough on your plate making sure your guests have the perfect evening—you shouldn’t have to worry about your Valentine’s Day menu.

Cheers!

Love, Stella

Recipe and image courtesy of Stella Rosa

Stella Rosa Rosso
Blood orange slices
Rosemary sprig to garnish

Add blood orange slices to a glass of ice. Fill with Stella Rosa Rosso and garnish with a rosemary sprig.

Brockmans Gin Purple Spring cocktail - 26 Valentine's Day Cocktails

Brockmans Purple Spring

Recipe and image courtesy of Brockmans Gin

1 oz. Brockmans Gin
0.75 oz. Beetroot juice
4 oz. Wild berry cider
Thin slice of dehydrated beetroot to garnish
Edible flowers to garnish

Combine Brockmans Gin and beetroot juice in a shaker with ice. Strain into a stemmed Copa glass (bowl glass) filled with ice. Top with wild berry cider and give it a gentle stir. Garnish with a very thin slice of dehydrated beetroot and edible flowers.

Brockmans Frosé

Recipe and image courtesy of Brockmans Gin

1 oz. Brockmans Gin
0.5 oz. Rose liqueur
1 Squeeze fresh lemon juice
2 oz. Sweet rosé wine
Crushed ice
Sugared or fresh rose petals to garnish

Combine Brockmans Gin, rose liqueur, lemon juice and rosé wine in a shaker with ice. Strain contents into a large stemmed wine glass filled with crushed ice. Alternatively, combine all ingredients in a blender with ice. Blend until the ice is crushed and scoop into a large stemmed wine glass. Garnish with sugared or fresh rose petals.

Forbidden Fruit

Recipe by Will Benedetto, cocktail curator, Parker & Quinn; Image from Parker & Quinn

2 oz. The Botanist Gin
1.5 oz. PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur
0.75 oz. Lemon
0.75 oz. Simple syrup
2-3 dashes Tiki bitters
Lemon peels to garnish (extra points for curling them into heart shapes

Recipe makes two servings. Mix all of the ingredients into a shaker and shake. Pour the liquid evenly into two glasses and serve with a fine lemon peel.

The Love Nest

Recipe and image courtesy of Absolut Vodka

2 parts Absolut Mandarin
4 parts Blood orange soda
Chili threads to garnish
Message hearts candy to garnish

Add ice to a highball and add vodka. Top with blood orange soda. Garnish with chili threads and message hearts candy.

Bubble Bouquet

Recipe and image courtesy of Absolut Vodka

1.5 parts Absolut Original
0.5 parts Simple syrup
1-2 drops Rose water
Champagne to top
Rose petals to garnish

Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into a flute and top with Champagne.

Love Buzz

Recipe and image courtesy of Absolut Vodka

1.5 parts Absolut Original
0.5 part Crème de cacao
1 part Raspberry puree
1 part Room-temperature espresso
Chocolate-raspberry tuile to garnish

Shake all ingredients and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a chocolate-raspberry tuile.

Swedish Airmail

Recipe from Lionfish Modern Coastal Cuisine; Image courtesy of Elyx Vodka

4 dashes Scrappy’s Lavender Bitters
1.5 oz. Absolut Elyx Vodka
0.75 oz. Fresh lemon juice
0.85 oz. Honey syrup
2.5 oz. Chandon Brut to top
Lemon spiral to garnish
Edible viola flower to garnish

Add all ingredients except for sparkling wine to a mixing tin. Add ice and shake vigorously. Add sparkling wine to mixing tin, double strain into Champagne flute, and garnish with lemon spiral and edible viola flower.

Nellie Blossom

Recipe from Blossom Cocktail Lounge; Image courtesy of Grey Goose Vodka

2 dashes Orange bitters
1.5 oz. Grey Goose Vodka
1 oz. Tazo Cherry Blossom Tea
0.5 oz. Pomegranate juice
0.5 oz. Fresh lemon juice
0.5 oz. Rose syrup (see note)
1 oz. Chandon Brut to top
Edible flower to garnish
Lemon peel to garnish

Add all ingredients except for sparkling wine into a mixing tin. Add ice and shake vigorously. Add sparkling wine to mixing tin and double strain into a Nick & Nora Martini coupe. Garnish with edible flower and lemon peel.

For the rose syrup:

Add 16 oz. water, 16 oz. sugar, 1 dozen rose petals and 1 teaspoon rose blossom water to a saucepan and heat on low for 20 minutes. Strain into a bottle or other clean container.

The Siren

Recipe by Ingi R. Sigurdsson; Image courtesy of Reyka Vodka

1.5 oz. Fresh lemon juice
1 oz. Simple syrup
1 oz. St-Germain
3 oz. Reyka Vodka
6 oz. Champagne
2 Cranberry juice ice cubes
2 Grapefruit juice cubes
2 Edible flower ice cubes

Combine all ingredients with ice except Champagne in a cocktail shaker. Shake, strain into Bordeaux or Burgundy wine glass with juice and flower ice cubes, top with Champagne, and serve.

For juice ice cubes:

Freeze juice from concentrate in 1x1 molds.

For flower ice cubes:

4 liters Water
24 oz. simple syrup
10 droppers Orange flower water
10 droppers Rose water
Sonia Orchid

Stir to combine all ingredients and freeze in 1x1 molds with Sonia Orchid.

Dragon Heart

Recipe by Josh Cameron, head bartender, Boulton & Watt; Image by Ryan Gleason

1.5 oz. Reyka Vodka
0.5 oz. Amaro Montenegro
0.75 oz. Hibiscus syrup
0.75 oz. Lemon
3 or 4 Blackberries
Mint sprig to garnish

Muddle the blackberries with the Montenegro before adding the remaining ingredients into a shaker. Shake well and double strain the liquid into a chalice or goblet over crushed ice. Garnish with mint and get ready to impress your valentine!

Red Tempest

Recipe and image courtesy of Crystal Head Vodka

1.5 oz. Crystal Head Vodka
0.5 oz. Amaretto
1 oz. Fresh orange juice
2 oz. Soda
0.5 oz. Monin Wildberry Purѐe
0.25 oz. Monin Exotic Citrus Syrup
2 Fresh rosemary sprigs (1 to build cocktail, 1 to garnish)
Blackberries to garnish

Stir Crystal Head, Monin Wildberry Purѐe, Amaretto, orange juice, and Monin Exotic Citrus in shaker until all ingredients have dissolved. Add ice and a sprig of rosemary to shaker. Shake well then strain into a cocktail glass with ice. Top with soda. Skewer blackberries on to a sprig of fresh rosemary for garnish.

Deep Love

Recipe courtesy of Midnights in Brooklyn, NY; Image courtesy of Bumbu

60mL Bumbu
30mL Blood orange purée
2 dashes Chocolate bitters
Blueberries to garnish
Belaire Rosé to top

Shake all ingredients except blueberries and Belaire Rosé together. Pour into a wine glass over crushed ice, layer with blueberries, and top with Belaire Rosé.

Rooibos Toddy

Image and recipe courtesy of FACUNDO Rum Collection

1 part FACUNDO EXIMO Rum
1.5 parts Hot rooibos tea
0.25 part Ginger syrup
0.25 part HUM Liqueur
Lemon wedge or wheel to garnish

Combine ingredients in a Hot Toddy Glass. Stir gently until syrups are properly diluted. Garnish with a lemon wedge or wheel.

HAVANA Café

Image and recipe courtesy of HAVANA CLUB Rum

2 parts Havana Club® Añejo Clásico Rum
0.25 parts Demerara sugar
0.75 parts MARTINI & ROSSI® Rosso vermouth
0.5 parts Cold brew coffee
Lemon twist to garnish

Stir all ingredients with plenty of ice until very cold. Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube.

Sailor Jerry Cherry

Recipe and image courtesy of Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum

1.5 parts Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum
3 parts Q Drinks Ginger Beer
1 Cherry to garnish
2 dashes Cherry bitters

Build Sailor Jerry and Q Ginger Beer over ice. Top with dashes of cherry bitters. Garnish with a cherry.

White Manhattan

Recipe and image courtesy of Hudson Whiskey

2 parts Hudson New York Corn Whiskey
1 part Lillet Blanc
3 dashes Orange bitters
Lemon peel to garnish

Stir ingredients 50 times with chunk ice to chill and dilute properly. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon peel.

Kiss Me, Cocoa

Recipe by Pamela Wiznitzer of Seamstress NYC; Image courtesy of Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur

1 oz. Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur
0.5 oz. Crème de cacao
1.5 oz. Woodford Reserve Bourbon
0.75 oz. Ancho Reyes
Cocoa powder to rim
Cayenne to rim
Sugar to rim

Pour over ice and garnish the rim of the glass with cocoa powder, cayenne and sugar.

Strawberry Mamie Taylor

Recipe by Giuseppe Gonzalez of Suffolk Arms in NYC; Image courtesy of Monkey Shoulder

2 parts Monkey Shoulder
0.5 parts Lemon juice
0.75 parts Ginger syrup
0.25 parts Strawberry puree

Shake ingredients, pour into glass and top with soda.

Jalisco Fashion

Recipe from Libre Mexican Cantina in Las Vegas; Image courtesy of Casamigos Tequila

2 dashes Scrappy’s Chocolate Bitters
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 oz. Casamigos Reposado Tequila
0.25 oz. Agave syrup
Orange peel to garnish

Add ingredients to a mixing glass with ice. Stir, then strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with an orange peel.

Smoke & Flowers

Recipe and image courtesy of Montelobos Mezcal

7.5 parts Montelobos Mezcal
2.5 parts St-Germain
5 parts Strawberry puree (wash strawberries and blend in a blender)
3.75 parts Lemon juice
2.5 parts Simple syrup
Strawberry slices to garnish
Lemon slices to garnish

Recipe makes five servings. Combine all ingredients in a pitcher and stir together vigorously. Add ice cubes when ready to serve. Garnish with strawberry and lemon slices.

Smoking Rose Paloma

Recipe by Ashley Conway; Image courtesy of Craft and Cocktails

5 oz. Q Drinks Grapefruit Soda
2 oz. Mezcal
0.75 oz. Fresh lime juice
0.5 oz. Rose simple syrup (see note)
Grapefruit slice to garnish
Rose petals to garnish

Place glass in freezer. Add all liquid ingredients except Q Drinks Grapefruit Soda into a shaker. Shake well to help dilute the cocktail a bit since the ice in the glass won’t melt as fast. Remove the glass from the freezer. Strain into the glass. Top with the Grapefruit Soda and stir. Garnish with grapefruit slice.

For the flower ice:

Fill a glass one-quarter of the way with water. Add rose petals. Prop on its side in the freezer, making sure it doesn’t spill. Let freeze completely before using. This is an optional step—if you are looking to make a drink ASAP (we all have those days), just add regular ice to the glass. But if you do take the time for this step, it makes one pretty cocktail!