Hey, we never turn down a bottle of wine, but this Valentine’s Day, we’re feeling a little extra. So whether you’re celebrating with your significant other, your besties, or your fur baby, here are five of our favorite cocktail recipes for your Valentine’s Day drink menu.
Bee’s Knees
(image via cookie and kate)
This classic gin cocktail is strong, refreshing, a little sweet, and requires few ingredients. Check out this recipe from Cookie and Kate.
Ingredients:
- ½ oz honey syrup (see step 1)
- 1 oz lemon juice
- 2 oz gin
- Lemon twist, for garnish
Instructions:
- To make the honey syrup, combine equal parts honey and water in a microwave-safe bowl or small saucepan. Warm until you can completely stir honey into the water. Set aside.
- Use a vegetable peeler or channel knife to peel off a strip(s) of zest for your twist.
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add honey syrup, lemon juice, and gin. Shake until the mixture is very cold, about 30 seconds.
- Strain into a coupe or martini glass. Twist the lemon peel over cocktail to release some of its oils, then drop it in. Enjoy while cold.
Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Shooters
(image via delish/brandon bales)
Chocolate and strawberries just belong together. If chocolate-covered strawberry shots are just what you need this Valentine’s Day, check out this recipe from Delish, which calls for chocolate liqueur and vodka.
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup chocolate chips, melted
- 3 oz strawberry milk
- 3 oz white chocolate liqueur
- 1 oz vodka
- 3 small strawberries, for garnish
Instructions:
- Place melted chocolate on a small shallow plate. Roll rims of shot glasses into chocolate to coat.
- Combine strawberry milk, chocolate liqueur, and vodka in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice and shake until cold, 30 seconds.
- Pour into prepared shot glasses. Garnish with a strawberry, and serve immediately.
Raspberry Pop Rock Margs
(image via freut cake)
This fruity margarita recipe from Freut Cake is served with a Pop Rocks rim, making it delicious and fun. If Pop Rocks aren’t your thing, you can nix them and still enjoy the cocktail!
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Chambord
- 2 oz blanco tequila
- 1-1½ oz fresh lime juice
- ½ tsp granulated sugar
- 5-6 fresh raspberries, plus more for garnish
- Lime wedges, for garnish
- Strawberry Pop Rocks candy
Instructions:
- Rim margarita glass with lime juice and dip in strawberry Pop Rocks.
- Add fresh raspberries and sugar; muddle well.
- Stir in Chambord, tequila, and lime juice.
- Fill with ice. Garnish with more raspberries and fresh lime wedges. Serve!
Triple Berry Pomegranate Martini (Love Potion #9)
(image via the cookie rookie)
If you’re looking for a real show-stopping cocktail to serve this Valentine’s Day, check out this recipe from The Cookie Rookie. The flavors of pomegranate, strawberry, and black raspberry combine to create a martini so fruity and smooth that your V-Day date will hardly notice the fresh strawberry hearts for garnish and dry ice!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup pomegranate juice
- 3 oz strawberry vodka
- 3 oz Chambord black raspberry liqueur
- 2 small chunks dry ice (optional)
- 2 strawberries cut into hearts, for garnish (optional)
Instructions:
- In a cocktail shaker, combine pomegranate juice, vodka, and Chambord. Shake to combine.
- Place 1 chunk of dry ice into bottom of each glass.
- Pour martini over dry ice.
- Garnish with skewered strawberry hearts, if desired.
- Wait 5-10 minutes for the dry ice to dissolve (and enjoy the fun show) before drinking.
Pink Squirrel
(image via the spruce eats/madhumita sathish kumar)
If you want to impress your date with your knowledge of history, then serve up this creamy throwback cocktail that was created during the 1940s and remained popular until the 1970s. Check out this recipe from The Spruce Eats.
Ingredients:
- ¾ oz Crème de Noyaux liqueur
- ¾ oz white crème de cacao liqueur
- 1½ oz heavy cream
- Freshly grated nutmeg, for garnish
Instructions:
- Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
- Shake well.
- Strain into chilled cocktail glass.
- Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.