I’m all about gift-giving on every holiday — whether it’s Christmas, Hanukkah, or Valentine’s Day. Yup, Valentine’s Day. Whether you’re giving a box of chocolate, a bouquet of roses, or a bottle of nice wine, it’s the thought that counts, right? This Valentine’s Day, we’re bringing you several delicious cocktails to make to celebrate V-day with your gal pals or SO… or by yourself. PLUS, some incredible booze-centric gifts. I’m especially loving Winston Flowers’ special boxes filled with a bottle of wine or champs and a gorgeous succulent! If you’re giving the gift of booze this Valentine’s, look no further than the recipes below!
Have a Heart Cocktail (For Two) from db Bistro Moderne
1.50 oz Greenhook American Dry gin
2.25 oz Kronan Swedish Punsch
2.25 oz Lime Juice
0.75 oz House Made Grenadine
Combine all ingredients in a shaker and shake. Strain into large carafe. In addition to carafe have to coupe glasses garnished with blood orange chips. Present to table and pour carafe into the two coupes table side.
Breeze of Roses from Beach Tavern
Ketel One Botanical Grapefruit & Rose
Lychee and Passion Fruit purées
Aperol
Chambord
Turmeric
Rose Petal Vodka
2-3 Organic Roses
2 Cups of Organic Pink and Red Rose Petals, fresh or dried (2-3 Roses)
2oz Vodka (or you can even try tequila on the rocks!)
Add rose petals to an ice tray and cover ½ way with distilled water. Freeze for a few hours. Remove the half frozen ice cubes from the freezer and fill the remaining with distilled water. This will allow your roses to be in the center of your ice cubes. Freeze overnight and add to your favorite beverages.
Strawberry Smash
2 oz. Casamigos Blanco Tequila
1 oz. Fresh lime juice
.5 oz. Sugar Cane syrup
2 Full strawberries
4 Basil leaves
2 Dashes peychauds bitter
Combine all ingredients into a tin shaker, muddle herbs and add ice. Shake vigorously for 8-10 seconds then fine strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a large basil leaf and 3 heart-shaped strawberry slices through skewer.
Cupid’s Crush
2 (12 oz.) bottles Smirnoff Spiked Sparkling Seltzer Rosé
16 oz. Grape Fruit Juice
Raspberries
Muddle raspberries in large wine glass and fill with ice. Combine Smirnoff Spiked Sparkling Seltzer Rosé, grape fruit juice and ice in pitcher and stir. Divide cocktail into wine glasses and enjoy!
Match Made in Haven
2 parts RumHaven
2 parts Pineapple Juice
2 parts Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice
Add all ingredients into an ice-filled Collins glass, stir to combine and chill. Garnish with pineapple or grapefruit.
The D’USSE Red Velvet
2 oz D’USSE Cognac
1.5 oz Crème de Cacao
.5 oz Simple Syrup
3-Fresh raspberries
3 Dashes Chocolate Molé Bitters
Glassware: Martini
Garnish: Fresh raspberries on a metal skewer
Muddle Raspberries and Simple Syrup in a shaker. Add D’USSE Cognac, Crème de Cacao and Bitters. Shake vigorously with Ice. Double strain into a chilled Coup Glass. Garnish with fresh raspberries on a skewer.
Knock Out Created by Sonny Verdini, Bar Mangaer, TRADE (Boston, MA)
1.5oz Proper Twelve Whiskey
1 cinnamon syrup
.75oz house made ginger liquor
.5oz lemon
3 dashes Angostura Bitters
Shake into a single rocks glass.
Garnished with a dehydrated cinnamon sugar and lemon wheel.
MOËT ROSE GLOW created by Patrick Ta
1oz Muddled Strawberries
1 oz Vodka
½ oz Pinot Noir
4oz Moët & Chandon Rosé Impérial
Stir and garnish with fresh strawberries.
Apple of My Eye by db Bistro Moderne
1.00 oz Calvados Ménorval
2.00 oz Henriques & Henriques Rainwater Madeira 3yr
0.50 oz Honey Syrup
3 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and stir. Serve straight up in a coupe glass. Garnish with and apple slice and cinnamon stick.
Rose Tanqueray & Fever-Tree
1 1/4 oz. Tanqueray London Dry
1/2 tsp. Rose Water
Fever-Tree Elderflower Tonic (to fill)
Build Tanqueray London Dry, rose water and Fever-Tree Elderflower Tonic over ice in a coupe glass. Stir and garnish with rose petals, raspberries and strawberries.
Beet Me Up By Carlos Ruiz
1 1/4 oz. Johnnie Walker Black Label
1/2 oz. Dry Vermouth
1/4 oz. Beet Juice
1/2 oz. Lime
1/2 oz. Simple Syrup
2 oz. Club Soda
In a cocktail shaker combine all ingredients except club soda. Shake with ice and double strain into rocks glass filled with one 2×2 ice cube. Top off with club and garnish.
Lady Kombucha Cooler
1½ ounces Ketel One Botanical Cucumber & Mint
1 lemon wedge, squeezed and juiced
3 ounces Health-Ade Pink Lady Apple Kombucha
Garnish with 1 thin slice apple and 1 lemon twist
Veuve Clicquot Rich in Love
5-6 large ice cubes
1-2 slices of grapefruit
1-2 sprigs of rosemary
Veuve Clicquot Rich Rosé Champagne
Place 5 ice cubes in a large wine glass, add slices of grapefruit, top with Veuve Clicquot Rich Rosé, and finish with sprigs of fresh rosemary.
Gloria
0.5 oz St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur
0.25 oz Suze
Top off with cold dry champagne
Spray St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur + Frankinsence essential oil
Serve in a coupette
Garnish with a dehydrated lemon wheel + gold dust.
Jasmine Kiss
1.5 oz. Bombay Sapphire
¾ oz. Combier triple sec
½ oz. Martini & Rossi Riserva Speciale Bitter
¾ oz. lemon juice
½ oz. simple syrup
Shake and double strain into a Large Coupe glass. Garnish with edible pansy flower.
St Germaine Kombucha Spritzer
1 bottle Health-Ade Pomegranate Kombucha, chilled
12 ounces Brut Sparkling Wine, chilled
2 ounces Pomegranate Juice, chilled
2 ounces St. Germaine Liqueur
Pomegranate seeds/pariels, optional for garnish
Ice
In a pitcher, combine the Health-Ade Pomegranate Kombucha, sparkling wine, St. Germaine, and pomegranate juice. Gently stir the drink and adjust the flavors as necessary to suit your taste. Add in pomegranate seeds to the mixture and allow to float on top. Fill four glasses with ice, and pour the cocktail over the top. Garnish with additional pomegranate seeds and edible flowers for fun. Serve immediately.
Casamigos Hearts On Fire
2 oz. Casamigos Blanco Tequila
1 oz. Blood orange juice
1 oz. Fresh lime juice
.5 oz. Simple syrup
2 Dashes of firewater bitters OR 3-4 slices of a serrano pepper
Rim of salt / sugar / tijan or chipotle mixture (equal parts)
Add all ingredients into a tin shaker, muddle the fruit and add ice. Shake vigorously for 8-10 seconds then fine strain into a rocks glass. Add fresh ice and garnish with heart-shaped cutout of a blood orange peel and place on top of the cocktail.
Valentini
2 oz. Rosa Regale
½ oz. Tequila
1 tsp. Unsweetened chocolate powder
½ oz. Maple Syrup
2 oz. Almond Milk
Marshmallow
Red sugar
In a cocktail shaker combine tequila, unsweetened chocolate powder, maple syrup and almond milk. Add ice and quickly shake. Pour contents into a martini glass and add Rosa Regale. Garnish with a marshmallow and add some red sugar to the martini glass rim to garnish.
Cherry Royale
1 oz Stillhouse Spiced Cherry
.5 oz Creme de Cassis
Fill with prosecco until desired fullness. Served in flute with cherry garnish.
Strawberry Fields
2 parts Martini & Rossi Bitter Liqueur
1 part Bombay Sapphire Gun
¼ part Lemon Juice
4 strawberries
Orange soda or Lemon soda
Muddle strawberries and combine all ingredients (except soda) into a Boston shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a Collins glass with fresh ice. Top with soda and garnish with sliced strawberries.
Brockmans Forbidden Fruit
1 oz Brockmans Gin
1 oz grapefruit juice
½ oz lime juice
¾ oz simple syrup
5-6 mint leaves
Prosecco
Combine all ingredients, ice and 5 mint leaves in a shaker. Hard shake and double strain into a chilled coupe glass and top with Prosecco. Garnish with a twist of grapefruit zest and a mint leaf or sprig of mint.
Moët French Kiss
1 oz Muddled Strawberries
1 oz Vodka
½ oz Pinot Noir
4 oz Moët Impérial Rosé
Stir and garnish with a fresh strawberry
Pucker Up
4 ounces Barefoot Pink Moscato
1 1/2 ounces Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice
1/2 ounce Cranberry Juice
1/4 ounce Lime Juice
1/4 ounce Simple Syrup
Lime Wedge Garnish
Combine all liquids in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake until chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.
BEE MINE Crafted by Una Green Goldman, National Brand Ambassador, Aberfeldy
2 oz. Aberfeldy 12 Year Old infused with Cacao Nibs
1 Shot of Espresso
½ oz. Salted Wildflower Honey Syrup
Infuse the Aberfeldy 12 with cacao nibs overnight. After 24 hours, strain the liquid. To make the honey syrup, mix 2 parts honey to 1 part water then add two large pinches of sea salt to the syrup. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake long and hard, and finely strain. Serve the cocktail in a coupe glass.
Valentine’s Day Moscow Mule
1.5 oz Vodka
1 oz Stirrings Authentic Grenadine
3 oz Ginger Beer
In a copper mugs (or regular rocks glass) add vodka and grenadine. Stir gently with spoon or straw. Top off with Ginger Beer and Enjoy!
Love at First Sip Mimosa
2 Parts Beefeater Pink
1 Part mixed berry puree
3 Parts sparkling wine
Garnish with Orange Twist
Tootsie Created by Kenneth McCoy, Chief Creative Office of Public House Collective (The Rum House, Ward III)
.75 oz Heaven Hill Bourbon
.75 oz Old Overholt Rye
.5 oz Lemon Hart Spiced
.5 oz Giffard Apricot
.25 oz Demerara Syrup
.5 oz Pineapple Juice
1 dash Scrappy’s Chocolate Bitters
bar spoon Green Chartreuse
Shake with ice; double strain into chilled rocks glass over large cube; bar spoon of Green Chartreuse over cube.
Basil Hayden’s® Spiced Honey Ginger by TJ Vong (Denver, CO)
1½ parts Basil Hayden’s® Bourbon
½ part Ginger Liqueur
¾ parts Lemon Juice
½ part Honey Simple Syrup*
3 to 4 dashes Bittercube Jamaican® #2 Bitters or Hibiscus Bitters
1 Lemon Peel (for garnish)
1 Rosemary Sprig (for garnish)
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and double strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a long, thin lemon peel wrapped around a sprig of rosemary.
Tito’s HeartBeet
1 ½ oz beet infused Tito’s Handmade Vodka
1 oz pineapple juice
3 oz ginger ale
Add all ingredients to a rocks glass over ice. Enjoy!
A Rose By Any Other Name
35 mls Rose and Almond Infused Grey Goose Vodka*
10 mls Crème de Cacoa Blanc
10 mls Rose Liqueur
Rose Champagne or Prosecco
Infuse 1 bottle with 4 large tablespoons of dried rose pedals. Add in 8 drops of organic almond essence. Strain the rose pedals after 1-2 days or to taste. Stir the Vodka and the crème de cacoa, rose liqueur and vodka. Strain into a flute and top with champagne.
Love Buzz
1.5 Parts Absolut Original
.5 Parts Crème de Cacao
1 Part Raspberry Puree
1 Part Room-temperature Espresso
Shake all ingredients and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a chocolate-raspberry tuille
Femme Fizz by Andrea Correale, founder and president of Elegant Affairs
1 oz. vodka
1 oz. St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
2 oz. watermelon juice
6 mint leaves
½ oz. agave nectar
1 lime wheel for garnish
Splash of seltzer
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and the ingredients, cover, and shake well for 10 seconds. Pour into a martini glass, then splash with seltzer and garnish with a lime wheel.
Valentini
2 oz. Rosa Regale
1⁄2 oz. Tequila
1 tsp. Unsweetened chocolate powder
1⁄2 oz. Maple Syrup
2 oz. Almond Milk
Marshmallow
Red sugar
In a cocktail shaker combine tequila, unsweetened chocolate powder, maple syrup and almond milk. Add ice and quickly shake. Pour contents into a martini glass and add Rosa Regale. Garnish with a marshmallow and add some red sugar to the martini glass rim to garnish.
NOLET’S Silver Rose Gimlet
1 oz. NOLET’S Silver Gin
1 oz. Fresh Lemonade
.5 oz. Elderflower Liqueur
.5 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
Rose Petals
Add ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a Martini glass. Garnish with rose petals.
Sweet Naïveté
1.5 oz Patrón Silver
.5 oz Fresh lemon juice
.5 oz St. Vincent Orgeat
1 Medium-sized strawberry, cubed
Add all ingredients to a mixing tin and shake. Pour into a rocks glass with crushed or cubed ice. Garnish with a cinnamon sugar rim with a 10:1 ratio, a strawberry or a spiral lemon twist.
MAI KIND OF GUY
½ oz. Don Papa Rum
½ oz. fresh lime juice
½ oz. orgeat syrup
1 oz. mango nectar
Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with 2 cups of crushed ice. Shake well. Pour everything (do not strain) into glass. Garnish with a lime shell sunk into the ice and a sprig of fresh mint.
Kim Crawford Cupid
3 oz Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc
¾ oz grapefruit juice
1 Tbsp simple syrup
Sparkling water
Ice
Crème de Cassis
Sage leaves and grapefruit for garnish
Mix Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, simple syrup and grapefruit juice in a shaker or mixing glass with ice. Strain over ice into serving glass and fill with sparkling water. Top with a splash of crème de cassis and garnish with sage leaves and grapefruit twist. Makes 1 cocktail.
RUFFINO Strawberry Sparkler
½ part sugar
½ part water
1 ripe strawberries
½ part basil leaves, torn
1/8 part lime juice
1 part Ruffino Sparkling Rosé, chilled
Basil leaves and strawberries, to garnish
In a small saucepan bring the sugar and water to a boil, cook 2 minutes. Crush the strawberries well with the bottom of a jar or your hands. Add the basil and strawberries to the hot sugar syrup, cover and let cool at least 30 mins. Strain the syrup and add the lime juice. Add 1 ounce of strawberry syrup to a coupe or wine glass. Top with Ruffino Sparkling Rosé. Garnish with basil leaves andsome sliced fresh strawberries if desired. TIPS: Strain and refrigerate the covered syrup up to 1 week. Try this breezy cocktail with raspberries or other seasonal soft fruit in place of the strawberries.
Casa Noble Noble Twist
1.5 oz Casa Noble Añejo Tequila
0.5 oz lemon juice
0.5 oz lime juice
0.25 oz green chartreuse
0.5 oz simple syrup
Lemon peel
Place all ingredients, except lemon peel, in glass; add ice and swizzle. Squeeze lemon peel; rub around rim and drop into glass.
I Heart Margarita (courtesy of Jose Cuervo)
1.5 oz Jose Cuervo Tradicional Reposado Tequila
.5 oz Hum botanical liqueur
.5 oz Yuzu juice
Lemon peel
Combined all ingredients, except lemon peel, into cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well. Strain into chilled cocktail glass. Rub lemon peel around rim. Garnish with lemon peel
Fallen Orchard (courtesy of 1800 Tequila)
2.oz 1800 Silver
.5 oz lime juice
3 slices of Granny Smith Apples
8 Fresh Cranberries
In a mixing tin, add Apple and Cranberries, Muddle until puree. Add remaining ingredients over ice and shake. Garnish with Apple slice & Fresh Cranberries.
Pink Lady Cocktail by Thumbtack Chef Niko Paranomous
1 shot of vodka
½ shot of peach schnapps
6 oz frozen pink lemonade concentrate
A splash of ginger ale
Lemon slices
Prepare pink lemonade by diluting with water per the instructions on container. In a glass 3/4 filled with ice, pour schnapps & vodka. Add lemonade and a splash of ginger ale, stir. Garnish with lemon slice if desired.
Rosé Fizz
1.5 oz. The Botanist Gin
.75 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
.75 oz. Honey Syrup
2 Rosemary Sprig
2 oz. Sparkling Rosé
Add The Botanist Gin, Honey Syrup and one Rosemary Sprig into a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake. Fine strain into a champagne glass. Top with Sparkling Rosé. Garnish with a rosemary sprig.
Chocolate Reckless Love Cocktail
2 oz semi-sweet chocolate
1/3 cup chocolate flavored sprinkles or hearts
1 cup dark chocolate ice cream
2 oz (1/4 cup) Koloa Coffee Rum
2 TBS dark cream de cacao
2 TBS vodka
Dark Chocolate, grated
In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips until smooth; checking and stirring every 15 seconds. Using the back of a teaspoon paint the rim of the glass with the melted chocolate and then dip liberally into the sprinkles. Refrigerate the glasses to chill until ready to serve. Remove ice cream from the freezer and allow to slightly soften for 5 minutes. In a blender, combine the ice cream, Koloa Coffee Rum, cream de cacao and vodka. Blend until creamy and smooth. Pour into prepared glasses; add chocolate shavings and serve immediately.
Kiss from A Rose cocktail from Katana
2 oz Aviation Gin
1/2 oz lime
1/2 oz St. Germaine
1/2 oz Pama Liqueur
Shake and strain into a champagne flute
Top with a rosè float
Garnish with a rose petal
ACME Spritz Available at ACME (NYC)
¾ oz. Cocchi Rosa
½ oz. Aperol
¾ oz. rose-infused pisco*
3 oz. lambrusco
Cucumber garnish
Glass: Bordeaux
Method: Stir Cocchi, Aperol, and pisco Top w/ sparkling rose while still in mixing glass Strain into a Bordeaux glass, over Kold Draft ice. Garnish: 3 cucumber wheels. *Rose Pisco: infuse 12g dried rose flowers into 1 bottle pisco for 20 minutes. Strain.
Unlikely Negroni available at Dante (NYC)
1 oz. Cabeza blanco tequila
¾ oz. Campari
¾ oz. Cocchi Torino
¼ oz. Kalani coconut liqueur
¼ oz. Giffard banana liqueur
1 barspoon of Pok Pok pineapple drinking vinegar
1 dropper of Thai chili tincture
Glassware: Nick & Nora
Garnish: 2 drops of sesame oil on top of a banana chip
The Garden Rose Available at Gitano Jungle Room (NYC)
1oz Codigo Rose
.75oz St Germain
.75oz Simple
.75oz Lemon
4 Shakes Rose Water
1 Muddled Strawberry
Shake and Strain into Coupe Glass. Top with Cava . Garnish: Mixed dried flowers.
The Sandman’s Serenade Created by Erik Andersson, Hendrick’s Gin Ambassador
1 ½ parts Hendrick’s Orbium Gin
¼ part maraschino liqueur
½ part yellow chartreuse
½ part honey syrup
¾ part lime juice
1 bar spoon white balsamic vinegar
1 dash rose water
Shake and fine strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with dried rose petals.
Kahlùa Espresso Martini
1 part Kahlùa
1 part Absolut
1 part Espresso
You’ll need an espresso machine and a shaker for this one, it sounds complicated but it’s just a matter of mixing booze with coffee. Shake the Kahlúa, Absolut Vodka and espresso together with plenty of ice Strain into a cocktail glass to get rid of all the small ice chips. Tip: Shake for 10 seconds for optimal frothiness.
Lone Star Sparkler Created by Charlotte Voisey, William Grant & Sons Director of Brand Advocacy
1 ½ oz Fistful of Bourbon
2 oz pear puree
¾ oz Ginger syrup
½ oz Lemon
2 oz Sparkling wine
Combine ingredients except sparkling wine and shake well Strain into a rocks glass over ice Top with sparkling wine Garnish with a star anise.
Baileys Mexican Hot Chocolate, created by food influencer Eva Kosmas Flores
1/4 cup Baileys Original Irish Cream Liqueur
1 1/2 cups whole milk or coconut milk
3 ounces dark chocolate chips
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup whipped cream
1 pinch chipotle pepper
Heat milk, chocolate chips, honey, cinnamon, cayenne, and vanilla over low heat, whisking until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is completely smooth. Remove from heat and stir in Baileys Original Irish Cream Liqueur. Evenly distribute the hot chocolate between two mugs. Top each serving with whipped cream, a pinch of chipotle pepper, and a drizzle of the chocolate sauce. Enjoy immediately!
Gingered Apple Sparkler by Brooklyn Crafted
1.5 oz. handcrafted Vodka
1.5 oz. sour apple liqueur
Splash of Angostura Bitters
4 oz. chilled Brooklyn Crafted Ginger Beer Mini, Lemon/Lime
1 maraschino cherry
Ice
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the vodka, liqueur and bitters; shake well. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Top with Brooklyn Crafted and the cherry.
Sparkling Punch
1 750-ml bottle chilled Santa Margherita Sparkling Rosé
3/4 cup limoncello
1 cup fresh raspberries, 1 cup quartered fresh strawberries, 1 medium lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed
In a large pitcher, combine the limoncello, raspberries and strawberries. Top with the chilled rosé champagne and stir in half of the lemon wheels. Pour into old-fashioned glass with ice. Place fruit in each glass and garnish with a lemon wheel, and be sure each glass contains fresh berries.
Grapefruit Gimlet
2 parts Grapefruit Juice
2 parts Chloe Pinot Grigio
1/4 part Lemon Juice
1 part Gin
Combine ingredients over ice in cocktail shaker. Shake and strain into glass. Garnish with lemon twist.
Chambord Martini
½ oz Chambord Liqueur
1½ oz vodka
2 oz pineapple juice
Raspberry or lemon twist to garnish
Handful of ice
Pour the Chambord, vodka and pineapple juice in a shaker. Add ice and shake like a tambourine. Strain into martini glass. Top with a raspberry. Or a lemon twist. As you like.
La Pinta Cupid’s Kiss
2 oz La Pinta Pomegranate Liquer
1 oz Clase Azul Plata Tequila
1½ oz Fresh Grapefruit Pellegrino Pomelo or Squirt
Pour all ingredients over ice in a glass.