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5 Swoon-Worthy Valentine's Day Cocktails

January 26, 2019

Instead of settling for a bottle of Champagne and flowers for your paramour this February 14th, why not try something more spirited? These simple Valentine's Day cocktails are not only easy to make—their tantalizing flavors are sure to impress your date.

So whether you venture out for a night on the town, hunker down for a cozy dinner pour deux at home, are celebrating a love to last the ages, or meeting up for your first Tinder date, these hand-crafted love potions are perfect for raising a toast to romance.

Pink Diamond

Opening a bottle of bubbly is perhaps a tad cliché when Valentine's Day rolls around, but a cocktail starring a generous dose of fizz is never truly out of place. Enter the Pink Diamond. It's a riff on the classic Diamond Fizz, which sees the classic London dry swapped out in favor of vibrant, fruity berry-flavored pink gin. Be sure to use a bottle of brut sparkling wine for this drink—it'll help create balance with the cocktail's sweeter elements.

Serves 2

3 oz pink gin
2 oz lemon juice
2 tsp superfine sugar (or 1 oz of simple syrup)
Brut sparkling wine
Sliced strawberries to garnish

Pop the first three ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well, then strain into a Collins glass. Top up with sparkling wine then finish the cocktail off with a few slices of fresh strawberry.

Cidre Royale

The Cidre Royale is a lovely aperitif to kick off the evening. Crème de cassis is a delectable French liqueur based on blackcurrants, but it can be a bit tricky to find. If you can't track down a bottle, pick up some crème de mûre, which is made from blackberries. In a pinch, Chambord is gorgeous in this drink as well.

Serves 2

2 oz crème de cassis or crème de mûre
2 oz calvados
Dry hard cider
Fresh berries

Pour the crème de cassis and the calvados into a chilled flute. Slowly add the dry cider so the contents of the glass mix. Garnish with fresh berries.

Passionfruit Mojito

This cocktail is packed with passion, passion fruit, that is. A little sweet and a little sour (and let's be fair, what romance isn't?), it's wonderfully fruity with a tropical twist—perfect for banishing the mid-winter blues. Fresh passionfruit is ideal when making this drink. That said, puree or even passionfruit juice is equally tasty.

Serves 2

Ice
4 oz white rum
2 limes, cut into wedges
2 tbsp sugar
Mint leaves
2 tbsp passionfruit puree
Soda water

Divide the lime, sugar, mint leaves, and passionfruit puree between two highball glasses. Gently muddle the ingredients until the mint is crushed and you've squeezed the juice from the limes. Fill the glass with ice then pour the 2 oz of rum into each glass. Top up with soda water and cap off the cocktail with a lime wedge.

Between the Sheets

If your sweetie isn't too keen on sweet, try serving up a Between the Sheets. This take on the classic Sidecar is mouthwateringly citrusy and strong to boot, a bright cocktail with a silky texture. It's a sexy partner for lighter fare and just as enticing on its own. Opt for a high-quality triple sec like Cointreau or Combier to really do this cocktail justice.

Serves 2

Ice
2 oz cognac
2 oz white rum
2 oz triple sec
½ oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
Orange peel to garnish

Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and give it a good few shakes. Strain into two chilled martini glasses and garnish with an orange peel.

Chocolate Chili Martini

What Valentine's Day menu is complete without a little chocolate? Both chilies and chocolate have a long-standing reputation as aphrodisiacs making them perfect partners for a Valentine's Day cocktail. This Chocolate Chili martini is a wonderful denouement to a romantic evening. Sip it while you savor a few chocolate-covered cherries or perhaps a truffle or two or enjoy it on its own. If you want to turn up the heat, add an extra helping of the chili liqueur to set your taste buds—and your night, alight.

Serves 2