5 Valentine’s Day Romantic and Unforgettable Cocktails Made with Love

It is almost time to start cooking your Valentine’s Day dinner, and you forgot the cocktail to wash it down. Whether it is a dinner for two or a party gathering for singles, a good cocktail will help complement any dish and keep the conversation flowing all night. Skip the champagne or wine bottle and create a signature cocktail made with love to celebrate love.

Choose the Perfect Valentine’s Cocktail

Before deciding on a signature cocktail for Valentine’s Day, consider the mood you are trying to set, the time, and what you are serving on the menu. You don’t want your drink to overpower the meal, but the cocktail’s flavor should enhance the food, or at least be cohesive with the meal and mood.

For example, if you are serving a steak dinner, a cocktail featuring red wine, like a Malbec, or a drink with bourbon to highlight the seasoning and charred taste of the meat. If you are not an expert on wine pairing, when in doubt, think pink, red, chocolate, and strawberry flavors and colors associated with Valentine’s Day.

Love Potion #9

If you’re trying to cast a love spell this Valentine’s Day, the perfect drink to serve is the Love Potion #9. The name alone is a reason to have this cocktail on the menu. The fruity taste and bright color will draw guests in, and once you tell them the name, it is sure to be a conversation starter. While crafting your new drink, listen to the song “Love Potion No.9” by The Searchers, the inspiration behind the drink.

Ingredients

• A cocktail shaker
• 2 oz of gin or vodka
• 1 oz lemon juice
• 1 oz of pomegranate juice
• 1 oz Chambord (black raspberry liqueur)
• Blackberries
• 1 oz simple syrup
• Dry ice is optional to add a smoky, mysterious potion look to the final presentation.

Directions

First, in your shaker, muddle about 3-4 blackberries until you see blackberry juice. To muddle your blackberries, press or smash them. Next, add regular ice to your shaker.

Now fill your shaker with the remaining ingredients: your gin or vodka, lemon juice, pomegranate juice, simple syrup, and Chambord. Shake the cocktail shaker for about 20-30 seconds, or until the outside of the shaker begins to frost and the drink is frothy.

Last strain your drink into a martini glass and drop your dry ice right before serving your guest.

Cosmopolitan

If you are on a tight time crunch, the perfect Valentine’s Day drink is a Cosmopolitan. The Cosmopolitan is a classic cocktail that requires only four ingredients. The cranberry juice adds color and a sweet, tart flavor that pairs well with the citrus notes of the triple sec. A Cosmo is a drink you can serve all year round, and you can switch up the ingredients and alter the flavor after you master the cocktail this Valentine’s Day.

Ingredients

• 3/4 oz cranberry juice
• 1 oz triple sec
• 2 oz vodka of your choice
• 3/4 oz fresh lime juice
• a fresh lime wedge 
• Cocktail shaker

Directions

Three easy steps and your Valentine’s Day cocktail is ready. First, fill your shaker halfway with ice. Add your cranberry juice, triple sec, vodka, and lime juice to your cocktail shaker. Shake for about ten seconds or until your drink is chilled.

Strain your drink, and make a small slice in the middle of your lime wedge. Place it on the rim, and now you have a Cosmopolitan ready to serve.

Flirtini

Need help flirting this Valentine’s Day? Make the Flirtini your signature drink. Flirtini is perfect and an ideal choice because it is light, bubbly, has limited ingredients, and just enough of a kick to start flirting. Plus, if you are celebrating or making a big announcement on February 14, the Flirtini has champagne, perfect for a toast.

Ingredients

1 oz pineapple juice
1.5 oz vodka
1.5 oz champagne chilled
Cocktail shaker

Garnish

• Pineapple slice 
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• lemon slice
• A cherry

Directions

A Flirtini is made like you make a regular martini or most drinks. First, add your ice to your cocktail shaker halfway, then add your pineapple juice, vodka, and champagne. Shake your shaker for about 20 seconds or until your drink is chilled.

To decorate your glass, rub the lemon slice around the rim, then dip it in your sugar. Make a small cut in your fruit, then place your pineapple slice and cherry on the rim of the glass.

Chocolate Martini

A drink trend this Valentine’s Day is a dessert drink, and in honor of Valentine’s Day, you have to consider a Chocolate Martini as an after-dinner drink. The Chocolate Martini is a creamy drink full of rich chocolate flavor. The taste is similar to a melted chocolate bar with a shot of vodka.

Ingredients

• 2 oz Irish cream, preferably Baileys
• 1 oz vodka
• 1 oz chocolate liqueur, or creme de cacao
• chocolate syrup
• 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and cocoa powder

Directions

First, start by decorating your glass with chocolate syrup, drizzling it around the glass. Next, add some extra chocolate syrup and dip the rim of the glass in it. Mix your cocoa powder and brown sugar together, then dip your glass in the brown sugar mix.

To start your drink again, place ice in your cocktail shaker and fill it halfway. Add your Chocolate Martinis ingredients into the shaker and shake until the cocktail shaker is cold, about 15-20 seconds.

Frozen Strawberry Margarita

If you are unsure of your Valentine’s Day date cocktail preference, or serving multiple guests, choose a Strawberry Margarita. A Strawberry Margarita is a fruity yet straightforward drink that pairs well with any meal. It can literally be made with the push of a button and made in large batches if needed.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup of Frozen strawberries (Frozen will help with the texture)
• 1.5 oz Tequila
• 1/2 oz Cointreau
• 1 oz Fresh lime juice
• 1/4 oz simple syrup
• Ice cubes
• Lime wedge
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• Sugar or salt rim is optional
• Blender

Directions

Place your frozen strawberries, tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, simple syrup, and sugar into a blender. Blend until smooth. Add ice cubes to the blender and blend for an additional 20 seconds or until the consistency you like.

Serve Smart, Sip Responsibly

Last and most important, think about the person you are serving, their tolerance, and their final plans for the night. Always remember to drink and serve alcohol responsibly. If the night isn’t ending with a nightcap, be cautious about over-serving guests, or you may have to babysit an annoying, incompatible date.