Celebrate Valentine’s Day at Home with These Romantic Cocktails
Grab your mixology set and impress your loved ones with these recipes.
Erin Kunkel
Feast- hosted by Amanda Robson, Maui
You may be inclined to skip restaurants and bars this Valentine’s Day and and opt for a romantic night in. Pros: No need to make reservations, and plenty of social distance. Cons: But what will you drink?
We’re here to help. Snag some cute glasses and let the pros teach you how to create interactive, delicious drinks that are perfect for two or a Galentine’s Day group. Bonus points if you learn how to make fancy garnishes to become a cocktail master in your own kitchen.
Robert Collier, founder and maker of the California-based Ortolan Rosolio, uses his rose apéritif to showcase fun visual tricks. Collier describes Ortolan as “floral but surprising”—about 30 varieties of heirloom garden roses go into the rosolio—in that the apéritif can be used to make a variety of cocktails.
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“Ortolan changes colors when it meets citrus, so a fun party trick is squeezing some lime or lemon in it and watching it change colors as you swirl,” Collier says.
To make your Valentine’s Day drink-making more of an experience, set up a station with a bottle of the light pink Ortolan, slices of lemon, and cute cans of sparkling water for a fun experience of making rosolio cocktails together—or all the ingredients to make another kind of drink. (We’ve got plenty of ideas below.)
Planning an intimate gathering with a bunch of gals? We created our own cocktail (dubbed it The Galentine’s Day), designed for enjoying with your friends. A balanced, tart flavor profile comes from a tangy mix of pomegranate, lemon, and rosé. To make one serving, combine 2 oz. pomegranate juice, 1.5 oz. gin, and 0.5 oz. fresh-squeezed lemon in a mixer. Pour the mixture into a glass, add 3 oz. chilled sparkling rosé, top with club soda, and garnish with a lemon peel. To turn The Galentine’s Day into a punch, adjust the measurements by the number of guests and prepare in your favorite serving bowl.
Valentine’s Day is known for romance and spending time with loved ones. Bring out your bar cart and grab your mixology set to make these drinks that sure to impress your partner, or group of friends.
Ortolan and Soda
Ortolan Rosolio provides a modern take on the lost art of rosolios, rose-petal-based Italian liqueurs replaced with amaros in the early 20th century. Founder Robert Collier created the aperitif from different types of roses, resulting in a natural compound that turns the drink from amber to a light pink when combined with citrus. To best capture the flavors of Ortolan, keep the drink simple and light.
Strawberry Lavender Sour
This recipe was shared with us by Veso, created as an exclusive for Valentine’s Day. “The grapefruit and orange peel infused in Strawberry Solstice play really well with citrus juice. A splash of citrus creates something like an adult strawberry lemonade and the lavender syrup adds an amazing floral complexity to it,” said Chris Beyer, Veso’s CEO/Founder. “The lavender syrup helps the fruit flavors pop and adds an amazing floral component. The result tastes like the best adult strawberry lemonade you’ve ever had.”
Plum Rosewater Gin and Tonic
For the more experienced mixologist, try this fruity and floral cocktail. Cassie Winslow, founder of the blog Deco Tartelette and the author of Floral Libations, shares her version of a gin and tonic.
Pomegranate Fizzies
This is a super easy and fun drink that is perfect for matching a pink and red theme. Pomegranate fizzies can be made with or without alcohol.
Lychee Raspberry Cocktail
For a tropical twist, attempt this easy, three-ingredient cocktail to make in a pitcher to serve all night.
Blackberry Mint Moscow Mule
You can’t have a home bar night without a Moscow Mule. Ginger, lime juice, and sweet blackberry syrup give this traditional Moscow Mule a refreshingly fruity flair. Add an extra kick to this vodka-based cocktail with the addition of fresh mint and whole blackberries.
Pink Grapefruit and Chamomile Paloma
We love this cocktail for not only its floral notes and garnishes, but also its stunning pink hue. Cassie Winslow, founder of the blog Deco Tartelette and the author of Floral Libations, offers a refreshing and calming take on the Paloma.
The Brightside
For a booze-free drink, this cocktail is made with Optimist, an alcohol- and additive-free botanical drink. A bottle of Bright, used here, pairs ingredients like lemon, orange, jasmine, and fennel with cinnamon leaf and other ingredients to create a clean spirit that drinks similarly to vodka. The fresh pomegranate works to balance the spirit, and club soda offers a fizzy but liquor-free finish.
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