Valentine’s Day is coming up fast. Love is in the air. You already know where you’re getting your roses, your chocolate, and your champagne.
That set-up is a little on the nose, don’t you think?
Sure, a lot of traditions we have for the 14th of February are inherently super cheesy, but that doesn’t mean you can’t mix things up a little. This year, try literally mixing things up by ditching the cliché bottle of bubbly for a sexier, more adventurous cocktail.
Rosé Spritz
Okay, maybe don’t throw your romantic bottles of bubbly out the window quite yet. Like champagne, a bottle of rosé might be a bit on the nose, but a rosé spritz is a clever way of incorporating this tasty wine into a flirtier, more interesting drink.
Instructions to make a rosé spritz:
- Simply combine half rosé with half something, well, spritzy. Club soda, sparkling water, or mineral water will all do the trick.
- Garnish with a strawberry and edible flowers, and you’ll have a drink that’s practically winking at you.
Red Lotus
Say it sweet, say it with an aphrodisiac. The red lotus is an eye-catching cocktail that’s as refreshing as it is enticing. Playing off a classic vodka cranberry, lychee (a natural aphrodisiac) is added, playing well with the other flavors in a new and interesting way.
Instructions to make a red lotus:
- Playing off a classic vodka cranberry, combine equal parts vodka and lychee liqueur with a splash of cranberry juice into an ice-filled shaker.
- Shake, and strain into an old fashioned glass with ice.
Rose Martini
Martinis are pretty flirty as is. To really spice things up for Valentine’s Day, just add roses. You’re left with a sweeter, more exciting take on a vodka martini that sends all the right signals.
Instructions to make a red lotus:
- Take 1 ½ ounces of vodka together with ¼ ounce rosewater, ¼ ounce lemon juice, and ¼ ounce simple syrup into a shaker.
- Shake with ice and strain into a regular martini glass, garnishing with edible rose petals.
Rose Petal Vodka
You can’t have Valentine’s Day without roses…right? There are, however, different ways of surprising your significant other with roses than simply buying a bouquet. One fantastic option is a rose petal vodka. This drink is so simple, it’s tough to even call it a cocktail. Nonetheless, the presentation is so visually pleasing that you’ll be hard pressed to not impress.
Instructions to make a rose petal vodka:
- Take your ice cube tray, fill only about halfway, and place in some rose petals. Put the tray in the freezer for a few hours before taking it out again and filling the rest with water.
- When you serve the vodka, use the rose petal ice cubes you’ve prepared. The visual of the petals frozen within the cubes of ice is striking, beautiful, and incredibly romantic.
- For an added bonus, use rose water for the ice cubes. This will give your vodka a slightly different taste as the ice slowly melts.
Love Potion #9
It’s all in the name. There are many takes on this classic romantic cocktail, but this creamy, strawberry flavored, frozen preparation is sweet enough for your Valentine’s Day sweetheart and looks so good it’ll make anyone’s mouth water.
Instructions to make Love Potion #9:
- Simply take a half cup of ice, a half cup of strawberries, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, an ounce of vodka, and a half ounce of crème de cacao into a blender and blend together until smooth.
- Pour into a chilled margarita glass and garnish with a strawberry. For an even more romantic touch, you can garnish the rim of the glass with chocolate.
Kentucky Kiss
Some of our partners are paired at the hip with their whiskey, and we’ve got a cocktail for them as well. The Kentucky kiss is a bourbon-based cocktail that champions some of the liquor’s classic tasting notes, specifically maple syrup and berries.
Instructions to make a Kentucky kiss:
- Take some strawberries, a half ounce of lemon juice and a half ounce of maple syrup into an old fashioned glass and muddle well.
- Add 2 ounces of bourbon and ice, stirring well.
- A splash of club soda and a strawberry garnish will give you a romantic bourbon based cocktail that looks as good as it tastes.
