Valentine’s Day is right around the corner – and with it bringing romance, reds, pinks, hearts, and occasional self-loathing. Here are some boozy (and non-boozy!) drinks to help woo your date, Galentine’s pals, dog (don’t give your dog cocktails), or yo’ beautiful self.
Sex In The Driveway (courtesy of Mix That Drink) Ingredients:
- 1 ounce peach schnapps
- 1 ounce blue curaçao
- 2 ounces vodka (or white rum)
- Sprite
Directions: Put crushed ice in a highball glass and pour in the ingredients, in order, ending by topping it off with Sprite. Stir and serve with a straw. Garnish with a lemon wheel.
Trouble Maker (courtesy of Whiskey Blue)
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz. Belvedere Vodka
- 1 oz. Bonal
- 3/4 oz. simple syrup
- 3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
- 4 slices of english cucumber and 2 strawberries muddled
Directions: Shake and pour in collins glass. Float soda and garnish.
Heart Throb (courtesy of Ruffino)
Ingredients:
- 1 oz. Vodka
- 3/4 oz. Lemon Juice
- 3/4 oz. Pear Nectar
- 1/2 oz. Simple Syrup
- Top with Ruffino Sparkling rosé
- Garnish with sprigs of thyme
Directions: Shake all ingredients except rosé and strain into a highball glass with some ice.
Redhead in Bed (courtesy of Food & Wine) Ingredients:
- 3 pounds strawberries, hulled and coarsely chopped
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons citrus vodka
- 1/4 cup freshly-squeezed lime juice
- Ice
- 1/3 cup chilled Riesling
Directions: In a bowl, toss the strawberries with the sugar and let stand, stirring occasionally, until the strawberries release their juices, about 10 minutes. In a blender, combine half each of the strawberries and their juices, the vodka, and lime juice with 1 cup of ice and puree. Pour into a pitcher. Repeat with the remaining strawberries and juices, vodka, and lime juice and 1 more cup of ice. Fill 10 collins glasses halfway with ice. Pour the cocktail into the glasses, top each with about 1/2 tablespoon of Riesling and serve. Yields 10.
Sparkling Bourbon (courtesy of Rich Table)
Ingredients:
- 1/2 ounce bourbon, such as Knob Creek
- 4 ounces sparkling wine, such as a Cava
- 2 dashes Bittercube Jamaican #2 Bitters
- 1 dash orange bitters
- 1 demerara sugar cube
- 1 orange twist
Directions: Place sugar cube in a Champagne flute or white wine glass. Add 2 dashes of Jamaican bitters and 1 dash of orange bitters. Pour bourbon into glass and top with sparkling wine. Garnish with orange twist. Serve immediately.
Sparkling Pomegranate (courtesy of Popsugar) Ingredients:
- 2 ounces pomegranate liqueur, such as Pama
- Brut Champagne or dry sparkling wine, chilled
- 2 strips of lemon peel, for garnish
Directions: Add 1 ounce pomegranate liqueur to each champagne flute; top off with sparkling wine, and stir gently until the liqueur is evenly distributed. Twist the lemon peels over each flute so as to spritz the glasses with lemon oil, and add the twists as garnish.
Cerise Light (courtesy of James Moreland)
Ingredients:
- 1 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin
- 2-3 oz Pomegranate juice
- 2 oz Brut champagne
Directions: Add the gin and the pomegranate juice to a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled flute or small coupe. Top with the champagne.
Romeo & Juliet (courtesy of Stephen Phillips)
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz. Patron Silver tequila
- 1/2 oz. Grand Marnier
- 1/4 oz. cherry or Chambord raspberry liquor
- 2 oz. chilled peach juice
- 3 maraschino cherries, garnish
- Orange spiral, garnish
Directions: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice; add tequila (or Absolut Apeach), Grand Marnier, cherry liquor and peach juice. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds and pour into a chilled fluted glass or large martini glass. Place orange spiral on the lip of the glass so it drapes down the side.
Shirley Temple (courtesy of Michael Kraus – non-alcoholic!) Ingredients:
- Pop Rocks
- 4 Tbsp grenadine syrup
- 16 ounces ginger ale
- Maraschino cherry
Directions: Rim glass with pink Pop Rocks. Add grenadine syrup to ginger ale. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.
Sparkling Sangria (courtesy of Michael Kraus – non-alcoholic!) Ingredients:
- Sliced apples, strawberries, oranges and frozen grapes
- Sparkling grape juice
- Candy fruit gel slice (optional)
Directions: Add sliced apples, strawberries, oranges and frozen grapes to sparkling grape juice. Garnish with a candy fruit gel slice.