Words by Simon Difford
Photography by Dan Malpass
Valentine's Day cocktail names tend to be as corny as the cards and due to strawberries being uncannily heart-shaped, many Valentine's cocktails have strawberries for a garnish. Handily, strawberries also impart the desired shade of red so they're often an ingredient if not a garnish. Rather than a dozen red roses on Valentine's, here are 20 cocktails to surprise your loved one with.
Angel Face
With: Gin, calvados, apricot brandy and chilled water.
We say: Rich apricot and apple with a backbone of botanical gin. Balanced rather than dry or sweet.
Colletti Royal
With: Tequila, triple sec, elderflower liqueur, blood orange juice, lime juice, orange bitters and rosé champagne.
We say: Sweet and sour and very fruity - like a good Valentine's date.
Dunderstruck
With: Jamaican rum, Campari, strawberry syrup, pineapple juice and absinthe.
We say: Fruity in every sense of the word - not to mention eatery with namesake dundery rum notes takes centre stage. (Flavours are somewhat reminiscent of a Reggae Rum Punch.)
Elle Loves
With: Light rum infused with vanilla, rosé wine, pineapple juice and grenadine syrup.
We say: Fruity, very slightly sweet and suitably pink in colour.
Flame of Love Martini
With: Vodka, fino sherry and orange peel.
We say: Bone dry but fresh and most definitely citrusy.
Honey Bee Mine
With: Light rum, honey, vanilla extract and brut champagne.
We say: Honey and vanilla laced with white rum and charged with champagne. Perfect for Valentine's Day.
Kiss
With: Gin, rouge aromatised wine, rosso vermouth and maraschino liqueur.
We say: Gin-forward with a kiss of aromatised wine and maraschino.
Love Heart
With: Vodka, parfait amour liqueur, strawberry liqueur and brut champagne.
We say: This lavender pink drink is everything you (or your partner) might want for a Valentine's tipple. It is the right colour, includes parfait amour liqueur (meaning perfect love) and the all-important champagne sparkle. Good luck.
Lovelight
With: Cognac/brandy, bitter red liqueur, sweet vermouth, cinnamon syrup and chocolate bitters.
We say: Reminiscent of a cognac-based Negroni with a hint of cinnamon spice.
Maiden's Blush
With: Gin, triple sec, grenadine syrup, lemon juice and chilled water.
We say: Pale pink, subtle and light.
Old Flame
With: Gin, triple sec, sweet vermouth, Campari and orange juice.
We say: Bittersweet, orchard fresh orange charged with gin.
P.S. I Love You
With: Irish cream liqueur, amaretto, golden rum, coffee liqueur and single cream.
We say: P.S. You'll love this creamy, slightly sweet desert cocktail.
Passion Fruit Martini
With: Passion fruit, vodka and passion fruit syrup.
We say: Simple but tasty, harnessing the flavour of passion fruit.
Rosé 75
With: Gin, raspberry syrup, lemon juice and rosé sparkling wine.
We say: Raspberry fruitiness, rosé sparkling wine and a coupe glass serve set this French 75 apart.
Rossini
With: Strawberries, strawberry liqueur and prosecco.
We say: Strawberries seem to complement prosecco even better than white peaches so perhaps order this in preference to a Bellini.
Sidecar Named Desire
With: Calvados, apple schnapps, lemon juice and sugar syrup.
We say: Take a classic Sidecar and add some love interest - apples!
Submarine Kiss
With: Crème Yvette liqueur, dry gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup and egg white.
We say: Looks stunning and gives the drinker the option to sip or swirl to mix the sweet liqueur base into the body of the drink.
Sweetheart
With: Vodka, rose petal liqueur, cranberry liqueur and lime juice.
We say: A floral riff on a classic Cosmopolitan. The quality of rose liqueur used makes or breaks this romantically themed cocktail.
Valentini
With: Strawberries, raspberry flavoured vodka, Benedictine, strawberry syrup, lemon juice and sugar syrup.
We say: A rich ripe strawberry and raspberry riff on the Porn Star Martini with lemon freshness and faint saffron.
Woo Woo
With: Vodka, peach 'schnapps' liqueur, cranberry juice and peach bitters.
We say: Fruity, dry cranberry laced with vodka and sweet peach liqueur. A quaffable cocktail from the 1980s.
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