Check Out Our Valentine's Day 2025 Cocktail & Drinks Roundup
Sip Lovingly: Check Out Our Valentine’s Day 2026 Cocktail & Drinks Roundup - Page 24
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and most folks have wisely placed their orders for gifts, flowers, and whatever dinner plans to express their fondness and affection. For this year’s Valentine’s Day, we’ve got a nice collection of cocktails, mocktails, and more for those in need of a beverage for the occasion.
I’ll level with you, I was supposed to put together a cocktail list for the Big Game, but life and my health issues got in the way. I figured I could more than make up for it with a Valentine’s Day cocktail and drinks roundup, including what I’ve gotten in the pitch list and seeing where it fits.
I don’t do much for the holiday, and I’ll probably just pour something neat to share a loving moment alone and with loved ones, something I feel many of us should embrace more, no matter the day. The pressures of big romantic gestures or over-the-top expressions of romance aren’t always needed or necessary. That said, if you know your partner is into some of this stuff, then you should really get on top of it.
I kept trying to come up with a cocktail that featured the typical colors of the day, and I just said, “to hell with all of that” and decided my Valentine’s Day drink would be the Bijou, an early 20th-century classic. Now, I’ve written about this cocktail before, but this is the first time I’ve made it using one of my favorite gins in Ford’s, the ultra-premium sweet vermouth Carpano Antica Formula, and green Chartreuse.
The recipe I’m featuring below is from Harry Johnson, the “father of professional bartending,” but do know there are modern tweaks out there. Play with your ratios, figure out your flavor. Always go heavier on the strongest flavor to tamp down the sweet and herbal notes.
Bijou
1 part gin
1 part green Chartreuse
1 part sweet vermouth
Dash orange bitters
Standard drinkware Cocktail glass
Standard garnish lemon twist
Served Straight up: chilled, without ice
Preparation Stir in mixing glass with ice and strain
If you’re spending a quiet night at home, I’ve got some adult beverage and mocktail ideas below that’ll do the trick. If you’re asking me, I think making a drink for your loved one can and should be an intimate and connecting experience. Hopefully, you’ll find something below that’ll deepen the connection or form a new one.
Happy Valentine’s Day to all. And, as always, sip safely, and sip surely.
—
Photo: Getty
Be Mine Cherry Sour
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Crown Royal Chocolate Flavored Whisky
1 oz Tart Cherry Juice
0.5 oz Lemon Juice
0.25 oz Simple Syrup
2 Dashes Cocktail Foamer (Optional)
Glass: Coupe Glass
Garnish: Shaved Chocolate
Directions: Add all ingredients into an ice-filled shaker. Shake until chilled and double strain into a coupe glass. Garnished with shaved chocolate.
Bourbon Kiss
Ingredients:
2 oz Jeptha Creed Four Grain Bourbon
2 dash Ne Oublie Black Walnut Bitters
2 dash chocolate bitters
¼ oz lemon juice
1 oz strawberry puree
Chocolate ganache
Strawberry
Instructions: Rim a coupe glass with chocolate ganache and chill. Meanwhile, add the remaining ingredients to a shaker tin, then add ice and shake well. Double strain the mixture into the chilled coupe glass and garnish with a strawberry.
Chelsea Handler’s Vodka Lemonade (Owl’s Brew)
Founded by Jennie Ripps and Maria Littlefield in 2013, Owl’s Brew combines teas, botanicals, and spirits for a fresh and tasty RTD (ready-to-drink) experience. Comedian Chelsea Handler partnered with the brand for a vodka lemonade RTD that we’ve yet to try but hope to do so soon. We hope to see more of Owl’s Brew in the future.
Learn more here.
Champagne Problems
Ingredients:
1 oz Kish SHINE Kumquat Rose & Ginger Apéritif
2-3 oz Champagne or Sparkling Wine of choice
0.5 oz Canton Ginger
0.5 oz Italicus
Directions:
Add all of your ingredients to a shaker, add ice and shake for 5 seconds.
Strain into a chilled coupe or sparkling glass and garnish with dried flowers.
Chocolate Swirl Martini
Ingredients:
2 oz Baileys Chocolate Liqueur
1 oz Ketel One Vodka
0.5 oz Simple Syrup
Foam Topping with Chocolate Swirl
0.5 cup Heavy Cream
1.5 tbsp Sugar
2 tbsp Chocolate Syrup or Melted Chocolate
Glass: Martini Glass
Garnish: Foam Topping with Chocolate Swirl
Directions: Add Baileys Chocolate Liqueur, Ketel One Vodka and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker. Shake and fine strain into a coupe or martini glass. Whip heavy cream and sugar to very soft peaks using a whisk. Pour over the cocktail, and top with three drops of chocolate syrup or melted chocolate. Run a toothpick through the dots to create chocolate hearts.
Cranberry Tequila Sour
Ingredients:
2 oz Loca Loka Blanco Tequila
1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1.5 oz Cranberry Juice or syrup
0.5 oz Simple Syrup
1 Egg White
Garnish: 3 Raspberry on a Pick
Directions: Add all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake. Then add ice and shake again. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with three raspberries on a pick.
Cupid’s Alexander
Ingredients:
1 oz DELEÓN Reposado
0.5 oz Crème de Cacao
0.25 oz Simple syrup
1 Dash Chocolate Bitters
1.5 oz Heavy whipping cream
Glass: Coupe Glass
Garnish: Chocolate Shavings
Directions: Add all ingredients into a shaker. Add ice and shake well. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with chocolate shavings.
Dance With The Devil
Ingredients:
2 parts Jim Beam Devil’s Cut
1 part dekuyper triple sec liqueur
1 part fresh lemon sour
1 part passion fruit juice
2 dashes tabasco sauce
Cherry
Directions:
Build drink in glass over large rock and stir until chilled well.
Elderflower Highball
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Johnnie Walker Black Label
1 oz elderflower cordial
3.5 oz soda water
Glass: Highball Glass
Garnish: Lemon Peel and Lemon Thyme or a Sprig of Mint
Directions: Add Johnnie Walker Black Label into an ice-filled highball glass. Add elderflower cordial and soda water and stir with a bar spoon. Garnish with a lemon peel, lemon thyme, or a sprig of mint, and serve.
Fluere Raspberry Collins
Ingredients:
2 oz Fluere Raspberry Blend
0.75 oz Simple Syrup
1 oz Lemon juice
Top with Soda Water
Garnish: 3 Raspberries
Directions: Add Fluere Raspberry, lemon juice, and simple syrup to a highball glass. Fill with ice, top with soda water, and stir gently. Garnish with a few fresh raspberries.
Guavalicious
Ingredients:
1½ oz Don Q Reserva 7 Rum
2oz Guava juice
⅓oz Fresh lime juice
1tsp Coco Lopez® Cream of Coconut
Method: Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain over ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with an edible flower and a piece of coconut shell.
Hottie Toddy
Ingredients:
1 1/3 oz Bulleit Rye
4-5 Cloves
1 Lemon Twist
¼ lemon juice
1 tsp demerara or fine brown sugar
Hot Water
Glass: Mug
Garnish: Lemon Twist & Cloves
Directions: Fill a mug with boiling water to warm it, then discard. Refill with fresh boiling water and stir in 1 bar spoon of demerara or fine brown sugar until dissolved. Add ¼ oz lemon juice along with a clove-studded lemon twist, stir gently, then finish with 1.3 oz Bulleit Rye or Bourbon and give a final stir.
Hurricane
Ingredients:
1 oz Oxbow Estate Barrel Aged Straight Rum
1 oz Oxbow Estate Small Batch White Rum
3/4 oz Fashionola Syrup
3/4 oz Fresh Lime Juice
Garnish: Umbrella and orange wheel and cherry on a pick
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin with ice. Shake until fully chilled, strain into hurricane glass with ice. Garnish with umbrella and orange wheel and cherry on a pick.
Lambrusco Punch
Ingredients (Serves 12):
25 fl oz Riunite Lambrusco, chilled
25 fl oz pomegranate juice
8.5 fl oz triple sec
25 fl oz vodka
1 whole orange
2 cups pomegranate seeds
1 cup granulated sugar
Prepare the Garnish:
Slice the orange into thin rounds, then quarters.
Place orange quarters and pomegranate seeds evenly in a large ice-cube tray.
Fill with water and freeze for 3–4 hours. Makes ~12 cubes.
Directions:
Make simple syrup: combine sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan over medium heat until dissolved. Let cool. Store in the fridge for up to 1 month.
In a large bowl, mix pomegranate juice, triple sec, vodka, and ¼ cup simple syrup. Chill at least 1 hour.
In a punch bowl, add the ice cubes with pomegranate seeds and orange, pour in the chilled mixture, and top with Riunite Lambrusco. Stir gently and serve.
Love At First Flight
Ingredients:
0.5 oz Oban 14-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
0.5 oz Orange Citrus Liqueur
0.5 oz Herbal Grappa Liqueur
0.5 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
Glass: Nick & Nora or Coupe glass
Garnish: Lemon Twist
Directions: Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a chilled Nick & Nora or Coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon peel and serve.
Matchatini
Ingredients
1.5 oz Seedlip Grove 42
2 oz Prepared Matcha
0.5 oz Honey Syrup
Glass: Coupe Glass
Garnish: Matcha dust
Directions: Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a dusting of matcha powder.
Non-Alcoholic Cosmopolitan
Ingredients:
2 oz Ritual Gin Alternative
0.5 oz Cranberry Juice
0.5 oz Lime Juice
0.25 oz Simple Syrup
Glass: Coupe Glass
Garnish: Lime wheel
Directions: Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake for 10-15 seconds. Strain into a coupe glass and garnish with a lime wheel.
NUVO French 75
Ingredients:
1 oz Gin
0.5 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
0.25 oz Simple Syrup
Top with NUVO Sparkling Liqueur
Garnish: Orange Twist
Directions: Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a flute and top with NUVO.
Orient Ember
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz Tequila Don Julio 1942
1 oz Tangerine Juice
⅓ oz Goji Berry Syrup
⅓ oz Thai Tea
Glass: Rocks Glass
Garnish: Candied plum spheres
Directions: Add ingredients into a strainer with ice and shake thoroughly. Strain over ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with candied plum spheres, then lightly mist vanilla over the drink.
Pretty In Pink
Courtesy of Bar Next Door)
1 muddled strawberry
1 oz Vodka
1 1/2 oz Baileys Strawberries & Cream
1/2 oz Amante
Garnish: Rose petals & rose essence mist
Pomegranate Martini
Ingredients:
2 oz Muff Irish Vodka
1 oz Pomegranate Liqueur
0.5 oz Triple Sec Liqueur
Garnish: Cherry on a Pick
Directions: Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a cherry on a pick.
Sealed Con Un Beso
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Buchanan’s Green Seal
0.5 oz Guava Syrup
0.5 oz Lemon Juice
Crushed Ice
Glass: Rocks glass
Garnish: Mint leaves or dehydrated lime wheel.
Directions: Shake Buchanan’s Green Seal, guava syrup, and lemon juice in cocktail shaker filled with ice. Pour over a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with mint leaves or a dehydrated lime wheel.
Silk Chiffon
1.5 oz Aviation American Gin
1 oz Luxardo Bianco
0.25 oz Pistachio Syrup
0.25 oz Honey
Garnished with a Rose Petal – because you deserve the drama.
Silver Leaf Paloma
Ingredients:
1.5 oz 1800 Cristalino
.25 oz Lime Juice
.50 oz Grapefruit Juice
.50 oz Simple Syrup
2 oz Sparkling Wine
Glass: Salt-Rimmed Coupe
Garnish: Silver Shimmer, Thyme Wrapped in Silver Foil, Grapefruit Peel
Directions: Add all ingredients except wine into a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a glass. Top with sparkling wine.
Spicy Dirty Martini
Ingredients:
2 parts Absolut Tabasco
¾ parts olive brine
Pinch of salt
Olive for garnish
Method:
Shake with ice and serve in a coupe glass with an olive on a pick
Strawberry Chocolate Milk
1 ½ oz Kōloa Kaua’i Cacao Rum
1 ½ C Homemade Strawberry Milk
Instructions: Shake ingredients with ice. Strain and serve cold.
Homemade Strawberry Milk
2 cups milk
½ C Strawberries
¼ C granulated Sugar
¼ C Water
Boil Strawberries, Sugar, and water for 10 mins or until cooked and fragrant. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain syrup into a small cup or bowl. Discard strawberries. Mix 3 tablespoons into very cold milk and add to taste.
Photographer: Vanessa Palmisano
Mixologist: Jennifer Bryant
Velvet White Espresso Martini
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Disaronno Velvet Liqueur
0.75 oz Vodka
0.75 oz Tia Maria Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur
Garnish: 3 Espresso Martini
Directions: Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass and garnish with three espresso beans.
Sip Lovingly: Check Out Our Valentine’s Day 2026 Cocktail & Drinks Roundup - Page 24 was originally published on cassiuslife.com
