What will you be drinking this Valentine’s Day? Whether you’re celebrating with a loved one or enjoying Galentine’s Day with friends, a special drink will help to share the love. You could choose to pop the cork on a pretty pink rosé Champagne or sparkling wine.
But more of us than ever are now making cocktails at home – and it can be surprisingly easy to create a drink that looks and tastes show-stopping.
If you do enjoy mixing your own cocktails, rosy-hued drinks like the Cosmopolitan, French Martini and Clover Club (see below) are popular Valentine choices. Champagne cocktails also look the part.
Below we’ve rounded up a selection of our favourites. Most are twists on classics; some are super-simple to make; others take a little more prep time. But all of them will taste great in your glass – however you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day.
Valentine’s Day cocktails to make at home
Credit: Sarah Hogan
Classic Champagne Cocktail
One of the oldest cocktails, tracing its roots back to the mid-1800s, this simple mix is a decadent treat – plus it’s easy to make. Simply build the ingredients in the glass and stir gently to mix. No cocktail shaker required. Choose a Cognac such as Courvoisier VSOP Exclusif, which was specifically created for use in cocktails and has a smooth palate with flavours of apricot, plum, caramel and cocoa, mingling with ginger, cinnamon and vanilla spice. Don’t use vintage Champagne or exclusive cuvées in sparkling cocktails. The complexity of these prestige Champagnes will be lost in the mix, so choose a non-vintage (NV) brut style.
Glass: Champagne flute
Garnish: None
Method: Drop the sugar cube into a chilled Champagne flute and saturate it with the bitters. Add the Cognac. Top up the glass with Champagne, stir gently to mix and serve.
Ingredients: 20ml Cognac, 1 sugar cube, 2 or 3 dashes Angostura Bitters, Champagne to top
Clover Club
Invented at the Clover Club at the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia in the late 19th century, the Clover Club is a classic gin cocktail. Pink, frothy and fun, the Clover Club is essentially a fruity Martini with added body from the egg white. Our Valentine version is made with a raspberry gin to ramp up the fruity flavour. Try Manchester Gin Raspberry Infused or Caorunn Scottish Raspberry Gin. Vegans can use aquafaba (drained chickpea liquid) instead of egg white to produce the creamy top layer.
Glass: Coupe
Garnish: Lavender sprig
Method: Muddle the raspberries, sugar syrup and lemon juice together in the bottom of a shaker. Add all of the other ingredients and shake without ice (dry shake) to emulsify the egg white. Add cubed ice and shake again. Strain into a chilled coupe and garnish.
Ingredients: 50ml raspberry gin, 20ml extra dry vermouth, 20ml lemon juice, 10ml sugar syrup, 4 raspberries, 15g egg white (or aquafaba)
Elyx Spritz
This simple and refreshing twist on a Vodka Tonic uses rosé vermouth and elderflower to add floral notes and a pretty pink colour to the drink. I’d recommend using French vermouth Lillet Rosé – which also makes a delicious aperitif on its own over ice. This version is made with Absolut Elyx but you could also use any good quality premium vodka.
Glass: Highball
Garnish: Lemon wheels
Method: Fill a highball glass with ice. Add the vodka, vermouth and tonic. Stir gently to mix and garnish.
Ingredients: 30ml vodka, 30ml rosé vermouth, 200ml elderflower tonic
Espresso Martin
This twist on an Espresso Martini was created by Cognac house Rémy Martin using its Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal. Using Cognac instead of the traditional vodka, creates a richer taste that will appeal to Cognac and coffee lovers. Use freshly made hot espresso – the ice will cool it down instantly.
Glass: Martini or coupe
Garnish: Three coffee beans
Method: Put all of the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake well. Double strain into a chilled glass and garnish with the coffee beans.
Ingredients:…
Source : https://www.decanter.com/learn/valentines-day-cocktails-to-make-at-home-453284/
