Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to create a romantic setting and toast your relationship. However, with red wine listed on every menu, why not explore new, mouthwatering cocktails that are guaranteed to arouse your mate? If you aren’t an expert mixtologist, have no fear because we’ve got the tantalizing recipes that incorporate aphrodisiacs, champagne, and absinthe. Impress your lover with these seductive concoctions that will lead to an unforgettable night. Here are our picks for the best Valentine’s Day cocktails.
Top Valentine’s Day Cocktail #1: Pear of Hearts
The Pear of Hearts, served in New York City’s Tenjune, will make the day of love sweeter than a box of chocolates. It’s no wonder that celebs, such as Lindsay Lohan and Diddy, enjoy visiting this downtown lounge. Perhaps this yummy number has something to do with it.
Ingredients
2 oz Belvedere Cytrus
1 oz Pear nectar
1 oz Pineapple juice
1 oz Pomegranate Grenadine
Directions
Add Grenadine to the bottom of a chilled cocktail glass. Shake spirits vigorously with ice. Strain carefully over top with a strawberry heart to garnish.
Top Valentine’s Day Cocktail #2: Red Hot Tart
Making last minute reservations to uber fabulous P*ong in Manhattan’s West Village may be out of the question, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add some elegance to your special evening. The Red Hot Tart contains ginger, a natural aphrodisiac favored by Europeans, as well as a popular cachaca from Brazil. You’ll get both sexy and classy in one glass!
Ingredients
2 oz Cabana Cachaça
1 oz Domaine de Canton
4 Cranberries
2 Tablespoons of hot red pepper jam
2 oz Blood orange juice
A pinch of salt
1 Teaspoon of egg white
Blood orange zest
Directions
Muddle cranberries with jam and blood orange juice. Add egg white, alcohol, and 1 cup of ice. Shake all ingredients vigorously and strain into a pre-chilled glass. Grate blood orange zest on top and serve.
Top Valentine’s Day Cocktail #3: Passion Potion
When it comes to preparing sensual cocktails, you can’t forget about adding some smooth tequila to keep drinkers relaxed and ready for action. While there are hundreds of tequila brands to choose from, we chose Agavero for preparing the Passion Potion. Agavero is a 100% blue agave tequila that’s hand blended with damiana, a flower known for being a powerful aphrodisiac. Bottoms up!
Ingredients
1 oz Agavero
1 oz 1800 Anejo
1 Maraschino cherry
Directions
Serve ingredients in a shot glass over ice.
Top Valentine’s Day Cocktail #4: Champagne Dreams
The bright red pomegranate has influenced people for thousands of years. Even Spain’s ancient city of Granata was named after the legendary fruit! Today, the pomegranate continues to represent fertility and marriage in Armenia. In addition, the sweet, yet tart fruit is also known for reducing heart disease. With some added bubbly, you’re suddenly become in love with life.
Ingredients
1 oz Pomegranate Liqueur (We chose PAMA for its added tequila properties)
1 oz Cointreau
1 oz Fresh orange juice
3 oz Champagne or sparkling wine
Directions
Assemble the first three ingredients in a cocktail glass with ice. Slowly pour in the champagne while stirring very gently to retain the bubbles. Chill the mixture. Strain into a champagne flute and garnish with an orange zest.
Top Valentine’s Day Cocktail #5: Poison Apple Martini
Who doesn’t want a fairytale ending like Snow White, who was kissed after eating a poison apple? With one taste of this absinthe-infused drink, you too will be puckering your lips.
Ingredients
1 1/2 oz Le Tourment Vert
1/2 oz Apple Pucker
1/2 oz Sweet and Sour
Fresh orange juice
Directions
Shake ingredients and pour into a martini glass. As a more delicious option, rim glass with crushed apple jolly ranchers.
Top Valentine’s Day Cocktail #6: Brazilian Rose
The acai, a juicy fruit grown throughout Latin America, has become famous for being a weight lost supplement favored by Oprah. Look and feel like a million bucks whether you’re sharing a romantic dinner for two or celebrating with friends.
Ingredients
2 ounces Veev Açaí Spirit
½ Bar spoon of rose water
½ Ounce grenadine
1 Ounce heavy cream
¾ Ounce fresh lemon juice
1 Rose petal
Directions
Shake all ingredients well with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a rose petal.
Top Valentine’s Day Cocktail #7: Love Lockdown
Don’t feel blue that you can’t take your honey to a hot weekend getaway. The Stanton Social, located in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, has been luring patrons with delicious tapas. For this one night only, take a quick escape with their rum-dominated Love Lockdown, a drink that can make all your worries disappear.
Ingredients
1 oz House infused vanilla pyrat rum
.5 oz Coconut rum
1 oz Pineapple and white cranberry juice
Splash of fresh lime juice
Directions
Mix all ingredients in glass. For an added kick, add maraschino cherries or vanilla bean pods for garnish. Not only will they accentuate the drink's taste, but they're also popular aphrodisiacs. To tame sweetness, use lime garnish instead.
