22 Valentine's Day Cocktails to Enjoy With Loved Ones
Fall in love with these fun, fancy, and festive libations.
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Whether you’re spending Valentine’s Day with your sweetheart or a group of friends, there’s nothing better than celebrating at home: You avoid the crowds, skip the typical prix fixe menu, and save money on those craft cocktails. Instead, plan a lovely evening with appetizers for grazing, and check out our Valentine's Day cocktail recipes for sipping.
We offer suggestions—from fizzy champagne drinks and flavorful mulled wine to dreamy nightcaps like old-fashioned coffee and pink hot chocolate—for your Valentine’s Day cocktail menu. We're sure you'll find at least a few to fall in love with.
El Versalles Passion Fruit Cocktail
Champagne cocktails are a great option for Valentine’s Day: They’re delicate, refreshing, and easy to customize. This recipe includes raspberry and passion fruit puree for sweetness, as well as spirits like rum, Champagne, and triple sec.
Chocolate Berry Cocktail
Also known as the “Heart-Shaped Box”, this creamy, dreamy cocktail is perfect to serve after a romantic dinner. The five-ingredient recipe calls for Lejay Creme de Cassis, Tempus Fugit Creme de Cacao, lemon juice, simple syrup, and your favorite light rum. Serve it in a fancy coupe or martini glass and enjoy!
Tarragon French 75
This twist on a classic French 75 is so good that you’ll be making it long after Valentine’s Day. Swap out the gin with a flavorful warming bourbon, and toss in a sprig of tarragon for an earthy, herby garnish.
Chambord Royale
Put that bottle of Chambord (raspberry liqueur) to good use by whipping up this two-ingredient cocktail. Chambord gives this Valentine's Day drink, a beautiful pink hue, and the sparkling wine adds playful bubbles. Garnish with fresh raspberries and voila!
Pink Hot Chocolate
The whole family can enjoy celebrating Valentine’s Day by sipping this festive pink hot chocolate. For a natural food coloring, the drink recipe calls for beet juice, which adds a mild sweetness without extra sugar. To make a spiked version, add some Bailey’s or your favorite liqueur.
Boozy Cold Brew Slushies
Cold brew coffee fans will love this boozy, blended rendition of their favorite caffeine delivery vehicle. Customize this adults-only milkshake with a glug of chocolate syrup, or swap out the milk with soy, oat, heavy cream, or whatever's on hand.
Red Sangria With Blackberries
Whether you’re doing a date night at home or hosting Valentine’s for a crowd, you’re going to want to make a big batch of this fruity, flavorful sangria. Just six simple ingredients yield a delicious boozy red cocktail for toasting to the day of love.
Coffee Old Fashioned
Finish off a romantic evening with a delicious coffee cocktail inspired by a classic old fashioned. This one calls for Turkish coffee (or whatever you have at home, the stronger, the better), bitters, bourbon, dark rum, and a sugar cube. Garnish with an orange twist, and you’ll be buzzing for the rest of the evening.
Campari and Cranberry Jell-O Shots
You’re never too old to enjoy a Jell-O shot, especially on a holiday! Perfect for a Valentine’s Day get-together with friends, these elevated shots get the party started while making you a tad nostalgic for your college days. We suggest making a double batch because your guests will fall madly in love with them.
Spiced Mulled Wine
Is there anything better than cozying up by the fire with a beverage that warms your body and soul? This mulled wine recipe is sweet and spicy—thanks to peppercorns and fresh ginger—and is perfect to sip when it’s too cold to leave the house.
The Ultimate Negroni
If you’re planning a delicious Italian meal for Valentine’s Day, consider pairing it with a traditional negroni. Just one sip transports you to a quaint, romantic veranda in Florence. This cocktail recipe makes a big batch for hosting a group of friends but can be easily downsized for just the two of you.
Cosmopolitan
Cosmos are the ultimate date-night drink, and they’re also perfect for sipping with your girlfriends. With just a few common ingredients—vodka, triple sec, lime, and cranberry juice—we doubt you’ll even need to make a trip to the store.
Chambord French Martini
This fruity, French-inspired cocktail featuring Chambord is sweeter than your average martini. To tone down the sweetness without sacrificing taste, try it using just half the pineapple juice.
Chai and Irish Cream
The title of this simple recipe doubles as an ingredient list: Just add 2 to 3 tablespoons Irish cream to a freshly brewed mug of chai tea. The two made-for-winter flavors meld nicely—each drawing the best out of the other—resulting in a perfect coupling.
Red Wine Spritz
Greg DuPree
Just because we're in the last throes of winter, it doesn't mean a light, refreshing cocktail that foretells the coming of spring isn't welcome. It calls for a peach garnish, but consider strawberries or cherries for a more Valentine's-suitable choice.
Champagne Cocktail No. 1
Jen Causey
This bright cocktail requires a little pre-date planning, but you'll be glad you did. It calls for muddling and macerating raspberries and tangerine segments with sugar and then setting them aside (for at least 2 hours). This combo creates a tart, citrusy syrup to add to Lillet Rosé and Champagne for a cool, gorgeous, and romantic cocktail.
Chai Hot Toddy
This cozy cocktail is perfect for curling up in front of a fireplace or under a thick blanket with your lover. It's hardly recognizable from a traditional hot toddy, which is simply whiskey, sugar, hot water, lemon, and perhaps a cinnamon stick for stirring. A dose of milk and warming spices makes this version rich, comforting, and flavorful.
Cherry Manhattan
Take a traditional Manhattan—rye or bourbon, your choice—and add cherry juice to elevate its sweet-and-sour fruit flavor. That's what this recipe does, creating a sexy, smoky, tea- and black cherry-infused riff on the classic cocktail. For beverage perfection, garnish with real Maraschino cherries.
Irish Iced Coffee
This decadent cocktail recipe combines dessert with an after-dinner coffee and cocktail in one tall, refreshing glass. It's just four simple ingredients, not including whipped cream (which is a must!).
Pomegranate Royale Champagne Cocktail
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The ruby-red color in this distinctive cocktail comes from an ounce of good-for-you pomegranate juice. This juice goes in a shaker with vodka, liqueur, simple syrup, and lemon juice, and then is joined in the glass by Champagne for a delightfully bubbly love potion.
Cranberry Lemon Spritz
With just the right balance of tart and sweet, this fruity spritz is likely to become your go-to well beyond Valentine’s Day. While it’s simple to make, it tastes like a craft cocktail made by a pro.
Plaza Champagne Punch
Jen Causey
This spin on the classic French 75 cocktail is a fizzy drink you'll adore this V-Day. Perfect for a romantic Valentine's dinner, this beverage is bright red and garnished with a strawberry. Fourth the recipe to make a cocktail for two or half it to save an extra round for later.
Related: The 64 Best Valentine’s Day Gifts for Her of 2024
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