A Valentine’s Day Cocktail for Every Spirit Lover

Love is in the air. Now put love in your tumbler! Here are our picks for the best cocktails for spirit lovers this Valentine’s Day.

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Whiskey Lovers: Manhattan Love Story

Ingredients

• 1½ ounces whiskey
• 1 ounce dry sake
• ½ ounce ginger liqueur
• 2 dashes bitters
• Orange peel, for garnish

Instructions

1. Gather the ingredients and chill a cocktail glass(es).
2. In a mixing glass filled with ice, pour the whiskey, sake, ginger liqueur, and bitters.
3. Stir well.
4. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
5. Garnish with an orange peel.

Vodka Lovers: Love Potion

Ingredients

• 2 ounces vodka
• Simple syrup
• Grenadine
• Strawberries
• Dry ice

Instructions

1. Muddle strawberries and add ice.
2. Add vodka, simple syrup, and grenadine.
3. Shake well.
4. Strain mix over dry ice.
5. Garnish with a strawberry.

Tequila Lover: Passionate Souls Paloma

Ingredients

• 1½ ounces reposado tequila
• ¼ ounces simple syrup
• ¾ ounces lemon juice
• 1 ounce passion fruit puree
• 5 dashes cayenne
• 3 drops Angostura bitters
• Tajín to rim the Collins glass

Instructions

1. In a cocktail shaker, combine tequila, simple syrup, lemon juice, passion fruit puree, cayenne, and Angostura bitters.
2. Shake thoroughly.
3. Rim a Collins glass with Tajín, then add ice.
4. Strain the cocktail over rocks in the glass.
5. Top off the cocktail with grapefruit soda or grapefruit beer.
6. Garnish with a dried blood orange wheel.

Recipe by Corralejo.

Gin Lovers: Make Me Blush

Ingredients

• 2 ounces gin
• 1 ounce of extra dry vermouth
• 1/6 maraschino liqueur
• 1/6 ounces calvados
• Sliced peach for garnish
• 1 dash of orange bitters

Instructions

1. Stir all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled glass

Recipe from Difford’s Guide

Rum Lovers: Dark Love

Ingredients

• 4 ounces dark rum
• 2 ounces amaretto
• 2 ounces Irish cream
• 4 ounces cream
• Cinnamon
• Raw sugar

Instructions

1. Dip the rim of a cocktail glass in Irish cream, then in raw sugar.
2. Shake the spirits and cream with ice.
3. Strain into the frosted glass.
4. Sprinkle cinnamon on top.

Recipe by Rum Therapy.

Mezcal Lovers: Agave You My Heart

Ingredients

• 1½ ounces reposado tequila
• ½ ounces mezcal
• ⅓ ounces Chile liqueur
• ½ ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
• ⅔ ounces red capsicum juice (with a juicer or blended with water)
• sea salt

Instructions

1. In a cocktail shaker, add tequila, mezcal, Chile liqueur, lime juice, and red capsicum juice. Add ice and shake hard until very cold.
2. Strain into a chilled coupette.
3. Add a sprinkle of sea salt.

Recipe by Cocktails & Bars.

Brandy Lovers: Pink Lady

Ingredients

• 1½ ounces Gin
• ½ ounces apple brandy
• ½ ounces fresh lemon juice
• ½ ounces grenadine
• ¼ ounces egg white

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Seal your shaker and shake vigorously for 5 seconds.
2. Then add ice and shake again for another 5 seconds.
3. Fine strain into a cocktail class.
4. Garnish with a brandied cherry.

Recipe from Town & Country Magazine.