Valentine’s Day is not only a day about love, but also one that attracts many customers to your establishment – ones looking for love, celebrating love or just ones bitter because of it. With customers angling for a way to either toast to years of relationship bliss or those whiling away the hours complaining about Cupid’s holiday, there’s no better way to keep everyone happy and imbibing than by offering these Valentine’s Day cocktails that everyone will certainly love.
Vin Brulé
Chef Matteo Bergamini for SD26 Wine Bar & Lounge in NYC.
1 bottle dry full body red wine
5 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
½ teaspoon of fresh ground nutmeg,
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 whole orange peel studded with cloves,
zest of 1 lemon.
Pour the wine in a large pot over a medium heat, add all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes to allow the spices to infuse the wine. To serve, ladle the hot wine infusion into individual glasses or glass mugs.
“A Bitter Heart”
Created by Joseph H. Ehrmann of Elixer in San Francisco.
2 ounces Square One Botanical Vodka
½ ounce Campari
2 ounces Perfect Purée El Corazon, thawed
5 inches of fresh rosemary sprig
In a mixing tin, strip 3/4 of the rosemary sprig leaves in and set aside a good looking short top of the sprig for garnish. Muddle the rosemary and add the remaining ingredients. Fill with ice and shake hard for 10 seconds. Strain up into a cocktail glass and garnish with the rosemary sprig.
Amor Eterno
Created by Victoria D’Amato-Moran, owner of Cent'Anni Cocktails in San Francisco.
1 ½ ounces KAH Day of the Dead Anejo Tequila
1 ounce Combier Rouge Cherry
¼ ounce St-Germain
½ ounces lemon syrup*
3 ounces house made cranberry juice**
3 drops Aztec chocolate bitters
Add ingredients to a mixing glass. Add ice. Shake well, strain into a vintage cocktail coupe and garnish with honey egg white foam*** and sugar heart or rose petals.
*To make lemon syrup add ½ part lemon syrup and ½ part sugar. In a pot, bring to a boil, let sit to cool and store for up to 2 weeks.
**To make cranberry juice, add 1 bag of fresh cranberries and 32 ounces of water. Add to a pot. Boil until all berries have popped. Strain through a fine mesh sieve. Discard cranberries, and store juice in a sterilized glass bottle for up to 4 weeks.
***Honey Egg White Foam: In a “cream whip canister,” add 4 egg whites and 1 ounce of wildflower honey. Follow manufacturer directions for using a whipper. Shake 30 times before pressing charger.
Cupid's Flower
On the menu at C-House and C-View at the Affinia Chicago.
¾ ounce chilled Koval Rose Hip Liqueur
¾ ounce chilled Martin Ray Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir
3 ½ ounces Gruet Blanc de Noirs Sparkling
In a shaker with ice, add Rose Hip Liqueur and Martin Ray Pinot Noir. Do not shake. Strain into a flute. Top with Gruet Blanc de Noirs. Garnish with long grapefruit twist inside glass.
L’Estragon
On the menu at PRINT. Restaurant and PRESS Lounge in New York City.
2 ounces Hendrick’s Gin
1 ounce St-Germain
1 ounce tarragon Syrup
¾ ounce lemon juice
Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a slice of cucumber.
The Velvet Devil
On the menu at L’Ecole in New York.
2 ounces Dewar’s
1/3 ounce Velvet Falernum
1 ½ ounces Benedictine liqueur
2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
1 dash Angostura Bitters
Combine all ingredients (except Benedictine) in shaker. Shake and strain into chilled Martini glass. Add Benedictine by pouring it against the side of the glass so it sinks to the bottom.
Love Potion #299
On the menu at Bookmarks at The Library Hotel in New York.
1 ounce rose sherbet
½ ounce simple syrup
splash pomegranate juice
Stir all together in mixing glass. Strain into chilled Champagne flute. Top with extra Champagne.
Sweet Tart
Courtesy of Gerber Group.
1 ½ ounces Stoli Raspberry
1 ounce simple syrup
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
1 bar spoon full of strawberry jam
In a shaker, add ingredients, shake well and strain into a Martini glass. Fill the rest with Champagne. Garnish with a lemon.
The Remedy
Created by Zahra Bates for 901 Silver Tequila.
1 ½ ounces 901 Silver Tequila a
¾ ounce ginger-infused sakea
½ ounce apple juice reduced to syrup with lemon verbenaa
Top with Champagnea a
Build in Boston glass; shake and fine strain then add Champagne. Garnish with a thin slice of ginger on the rim of the Champagne glass.
White Manhattan
Courtesy of Bols Genever.
2 ounces Bols Genever
1 ounce dry vermouth
1 Demerara sugar cube
2 dashes wormwood citrus bitters
Stir and serve down in a rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
Will You Be My TY-tini?
Courtesy of TY KU.
1 ½ ounces TY KU Liqueur
1 ½ ounces TY KU Soju
Squeeze of lime
Splash of Diet Sprite
Add TY KU Liqueur and TY KU Soju into a shaker over ice. Squeeze lime and drop into shaker. Shake vigorously and strain into a Martini glass and top off with a citrus soda.
The Korbel Soulmate
Courtesy of Korbel.
4 ounces Korbel Brut Champagne
1 ounce Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur
Splash cranberry juice
In a tall glass, combine Korbel, Chambord and ice. Top with a splash of cranberry juice.
AGWA Sparkling Kiss
Courtesy of AGWA de Bolivia.
1 ½ ounces AGWA de Bolivia Coca Leaf Liquor
5 ounces chilled Prosecco
lime peel
Pour chilled Prosecco into a Champagne flute, top with AGWA and garnish with a lime peel
Apple of My Eye
Courtesy of Travis Hasse's Original Pie Liqueurs.
1 ½ ounces Dooley's Toffee Liqueur
¾ounce Travis Hasse's Apple Pie Liqueur
¾ ounce Godiva Chocolate Liqueur
Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a Martini glass.