Valentine's Day

33 Valentine's Day Cocktail Recipes for Lovers of All Kinds

Dim the lights, clink some glasses, and toast to these bright, beautiful, and—often—bubbly drinks.
Strawberry cocktail in a glass.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
  • Strawberry cocktail in a glass.
    Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    1/31

    Slippery When Wet

    This fragrant and refreshing strawberry-gin drink has a secret ingredient: a dollop of unsweetened Greek yogurt, which gives the cocktail a tangy flavor and subtly creamy texture.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova
    2/31

    Spiked Rose Lemonade

    Delicate rose water (a common ingredient in Middle Eastern sweets) and tart lemonade are a refreshing combination in this pretty pink drink.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Laura Rege
    3/31

    Kitty Highball

    W. C. Whitfield’s original Kitty Highball recipe—equal parts red wine and ginger ale over ice—goes contemporary. In this deconstructed version the ginger ale is replaced with ginger syrup and soda.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova
    4/31

    Midnight Sparkler Cocktail

    With its unique indigo color and effervescent charm, this Champagne cocktail is perfect for any festive occasion.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova
    5/31

    Buttered Rum Hot Chocolate

    Butter adds velvety texture and comforting flavor to this special-occasion cocktail, a combination of our two favorite winter warmers.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
    6/31

    Gin Rocket

    This spin on the gimlet uses shaved fennel and muddled arugula, which gives it a zingy anise-and-pepper flavor that’s ideal for serving with seafood or light pasta dishes.

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  • Photo by Kelly Puleio
    7/31

    Perfect Circle

    The simple combination of sharp Campari and salty fino sherry makes for a spritz that quenches your thirst and works wonderfully with potato chips, olives, or aged cheeses.

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  • Michael Graydon + Nikole Herriott
    8/31

    Evening in Kingston

    Sparkling wine and Jamaican rum make for a compelling riff on the Negroni. Plus, it's a quick finish once it's batched.

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
    9/31

    Cran Royale

    A homemade cranberry simple syrup puts this sparkling cocktail recipe into fancy party-worthy status.

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  • Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    10/31

    Ginger Spritz

    This light, refreshing drink will be your new favorite to serve at any occasion.

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  • Photo by Emma Fishman
    11/31

    Black Velvet

    Guinness is considered by its many aficionados to be extremely creamy, but when you add it to Champagne or prosecco, its fruitiness emerges as well.

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  • 12/31

    Winter of Our Content

    Lemon juice and maple syrup do some heavy lifting in this winter spritz, but it’s the sneaky inclusion of Licor 43—a golden-hued liqueur—that grants it subtle warmth and complexity.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Matt Duckor
    15/31

    The Winterized Penicillin

    This potent mix of scotch, grapefruit juice, and honey-ginger syrup is a winter-friendly twist on the classic cocktail.

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  • Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    16/31

    Spiced Cherry Spritz

    This deep maroon cocktail is cherry cola for adults but with a subtle, spicy, and not-too-sweet flavor.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Matt Duckor
    17/31

    The Ruby Diamond

    Opposites attract. It's very true in the cocktail world. This gin and mezcal cocktail sounds like the most doomed pairing, but with the citrusy bitterness of Cappelletti, they fit together really well.

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  • Photo by Isa Zapata, Food styling by Thu Buser, Prop styling by Maggie DiMarco
    18/31

    French 75

    Gin and Champagne make a bubbly wonderful duo, which is why this classic cocktail is always a good idea.

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  • Photo by Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott
    19/31

    Classic Martini

    Like roses and diamonds, you can never go wrong with a classic on Valentine's day.

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  • Photo by Ted Cavanaugh, Food Styling by Ali Nardi, Prop Styling by Martin Bourne
    20/31

    Aviation

    Maraschino liqueur sounds obscure but it's often hiding in plain sight. Seek it for this simple, classic gin cocktail.

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  • Christopher Testani
    21/31

    Saint-Florent Cocktail

    Relax into the night with a honey-sweetened gin, Aperol, and Champagne cocktail.

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  • Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food styling by Leslie Raney
    22/31

    Sidecar

    This adaptation of a classic, citrusy cognac cocktail comes from Eben Freeman, bartender of Tailor Restaurant in New York City.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Sean Dooley
    23/31

    Chrysanthemum

    Camper English, a San Francisco–based writer, adapted this classic drink recipe to showcase the use of absinthe. The brands of absinthe and vermouth chosen can greatly influence the drink's flavor profile, so choose wisely.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    24/31

    Paper Plane

    Equal parts bourbon, Aperol, amaro, and lemon juice make this cocktail combo an easy one to remember.

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  • Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    25/31

    Campari Spritz

    Dry rosé wine and lemon soda complement the citrusy flavor of bittersweet Campari, making for a beautifully vibrant cocktail.

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  • Marcus Nilsson
    26/31

    Raspberry and Aperol Floats

    Because sometimes you just want a dessert cocktail, too. This sweet float takes the zippy flavor of an Aperol spritz and tops it all off with ice cream.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food styling by Michelle Gatton, prop styling by Alyssa Pagano
    27/31

    Wild Heart Cocktail

    A Valentine's Day cocktail should be fun and colorful. These light-on-their-feet (read: less boozy) aperol and orange cocktails fit the bill.

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  • Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Grace Parisi
    28/31

    Crush Royale Cocktail

    Lean in close for this one. This fizzy cocktail pairs the bold (vodka and applejack) with the dainty (cranberry and sparkling wine). Get ready to see some sparks fly.

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  • Photo by Ted Cavanaugh.
    29/31

    Cocchi Spritz

    When in doubt, make it a spritz. The bubbles from sparkling wine lift up the heavier notes in a spirit, especially ones that lean on the bitter side like Cocchi.

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  • Photo by Mark Thomas
    30/31

    Blood Orange French 75

    The French 75, a classic Champagne-gin cocktail, will never go out of style. But that doesn't mean you can't make it special for Valentine's Day. The base in this version comes from blood oranges and bitters, which make for a colorfully arranged and flavorful cocktail.

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  • Peden + Munk
    31/31

    Especiado Cocktail

    Is it getting warm in here? This hisbiscus-based tequila cocktail turns up the heat a little bit with allspice, cinnamon, and rosemary.

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