7 Perfect Cocktails Your Valentine Will Love

Whether you’re inspired by chocolate, floral bouquets, romantic far-flung locales or all things pink, we’ve got recipes that’ll have you aflutter.

Have you found the one to capture your heart, or are you still searching? We’re talking about a Valentine’s Day cocktail, of course. They say there’s a match for everyone, and that holds true for a drink on February 14. No matter what kind of love you’re celebrating, these creations are guaranteed to fuel the passion for a perfect evening.

For a Girls’ Night In

Catch Flights, Not Feelings

Recipe courtesy of Magic Hour, New York, NY

Planning an empowered Galentine’s Day soirée, watching Barbie for the umpteenth time and bemoaning why Greta and Margot got Oscar snubs? Mix this fizzy sip from the bar’s seasonal pop-up Pink Winter Lodge, whose decor’s neon accents, pink trees and metallic skis would fit right in in Barbie world. If you want to add some shimmer to the cotton candy garnish, dust it with a little Luster Dust edible powder.

½ oz. Juliette Peach Liqueur

½ oz. Vita Coco Coconut Water

3 oz. chilled Beau Joie Brut Sparkling Wine

Pink cotton candy, for garnish

Add the peach liqueur and the coconut water to a cocktail tin, add ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled Champagne flute, top with the Brut sparkling wine, and stir gently. Take a tuft of cotton candy, form into a loose ball and place atop the flute.

For Lovers Who Like to Couple Up Over the Shaker

Banana Dance

Recipe courtesy of Adam Fournier, Spago Beverly Hills, Beverly Hills, CA

Some partners cook together, others bake, still others get turned on by shaking and stirring next-level libations. If you are your better half find yourself in the latter camp, mix up this low ABV Manhattan variant from Fournier’s Aphrodisiac Menu. It’s inspired by the namesake skirt and dance of Josephine Baker, an African American performer in 1920s Paris who was also secretly a spy who aided the French Résistance during World War II. Like Baker herself, this drink is complicated, with several sub-recipes and hard-to-find ingredients—fitting for the couple who’s up for a challenge.

1 ½ oz. banana-infused Lustau Oloroso Sherry (see Note)

½ oz. Green Spot Irish Whiskey

½ oz. Dolin Blanc Vermouth

½ oz. brown butter-infused Velvet Falernum (See Note)

1 tsp. Nocino

1 tsp white verjus (can substitute a tart white wine like sauvignon blanc)

Melted chocolate, for garnish

Paint a stripe on the outside of a chilled cocktail glass with melted chocolate, and set aside. Add the first six ingredients to a cocktail glass, add ice and stir until well-chilled. Strain into the prepared glass.

For the banana-infused Lustau Oloroso Sherry:

Peel a banana and place in a blender with a 750 ml bottle of Lustau Oloroso Sherry and 5 ml pectin ultra sp-l. Blend on high until fully incorporated, then transfer to a centrifuge and run for 25 minutes. Fine strain through a Chinois, and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks. **If you don’t have a centrifuge, you can substitute 1 ½ oz. Lustau Oloroso Sherry mixed with a teaspoon of Giffard Creme de Banane.

For the brown butter-infused Velvet Falernum:

Cube ½ lb. of butter and place in a pot over medium heat, melting and continuing to whisk butter so that the mild solids brown evenly. Continue to brown, whisking constantly, until the butter is as dark as the color of an almond skin, avoiding solids collecting on the side, as they will burn. Remove the butter from the heart and add a 750 ml bottle of Velvet Falernum. Whisk thoroughly to incorporate, then let rest for 20 minutes. Transfer to a freezer-proof container and freeze until the fat has risen and solidified on the top. Remove the solidified fat cap and discard, fine strain through a chinois, re-bottle and refrigerate for up to 4 weeks.

For Those Who Prefer Flowers In Their Glasses

Lover’s Lane

Recipe courtesy of Tracy Javier, Head Beverate Curator, Hotel Washington, Washington, D.C.

A dozen roses will soon wilt and die, but you’ll be able to keep reaching for the bottle of hibiscus- and strawberry-infused gin that goes into this heady sip long after February 14. “The rich, deep pink derived from hibiscus and strawberries evokes the essence of romance,” Javier poetically puts it. “This delightful cocktail captivates with its impeccable balance, irresistibly juicy flavors, making it not just a drink but a celebration of love—easy to sip, impossible not to savor.” We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.

1 ½ oz. hibiscus- and strawberry-infused gin (see Note)

½ oz. Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto

¾ oz. lemon juice

¾ oz. simple syrup

2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters

5 dashes Fee Brothers Fee Foam Cocktail Foamer

Edible flowers, for garnish

Add the first six ingredients to a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled Nick and Nora glass and garnish with edible flowers.

For the hibiscus- and strawberry-infused gin:

Add 8 oz. cut strawberries and a 1 liter bottle of gin into a large container and let rest for two days. Add 4 oz. of edible hibiscus flowers, let rest for 30 minutes, strain out solids, and rebottle.

For Couples Swooning over Thoughts of a Tropical Getaway

MacTini

Recipe courtesy of Vakkaru Maldives, Baa Atoll, Republic of Maldives

Overwater bungalows, slides that go directly from your bedroom into the Indian Ocean and breakfasts delivered to your private pool instead of your bed. The Maldives are arguably one of the most romantic destinations on earth. If you’re dreaming of catching the next flight to Malé and then hopping on a seaplane to deliver you to your own island paradise, mix up this gin-based concoction adorned with a gorgeous garnish; extra swank points if you use a gilded cocktail pick.

2 ½ oz. Hendricks Gin

½ oz. Lillet Blanc

½ oz. plum sake

½ oz. sweet and sour mix (see Note)

Cucumber and rose petal cocktail skewer, for garnish

Add first four ingredients to cocktail shaker, add ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a cucumber and rose petal cocktail skewer.

For the homemade sweet and sour mix:

Combine ½ cup superfine sugar and ½ cup water in a bottle with a tight-fitting lid, and shake until sugar is dissolved. Add ½ cup each of lemon and lime juices, and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

For Margarita Lovers

Los Amaros

Recipe courtesy of Gary Wiggins, Regional Director, Pinstripes Aventura, Aventura, FL

Do you and your bey like any drink, as long as it contains Tequila? Then try this variation that’s perfectly balanced, just like the original. “When everyone thinks about Valentine’s Day, they will usually think of candies and sweets,” Wiggins explains. “We created this cocktail to be a nice balance of both sweet and refreshing, so people could still get their fix for a special treat while enjoying a crisp and flavorful drink.”

1 ½ oz. Casamigos Blanco Tequila

¾ oz. watermelon puree

¾ oz. simple syrup

5 raspberries, divided

¼ oz. Frothee (or egg white)

2 lime wedges

1 dehydrated lime wheel

Squeeze the lime wedges into a cocktail shaker and discard the shells. Add 3 raspberries and the simple syrup, and muddle ingredients. Add the Tequila, watermelon puree and Frothee, add ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a highball glass over fresh ice, and garnish with two raspberries and the dehydrated lime wheel.

For Chocoholics Who’d Rather Drink Their Dessert

Recipe courtesy of Grand Geneva Resort & Spa, Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Tiramisu Martini photo courtesy of Grand Geneva Resort

Sure, you could bake a flourless chocolate cake or molten lava cake drizzled with dark chocolate ganache for your romantic dinner in à deux, but those take a lot of work, and you and your beau might not have room after lobster and filet mignon. Take a cue from this cozy resort in Wisconsin, whose bar team has created a riff on the Espresso that uses a liqueur inspired by the classic Italian dessert. They top theirs with a delicate house-made lady finger; store-bought is fine, or you can omit it all together.

2 oz. vanilla vodka

1 oz. Baileys Tiramisu Liqueur

2 oz. freshly-brewed espresso

Freshly-whipped cream, cacao powder and a cookie, for garnish. Add the first three ingredients to a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with whipped cream, cacao powder dusted on top and a cookie.

For Buzz-Free Passion

Love Potion 42

Recipe courtesy of Seedlip

If you and your partner want to remain amorous at the end of the evening, it might not be the smartest idea to throw back several rounds of Martinis. Enter this zero proof take on the Cosmo, which swaps out vodka for herby Seedlip. If you do want to give it a bit of a kick, top the flute with an ounce or two of sparkling wine.

2 oz. Seedlip Grove 42

1 oz. organic cranberry juice

½ oz. lime juice

½ oz. simple syrup

Orange peel, for garnish

Add first four ingredients to a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with the orange peel.