Cocktail ideas for Valentine’s Day

On Valentine’s Day, we might make a big fuss of enjoying a cosy meal for two - but what about the drinks? We asked some mixology experts to recommend some Valentine’s cocktail recipes that you can make at home.

Godminster “Make Me Blush” elderflower champagne cocktail

This cocktail was created for by Godminster by Sal Henley, using their elderflower-infused vodka. It will cost around £4.50 per serving to make at home. Serves one.

Ingredients:
1 sugar cube
1 - 2 drops Angostura bitters (optional)
40ml pomegranate juice
25ml Godminster vintage elderflower spirit drink
100ml champagne

Method:
Place a sugar cube in the bottom of a champagne glass, and add the angostura bitters (if using). Pour in the pomegranate juice and Godminster vintage elderflower spirit drink, top with champagne and serve.

Love Cocktail

At the Perkin Reveller near Tower Bridge, this cocktail is served in a sharing tea pot. As well as being Valentine’s themed, it’s also bang on the cocktail ‘tea’ trend, with ingredients such as chilled jasmine tea and blackberry sorbet. If you can’t get to Tower Bridge, make it at home - the ingredients, in the quantities below, will cost you about £4. Serves two.

Ingredients:
70 ml Beefeater gin
25ml bramley & gage elderflower
1 bar spoon of wild flower local honey
20 ml fresh lemon juice
1 scoop of blackberry sorbet
100 ml of chilled jasmine Rare Tea Company tea

Method:
In a tall glass suitable for mixing, stir the gin and honey, then add the rest of the ingredients except the jasmine tea. Shake and double strain into a glass tea pot (or a pretty serving jug). Pour 50ml of jasmine tea into each serving glass (we think coupette glasses look best). Decorate with a twist of lime dusted with icing sugar and serve on a board with dry rose petals and elderflower. When you're ready to drink, pour the gin mixture from the teapot onto the jasmine tea to mix.

The Sanderson's Divinitini

The Sanderson Hotel created this silky cocktail in 2003, made with Divine milk chocolate. If you make it at home, it’ll cost around £3 per serving.

Ingredients:
4 cubes of Divine milk chocolate
1 slice of orange
Dash of Grand Marnier 
Dash of dark Creme de Cacao 
1 fl oz Wyborowa orange vodka 
1 fl oz pure vodka  

Method:
Melt the chocolate, then shake it together with Wyborowa orange and pure vodka, Grand Marnier, creme de cacao and a crushed slice of orange.  Serve in a chilled martini glass with a pansy garnish.

Whisky Blackberry

If whisky’s more your thing, then try this cocktail suggested by the Michael Neave Kitchen and Whisky Bar in Edinburgh. But don’t worry if you can’t get to Scotland to try it, make it at home using the quantities below. Based on 25ml being a standard measure, the ingredients for this cocktail will cost around £3 per serving.

Ingredients:
2 measures Grants blended whisky
2 measures De Kuyper blackberry liqueur
2 teaspoons sugar syrup
1 measure lemon juice

Method:
Pour all the ingredients into an ice-filled shaker. Shake well and strain into tumbler glass filled with ice. Garnish with a wedge of lime.

Do you fancy trying any of these cocktails? What are your favourite cocktails?