Valentine’s Day is just a hop, skip, and a jump away. Actually, it’s more like just a hop away so if you haven’t made your plans yet, you better get on it! Restaurants tend to book up way early for this lover’s holiday so if you can’t get a reservation for the 14th, why not celebrate early or late? After all, true love doesn’t need a 
dedicated day (and all that other mush people say this time of year). If you’re more of the “stay at home” type couple, this post is for you. I’m trusting that you’ve got dinner on lock (and if you don’t, you better call M&D and either book a table or plan your to-go order!) so today, let’s focus on the cocktails.
Below are three Valentine’s Day themed cocktails that you can make in the comfort of your own home and still feel like you’re out on the town.
- The Ruby Diamond: Because what woman doesn’t like a ruby … or a diamond on the most romantic day of the year?
- 1 1/2 ounces gin
- 1 1/2 ounces mezcal
- 3/4 ounce Cappelletti
- 3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 ounce fresh orange juice
Pour gin, mezcal, Cappelletti, lemon juice, and orange juice in a shaker filled with ice and shake until outside of shaker is frosty, about 20 seconds. Strain into a chilled champagne glass. If you want to get fancy, garnish with a lemon twist
- Raspberry Bubbly: Nothing beats some bubbles on Valentine’s Day.
- 3 ounces champagne
- 1 ounce ginger beer
- 1/2 ounce raspberry puree
- 1/2 ounce raspberry liqueur
Combine everything into a shaker with ice and STIR for 5 to 10 seconds before straining into a champagne glass. Notice that I said STIR, not shake. You don’t want to shake bubbles … unless you want to clean the drink up off the floor.
- Hibiscus Dream Punch: This is for a crowd so it’s perfect for a dinner party or Galentine’s Day.
- 2 cups dried hibiscus flowers
- 1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
- 4 sprigs rosemary
- 8 whole cloves
- 6 allspice berries
- 2 cinnamon sticks, plus more for serving
- 3 star anise pods, plus more for serving
- 12 ounces tequila or mezcal
- 8 lemon slices, halved
Full disclosure: This recipe is a little more in depth, in case you couldn’t tell from the ingredient list alone. You should start this process the day before.
Add 12 cups of water, hibiscus, brown sugar, rosemary, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and star anise to a large pot and bring to a boil. Cook down to half the volume (this should take about an hour) and then strain into a large bowl. You can go ahead and get rid of the solids. Chill for a minimum of 4 hours before stirring in the tequila.
Serve over ice and enjoy!
Whether you are celebrating out or at home, with your significant other, or a group of friends, these drink recipes are great to keep on hand for any celebration! How are you celebrating?
Rebecca McKinney
I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.
So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!
Eat well & travel often,
Becky McKinney
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