Sparkling wine has long been the beverage of choice for celebrating Valentine’s Day. Though it may seem odd to many imbibers, not everyone loves bubbles. In fact, there are numerous message boards populated with Champagne dissenters. “I hate it,” says one opinionated Redditor. “Most of it tastes like cheap white wine gone through a soda streamer.”
Though we agree to disagree (respectfully, of course), for those seeking to plan the most romantic Valentine’s Day ever, we’d like to offer an alternative to the effervescent norm: cocktails. The following beverages, which range in color from delicate blush to blood red (with one chocolate concoction thrown into the mix), have romance written all over them thanks to pretty presentations and complex flavor profiles. (Because what relationship isn’t complex?)
Ready to start shaking? Let’s go.
Blood Orange Margarita
Incite feelings of ardor in the margarita-lover in your life with this ruby red-hued riff on the classic. This stunning drink gets an infusion of drama thanks to vivid blood orange juice. The sweet-and-sour fruit flavors are complemented with silver tequila, Cointreau, lime juice and agave nectar, making for a well-balanced drink that is sure to impress.
Get the Recipe: Blood Orange Margarita
Barbie Cocktail
Is the feminist in your life bummed over Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie’s recent Oscar snubs? Celebrate your love as well as the groundbreaking box-office smash—it was the highest-grossing film of the year—with this Barbie-themed cocktail created by Jacy Topps, itself an ode to self-actualization and all things pink. The playful and sophisticated drink combines delicate rose petal-infused gin with floral elderflower liqueur, lemon and cranberry juice to deepen the drink’s blush hue, along with just a touch of sparkling wine for a hint of effervescence.
Get the Recipe: Barbie Cocktail
Americano Cocktail
This Italian classic balances bitter and sweet flavors without the booziness of similar drinks. Bright red in hue, it combines sweet vermouth, a bitter aperitivo or digestivo and sparkling water. It’s essentially a lower-ABV version of a Negroni, with the bitter bubbliness of an Aperol spritz (sans the sparkling wine).
Get the Recipe: Americano Cocktail
Perfect Manhattan
This pre-Prohibition stalwart, currently in the midst of a resurgence, gets its reddish hue from a 50-50 mix of sweet and dry vermouth. Though there are countless variations, this classic recipe features a bourbon base with a couple dashes of bitters and a bourbon-infused cherry.
Get the Recipe: Perfect Manhattan
Red Wine Hot Chocolate
The only drink on this list without a crimson hue, this odd-sounding concoction has been making the rounds on social media this winter. It’s a cozy number, combining creamy hot chocolate with spiced mulled wine. The warmth and presence of chocolate (and red wine, of course) make it an ideal after V-Day drink in our humble opinion.
Get the Recipe: Red Wine Hot Chocolate
The Midnight Sun Dance
This blood-red cocktail, dreamed up by cocktail maven Fanny Chu, was inspired by the few weeks of summer when the sun never sets above the Arctic Circle. A marriage of vermouth, Sherry, aged rum and dry sparkling wine, this festive drink gets a sweet and acidic lift from strawberry preserves.
Get the Recipe: The Midnight Sun Dance
Strawberry Daiquiri
Forget those slushy, overly sweet strawberry daiquiris of yore. This rose-hued, grown-up version gets a lift from bitter Fernet and earthy mezcal.
Get the Recipe: A Modern Take on the Strawberry Daiquiri
The Mad About You Cocktail
Opposites attract in this unlikely drink, which throws together bourbon and Madeira wine syrup to excellent effect. Its bright red color makes this moody delight perfect for sipping with a special someone.
Get the Recipe: Bourbon and Madeira Make the Ultimate Whiskey Sour
The Classic Pink Lady
Grenadine is what makes the Pink Lady its iconic shade of pink, but gin and applejack deliver the drink’s one-two punch. The addition of one egg white delivers its characteristic foam.
Get the Recipe: The Classic Pink Lady Cocktail Recipe
Rosé French 75
This pretty-in-pink rosé-based cocktail is bubbly, refreshing and perfect for a Valentine’s Day brunch.
Get the Recipe: A French 75 Cocktail with a Rosé Twist
Bloody Jasmine
Bartender Sam Ng is responsible for this ruby-hued sipper, which balances the bite of its bitter Campari and lemon juice with Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin, an Australian dry gin distilled with juice from Shiraz grapes.
Get the Recipe: Bloody Jasmine Cocktail
Mulled Rosé with Ginger and Grapefruit
Feeling chilled this V-Day? Warm up with this steaming treat, which recruits a plethora of pink ingredients, including dry rosé wine, pink peppercorns and grapefruit.
Get the Recipe: Mulled Rosé with Ginger and Grapefruit
Hibiscus Sangria
This vibrantly-colored drink, already red from two bottles’ worth of red wine, gets an additional colorful boost from flor de Jamaica, a species of hibiscus used to make a strikingly red infusion with a rich citrus flavor. Meanwhile, blanco tequila and triple sec ensure this sangria delivers a solid kick.
Get the Recipe: Hibiscus Sangria (Sangria de Jamaica)
A Cosmopolitan Cocktail Perfect for Wine Lovers
The addition of off-dry Riesling puts a romantic spin on the classic Cosmo. Aperol lends a bitter undercurrent, while elderflower liqueur offers a lifting floral note.
Get the Recipe: A Cosmopolitan Cocktail Perfect for Wine Lovers
Reposado Martinez
Aged tequila and red wine mix with maraschino liqueur to produce this sweet, booze-forward drink. A deep shade of red, it’s bound to make even the stoniest among us blush.
Get the Recipe: Reposado Martinez
St. Charles Punch
Ruby Port and Cognac make for a hearty base in this versatile sipper, which can be served either ice cold or warm like mulled wine.
Get the Recipe: A St. Charles Punch with a Port Wine Twist
Mississippi Bourbon Punch
Throwing a V-Day shindig for a crowd this year? This colorful bourbon-spiked punch will do the trick. This recipe—which also features two bottles of dry white wine, grenadine, and cranberry, orange and lime juices—serves 12 to 14 thirty souls.
Get the Recipe: Mississippi Bourbon Punch Recipe
Berry Revenge Cocktail
Some hearts can’t be mended. For them, there’s the Berry Revenge Cocktail, which calls on fiery green chile-infused vodka to produce a spicy Valentine’s Day sipper.
Get the Recipe: Berry Revenge Cocktail
Non-Alcoholic Apertif Spritz
Looking for a booze-free treat to sip this V-Day? This blush-colored number, which gets its hue from Willred’s Bittersweet Aperitif—a Campari-adjacent, zero-proof offering—delivers effervescence from sparkling water and a floral aroma from elderflower syrup.
Get the Recipe: Non-Alcoholic Apertif Spritz
The Mezcal-Port Negroni
Robust mezcal, tawny Port and coffee-infused Campari give the classic Negroni a zippy update.
Get the Recipe: A New Take On an Old Favorite: The Mezcal-Port Negroni
FAQs
What Liquor Is Best for Valentine’s Day?
That very much depends on the cocktail. Many Valentine’s Day cocktails are red and get their hue from alcoholic ingredients like bittersweet Campari, tawny Port and red wine. But non-booze ingredients also convey that desired red color, including strawberries and grenadine. These ingredients can complement everything from gin to Champagne.
What Is the Most Romantic Alcoholic Drink?
That depends. What’s your sweetheart’s favorite drink? We’re partial to red-hued sippers on Valentine’s Day. See above!
What Do People Drink on Valentine’s Day?
Champagne or Prosecco have historically been associated with the holiday, but there’s no reason why other drinks can’t be romantic. We think that pink and red-colored cocktails of all stripes are suitable for Valentine’s Day.
Last Updated: February 8, 2024
