Cocktail & food pairings that belong together

You can’t organise the weather conditions for a perfect sunset or predict your date’s every taste for your romantic evening, but you can definitely take the upper hand when it comes to planning the right atmosphere. A dinner experience prepared with flair and accompanied by some easy Valentine's cocktails recipes to mix, adapt and pour into sparkling crystal glasses, will guarantee an unforgettable experience and the stuff of memories. Plan your Valentine's Day drinks with these ten unique and delicious cocktail recipe ideas. Create your own romantic cocktails for two or as many as you like, from these recipes or use our signature ready-to-share cocktails as a starting point. Your special someone will definitely appreciate the refined flavours and thought that went into choosing each one. If you’re an out-and-out romantic you might go for the sweeter Red/Pink cocktails or if you’re the bubbly type; the Prosecco/Spumante cocktail options. The Gin-based cocktails are definitely for those of you who appreciate the finer things in life such as you Galantines! Then again, whoever you’re with might just like them all so long as they match the mood. These 10 romantic themed cocktails are easy enough for beginners, but they also pass the connoisseur cocktail drinker test for their balance of delicate, sophisticated notes and pleasing aesthetic qualities.

Red or pink Valentine cocktail recipes

Love potion cocktail

This is a pretty little classic with the tart notes of cranberry and sweetness of grenadine. It has

The right amount of kick guaranteed to please palates and win hearts.

• 25 ml raspberry vodka
• 25 ml cranberry juice cocktail
• Dash of lime juice
• 25 ml grenadine 
• Garnish with raspberry or Strawberry

Valentine Love Martini

 This number will get you in the mood with the sweetness of peach and tartness of cranberry that offset the richness of the rum. Get mixing!

• 22ml Malibu Rum
• 22ml Peach Schnapps
• 22ml Citron Vodka
• 132ml Cranberry juice
• 2 Strawberries to garnish

Strawberry Daiquiri

Served frozen or shaken, this super easy sweet classic will melt even the hardest of hearts just make sure those strawberries are really sweet!

• 500g strawberries, hulled
• 200g ice
• 100ml rum
• Dash of lime
• 1-2 tbsp sugar syrup, optional

 Garnish

• 2 slices of limes
• 1 strawberry, halved

Gin-based cocktails

Rose Petal Martini

A real couple cocktail, this elegant pastel pink drink was first created by legendary bartender Dick Bradsell, creator of the Espresso Martini and the Bramble. 

• 25ml Lanique
• 25ml gin
• 25ml lychee juice
• 2 dashes Peychauds Bitters
• Garnish with a rose petal.

Gin Pomegranate Martini

A gin lover’s dream drink, this cocktail offers sweet and delicate hints of pomegranate with the herbal notes of gin and aromatics of Vermouth. It can be pre-prepared and chilled so as to allow the flavours to blend and take on the ruby hue of the pomegranate.

• 70ml Gin
• 1 tablespoon fresh pomegranate arils
• 15ml dry Vermouth
• Garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme.

Gin Cranberry Martini

Fun and delicious, this is a great Galantine’s option with hints of lemon zest and rich orange. If you were wondering how to treat your taste buds and add to a great evening with your friends, then this is the cocktail for you.

• 25 ml Cointreau
• 25 ml Sweetened Cranberry Juice
• 25ml Gin
• Dash of Lemon Juice
• Garnish with laughter and great conversation. 

Prosecco and Spumante cocktails

La Vie en Rose

The most romantic cocktail of all, this subtle and elegant rosé spritz gives off delicate floral notes and is perfect for the more discerning tastes who will enjoy its nuances.

• 50ml Vodka        
• 240ml St Germain liqueur
• 150ml Fabbri or Monin rose syrup
• 400ml Water
• 100ml Spumante Rosé
• Garnish with a breath-taking view and all the time in the world.

Cupid cocktail

This cocktail is all heart in a glass. The sweetness of ruby-red grenadine and tartness of cranberry sublimate the vodka base while the Prosecco lifts these notes to delicious heights.

• 150ml cranberry juice
• 1 tsp grenadine
• 50ml vodka
• handful of ice
• dash of lime
• chilled Prosecco to top up
• Garnish with 4 raspberries

Playing Gooseberry

No one wants to play gooseberry right?  Fresh and flirty, this cocktail knows exactly how to charm. The tart gooseberry notes in the gin pair perfectly with the delicate, fruity elderflower notes and sour citrus making this cocktail no one’s gooseberry!

• 35ml Slingsby Gooseberry Gin
• 15ml elderflower cordial
• 10ml lemon juice
• Top up with Prosecco
• Garnish with lemon peel twist.

And finally, the sinful goodbye…

Ps. I Love you cocktail

It’s time to give in to temptation. Sweet, warm, rich and creamy, this is the queen of dessert cocktails. It will send you hurtling into a warm fuzzy place reminiscent of childhood when your favourite auntie always gave you sweets when your mother wasn’t looking!

• 25ml Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur
• 25ml Amaretto Di Saronno
• 25ml Dark rum
• 15ml Baileys Espresso Crème, Sheridans or Kahlua
• 25ml double cream
• Ice
• Garnish with either nutmeg or flakes of chocolate.

The last sip

People drink tasty and artfully made cocktails on Valentine’s Day so it’s easy to see why planning ahead for the big day is a good idea.  But, if you don’t have the time or resources to prepare the cocktails listed, we have another solution for you. Our Signature cocktails are pre-mixed by our expert mixologists and ready to serve and share. Take a look at our Valentine’s Day 6 Cocktail Box and NIO's Postcards from Venice by Patrick Pistolesi, our Master mixologist. This is a ‘taste tour’ collection of 4 limited edition cocktails that bring you gliding down the canals of this romantic city in a magical mist of flavours and colour and include:

• 421 Laguna: Select | Cocchi Vermouth Americano | 100ml | 13.6% ABV

The first stop on our romantic tour of Venice: A cocktail to celebrate the origins of the famed City said to be "founded" in 421 AD.  Celebrating the origins of the floating City, this cocktail is a careful balance of citrus and spice, pairing Select with Vermouth.

• 1104 Arsenale: Select | Bonollo Italian Brandy | Cocchi Americano Bianco | Chazalettes Vermouth Di Torino Extra Dry | 100ml | 21.4% ABV

Inspired by the impressive Arsenale shipyards, built in 1104, this cocktail bursts with class and power with brandy, vermouth and Select.

• 1725 Le Calli Di Casanova: Select | Bols Creme De Cacao | Organic Citric Acid | Liquid Sugar | 100ml | 11.1% ABV

The myriad alleyways and hidden passages between the canals of Venice are the inspiration behind this silky cocktail with notes of chocolate and citrus.

• 2021 Cannaregio: Select | Italicus Rosolio Di Bergamotto | Pomme Roner Liqueur | Organic Citric Acid | Liquid Sugar | 100ml | 12.5% ABV

The Cannaregio district carries an air of history and authenticity as well as hope for a better future. Crafted with apple, citrus and Select, this cocktail is zesty and light for a vibrant tour finale.

Happy Valentine’s/Galantine’s Day everyone!

And if you’re still not sure which cocktail is right for your date after all that, you can do our handy quiz here!