The Best Craft Cocktails for Valentine’s Day

By Sophie Gayot

These pretty in pink craft cocktails should elevate your celebration of the day of love. They are easy to make at home.

RELATED: For more Valentine’s Day ideas, check out GAYOT’s Valentine’s Guide

INGREDIENTS:
– ½ oz. Orgeat
– 1 oz. Campari
– 1 ½ oz. Hedonistas de la Fe Espadin Mezcal
– juice from one lime

METHOD:
• Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass or tin and shake well over ice.
•  Strain into a coupe glass over ice.
• Garnish.

INGREDIENTS:
– 2 parts Malfy Rosa
– 4 parts pink lemonade
– dry sparkling rosé
– rosemary sprig
– fresh grapefruit wedge

METHOD:
• Build in a glass over ice and stir gently to combine.
• Top with dry sparkling rosé

Photo © The Rogue Brussel Sprout Koloa Rum Company

INGREDIENTS:
– 2 oz. Kōloa Kaua’i Cacao Rum
½ oz. Luxardo Cherry Liqueur
– three dashes of Angostura bitters

Garnish: small rose and chocolate covered cherries
Glass: small, elegant coupe, martini glass, or vintage sipping glass

METHOD:
• In a cocktail stirring glass, combine the rum, cherry liqueur, and bitters with ice and stir well.
• Let it sit for a minute.
• Strain the cocktail into a chilled serving glass.
• Garnish ostentatiously with roses and/or chocolate covered cherries.

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The tagline of this small-batch premium artisanal mezcal is “Love hard, drink slow, savor the moment.” We could not agree more. Introduced in April 2021, Mezcal Campante is the creation of a life partners team’s love for mezcal. It is made from a unique blend of the finest selected Espadin and Barril agave — see, another couple here, too. On the rocks, straight up, or in a cocktail, you will certainly appreciate the balance of smooth aromas in your mouth.

We suggest starting your evening with this cocktail bearing an appropriate name for this day dedicated to love: “Passion Campante.”

INGREDIENTS:
– Selection of berries. We recommend 5 blueberries, 3 blackberries and 3 raspberries, and a few additional ones for the garnish
– 1 ½ oz. Mezcal Campante
– 1 ½ oz. lime juice
– ½ oz. simple or agave syrup
– 1 oz. ginger ale

For garnish: cocktail stick and raspberries.

METHOD;
• Macerate fruits in a shaker.
• Combine the Mezcal Campante, lime juice and syrup.
• Add ice to the shaker and stir.
• Strain over ice into glass.
• Top up with ginger ale.
• Garnish with raspberries on a cocktail stick.
• Preferred glass: rocks glass