Love is in the air, and Valentine’s Day plans are top of mind. Avoid the race for a reservation and mix up a cupid-approved cocktail at home with these recipes, courtesy of Tanteo Tequila, Vera Wang PARTY Prosecco, Glendalough Gin, Woodford Reserve and several other spirits!
Tanteo Tequila Red-Pepper-Ita
- 1.75 oz. Tanteo Chipotle Tequila
- .25 oz. Mezcal
- .75 oz. Red Pepper Purée
- 1 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
- .5 oz. Light Agave Nectar (or simple syrup)
Directions: Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into an ice-filled. Rocks Glass (smoky salt rim optional). Garnish with a Pepper Wedge.
Cutwater Spirits “I’ve Got A Slush on You” (*serves 2)
- 2 oz Cutwater Hibiscus Vodka
- 2 oz Aperol
- 2 oz strawberry syrup
- 1 oz lemon
- 6 drops rose water
Directions: (*this will be a frozen cocktail in the tasting room from the slushie machine, these instructions are for making at home) Add ingredients to a blender with ice. Blend on high until smooth consistency. Pour into 2 cocktail glasses and garnish with a mini red rose.
Proper Peaches
- 2 parts Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey
- 1/2-part simple syrup
- 1 peach, diced
- 3-4 mint leaves
- Splash of soda water
Directions: Muddle peaches, simple syrup & mint leaves in a shaker. Add Proper No. Twelve and fill shaker with ice. Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice. Top with a splash of soda water. Garnish with mint leaves and a peach slice.
Wendy Bird
- 2 oz Vera Wang PARTY
- 1 oz soda water
- .25 Bianco Bitter Liqueur
- .5 oz lemon juice
- .5 oz sage syrup (Boil sage with water for 15 minutes, add equal parts sugar to the mixture, mix and let sit to cool)
- 1 oz pear juice
- 3-4 pieces of sage
Method: Combine all ingredients except for the soda water and prosecco in a shaker. Shake and strain into a flute. Top with a splash of soda water and 2 ounces of Vera Wang PARTY Prosecco. Finish with a fresh piece of sage.
Fishers Island Lemosa
- 2 oz. Fishers Island Lemonade
- 4 oz. Sparkling Wine (Champagne or Prosecco)
- Freshly squeezed orange juice
- Garnish: fresh fruit (lemon or strawberry)
Method: Pour sparkling wine in a glass and top with FIL. Finish with orange squeeze.
Avaline Mulled Wine
- 1 bottle of Avaline Red
- 1 orange, peeled (about 6 peels)
- and then juiced (about 1.5 oz)
- 1 lemon, peeled (about 6 peels)
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 5-star anise (whole)
- 5 cloves (whole)
- 5 all-spice (whole)
- 1 tbsp organic cane sugar
- 1 orange cut into half wheels (for garnish)
Method: Start by peeling your orange and your lemon, then juice the orange. Set aside. Combine your spices in a large saucepan and toast on medium heat for a couple of minutes. Add the rest of your ingredients to the pan and let it sit until it starts to steam (about 30 seconds.) Reduce your heat to low, and let the ingredients simmer together for fifteen minutes. Strain and serve your wine in a mug– we love to use heat resistant glass to let the rich color shine through. Garnish with an orange wheel, and sip to keep the chill away.
At First Sight
- 1 1⁄2 oz. Crystal Head Aurora
- 1⁄2 oz. Maraschino Liqueur
- 1⁄2 oz. 1883 Violette Syrup
- 1⁄2 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
- 1 Egg White
Directions: Combine all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake for 15 seconds. Remove the ice and shake again. Double strain into a chilled Nick + Nora glass. Garnish with an edible flower and a dehydrated lemon wheel.
Seagram’s Berry In Love Mimosa
- 2 ounces of Seagram’s Pineapple Vodka
- ½ ounce of strawberry syrup
- ½ ounce in lemon juice
- top with champagne
- Garnish with strawberry and citrus peel
Directions: Add everything to a shaker except the champagne. Shake then strain into champagne glass. Top with champagne and garnish with strawberry and citrus peel.
Corralejo Passionate Souls Paloma
- 1 1⁄2 oz. Corralejo Reposado
- 1⁄4 oz. Simple Syrup
- 3⁄4 oz. Lemon Juice
- 1 oz. Passion Fruit Pureé
- 5 Dashes Cayenne Tincture
- 3 Drops Angostura Bitters
- Top with Grapefruit Soda or Grapefruit Beer
- Rim with Tajín
- Rocks Ice
Directions: Combine all ingredients except for grapefruit beer into a cocktail shaker, shake thoroughly. Rim the Collins glass with Tajín, then add fresh rocks ice. Hawthorne and fine strain the cocktail over rocks in the glass, then top off the cocktail with grapefruit soda or grapefruit beer. Garnish with a dried blood orange wheel and a torched grapefruit half-moon.
Los Arango Rose
- 2 ounces Los Arango Añejo
- ¾ ounce lime juice
- ½ ounce agave syrup
- ½ ounce grenadine
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to chill and combine ingredients. Fine strain into a coupe glass. Garnish & Enjoy!
Electric Cosmopolitan (Non-Alcoholic)
- 2 fl oz Three Spirit Livener
- 2 fl oz cranberry juice
- 2 barspoons lime juice
- 1/2 a barspoon Seville orange marmalade
Method: Add all ingredients to an ice-filled cocktail shaker or mason jar and shake hard. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with candied cranberries and a wheel of dried orange. Fresh orange also works. For a low alcohol twist, drizzle in half an ounce of citrus vodka before you shake!
Love Your Neighbor
- 1.5oz Ilegal Mezcal Joven
- .5oz Fresh Grapefruit Juice
- .5oz Fresh Lime
- 4oz Tonic
Method: Build over fresh ice in a highball glass and stir. Salt half the rim and garnish with a grapefruit slice.
Rob Roy
- ¾ oz. The GlenDronach Original Aged 12 Years
- 1 oz. Vermouth
- 3 dashes Angostura Bitters
- Garnish: Brandied Cherry
Method: Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir until very cold and strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with cherry.
Sweet Cherry Smash (from Two Hands, New York City)
- 1.5 oz Starward Two-Fold Australian Whisky
- 1 oz Cherry Jam
- 1 oz Lime
- 1 oz Soda
- 2 Strawberries, garnish
- Mint sprig, garnish
Method: Shake ingredients over ice, then strain into a wine glass of ice. Garnish with 2 strawberries on a skewer, large mint tip and striped straw.
Bourbon Raspberry Sour
- 2 parts Woodford Reserve Double Oaked
- .5 parts Chambord or Raspberry Syrup
- .75 fresh Lemon Juice
- 3-4 Woodford Reserve Chocolate Bitters
Method: Combine all ingredients in a shaker, add ice, shake, and double strain into a coupe or martini glass. Garnish with three skewed raspberries.
Pomegranate Blueberry Caipirinha
- 2 oz Novo Fogo Fogo Silver or Novo Fogo Barrel-Aged Cachaça
- 1 ¼ Tbsp sugar
- ½ lime
- ¼ Pomegranate (or ⅛ cup of Pomegranate Arils)
- 5 Blueberries
Method: Remove the width pith from the lime and discard it. Cut the remaining lime in slices; toss them into the glass and add blueberries and pomegranate arils. Muddle them with sugar in the glass. Fill the glass with ice. Add cachaça and pour everything into a shaker. Shake and pour everything (including the ice) back into the same glass.
BABE, Bee Mine?
- 1/2 Cup BABE Grigio
- 1 Lemon, Juiced
- 5 Fresh Raspberries
- 3 Small Sprigs of Fresh Thyme
- 1 tsp. Honey
Instructions: Place lemon juice, raspberries, thyme, and honey in a cocktail mixing glass and muddle together. Add the BABE Grigio and stir well with a cocktail spoon. Strain into a glass with ice. Garnish with a lemon slice, and thyme sprig.
Zaya’s Galentines Ginger
- 2 oz. Zaya Gran Reserva
- ½ oz. Lime Juice
- ¼ Ginger Syrup
- 1 ½ oz. Apple Cider
- Ice (for shaking)
- Crushed Ice (for serving)
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Shake well with ice. Strain into a Collins glass over crushed ice. Garnish with fresh mint & a lime wheel.
Glendalough Rose Spritz
- 2 oz Glendalough Rose Gin
- 1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
- Top with a Grapefruit Soda
Method: 2 oz of Rose Gin poured into an ice-filled glass. Add 1 oz of fresh lime juice. Top with grapefruit soda. Garnish with a grapefruit wheel and freshly torn and slapped sprig of mint.
Templeton Rye Old Fashioned
- 2 oz. Templeton Rye 6 Year
- 1 Sugar Cube (or ½ tsp. of sugar or simple syrup)
- 3 Dashes Angostura Bitters
- Large Ice Rocks
- Orange Peel Garnished
Method: Add sugar and bitters to a chilled rocks glass. Muddle and stir until sugar is nearly dissolved. Fill glass with one large ice cube, add Templeton Rye, and gently stir until chilled. Express the oil of the orange peel over the glass and add as garnish.
Cranstonian
- 1 oz. Dos Hombres Mezcal
- 1 oz. Cranberry juice (sweetened)
- 1/2 oz. Aperol
- 1/2 oz. Fresh lime juice
Directions: Add all ingredients into a mixing tin. Shake and strain into a large rocks glass rimmed with salt and chili powder. Enjoy! TO PURCHASE: DRIZLY
Ready-to-Enjoy
Sonoma-Cutrer Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2019 ($35, 13.9% ABV)
Sonoma-Cutrer has been crafting wines since 1981 in the esteemed Russian River Valley growing region of Sonoma County, California. Today, their female-led winemaking team produces sustainable certified wines. Released in September 2020, the wine is aged in a mix of new, one-year and two-year old French oak barrels for 11 months. This vintage of the Sonoma Cutrer Russian River Valley Pinot Noir has a deep ruby-purple hue and aromas of exotic spice, blackberry fruit, and sweet vanilla, resulting in an elegant flavor. With a balanced acidity, juicy core, and a long finish, it is sure to be a favorite of pinot noir lovers.
Cutwater Tiki Rum Punch(7% ABV)
Inspired by tropical and retro party punches, this light and effervescent cocktail features Cutwater’s award-winning Bali Hai Rums with a sparkling orange-passion fruit punch. Exceptional served cold from its pink floral can and equally impressive poured over ice in your favorite punchbowl garnished with fresh citrus.
WESAKE (13% ABV, $18.99 for a four-pack)
A romantic dinner calls for an elegant drink – try pairing your Valentine’s Day meal (or desserts) with WESAKE. Made in partnership with a 280-year-old Japanese brewer, WESAKE is a Junmai Ginjo-style brew that retains the quality and craft of traditional Japanese sake in eye-catching 200ml cans. Like all sakes carrying the Junmai distinction, it is made with only rice, water, yeast, and koji, a Japanese fermentation starter also used for making soy sauce and miso. Sold in four packs, WESAKE is perfect for two to share. Available in NY, CA, CT and GA or for purchase DTC HERE.