Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to experiment with new cocktail recipes, whether you have a special someone or you’re celebrating with friends! But there’s no need to go to a bar to get your hands on delicious and Instagram-worthy Valentine’s Day cocktails. These three vodka-based cocktail recipes offer a varied bouquet of sweet, floral, and fruity flavors that are easy to make.
While these drinks use vodka — a bar cart staple — as the base, you’ll also need a few special occasion spirits to make your drinks shine! You’ll need Crème de Violette, a floral, purple spirit that often contains brandy and violet flavoring. My favorite brand is Rothman and Winter Crème de Violette, which contains violets picked on the slopes of the Alps (how romantic!). Another festive spirit you’ll need is Godiva Milk Chocolate Liqueur. This rich, chocolatey liqueur is unmatched in flavor in my opinion, although crème de cacao is an acceptable substitute.
If you want to be extra fancy, opt for a martini glass to serve these eye-catching cocktails. Otherwise, the only equipment you’ll need are a shaker, strainer, and blender. Enjoy!
Violet Valentine
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Active Time: 1 minute
Total Time: 3 minutes
Servings: 1
Ingredients
1 oz unflavored vodka
½ oz crème de violette
1 ½ oz plain lemonade
2 tbsp white granulated sugar
Optional: candy to decorate rim
Step 1:
First, moisten the rim of your martini glass with lemonade, and rim your glass with the sugar.
Step 2:
Next, add ice, crème de violette, vodka, and lemonade to your cocktail shaker.
Step 3:
Shake vigorously for 10 seconds and strain into your rimmed martini glass.
Step 4: Then, add some festive candy of your choice to your sugared rim.
Chocolate Truffle Martini
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Active Time: 1 minute
Total Time: 3 minutes
Servings: 1
Ingredients
1 oz vanilla vodka
1 ½ oz Godiva Milk Chocolate Liqueur
½ oz Baileys Almande Liqueur
2 tbsps chocolate sprinkles
2 tbsps chocolate frosting
1 mini chocolate bar
Step 1:
First, spread a thin layer of chocolate frosting around the rim of your glass.
Step 2:
Next, roll the rim of your glass in chocolate sprinkles.
Step 3:
Add ice, vodka, Bailey’s, and Godiva Milk Chocolate liqueur to your cocktail shaker. Stir, but do not shake your ingredients.
Step 4: Then, strain the mixture into your martini glass. Garnish with a mini chocolate bar of your choice.
Frozen Love Potion
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Active Time: 1 minute
Total Time: 3 minutes
Servings: 1
Ingredients
1 oz unflavored vodka
1 oz raspberry liqueur
½ cup berry flavored sorbet (I used Jeni’s Frosé sorbet)
¼ cup frozen raspberries (set aside 2-3 berries)
Valentine’s Day sprinkles of your choice
Step 1:
First, wet the rim of your glass with raspberry liqueur, and roll in sprinkles.
Step 2:
Next, add vodka, raspberry liqueur, sorbet, and frozen raspberries to your blender, and blend until combined.
Step 3:
Carefully pour frozen mixture into your glass and arrange frozen raspberries on top.