Holiday Planning & Ideas Valentine's Day 17 Valentine's Day Cocktails You'll Want to Sip With Your Sweetheart By Marie Viljoen Marie Viljoen Marie is a freelance writer for MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines Updated on January 27, 2023 Trending Videos Photo: Mike Krautter What makes a good Valentine's Day cocktail? Champagne drinks have a celebratory feel—nothing heralds a special occasion more than the pop of a cork. Another theme we like is rosy, romantic drinks. Scarlet hearts are big on February 14th and red is easy to achieve with good apéritifs like Aperol, Campari, cassis, and sweet vermouth. And seasonal fruits are ready to help: Cranberries, pomegranate, and blood orange are not only vivid, but acidic and interesting when well-matched with their liquor-counterpart. We've also included some riffs on classics, like a paloma spiked with cranberry and a Manhattan kissed by Cassis—but any of these Valentine's Day cocktails will set the mood for a special night. 01 of 17 Cranberry-Champagne Cocktail Bryan Gardner Our all-American riff on the classic Kir Royale swaps the usual blackcurrant liqueur for cranberry sauce, ready-made or homemade. View Recipe 02 of 17 Amaro Spritz Nico Schinco Looking for a light-on-the-booze cocktail that's colorful, refreshing, and just right for toasting with your sweetheart? Try our Amaro Spritz—all you need is Campari or Aperol, tonic water, and lemon slices for garnish. View Recipe 03 of 17 Viola Kir Royale Richard Banks This boozy take on the usual Champagne-and-cassis cocktail adds vodka and replaces the cassis with a sweet purée of violas or pansies that gives the drink a gorgeous violet hue. View Recipe 04 of 17 Pomegranate Cosmopolitans Bryan Gardner In this suave interpretation of a Cosmopolitan, use pomegranate juice in place of the usual cranberry. Fresh lime juice wakes the shaken drink while orange liqueur smooths the tart edges. View Recipe 05 of 17 Kumquat Champagne Cocktail The aromatic skins of impossibly cute kumquats transform dry Champagne into a sunny walk in a citrus grove. Just close your eyes and dream about your next trip. View Recipe 06 of 17 Apérol Gin Punch Paola + Murray If you're gathering with your loved ones, this rosy Lillet, gin, and Apérol punch is just the thing to serve. We love that it's bright with botanicals. View Recipe 07 of 17 Cranberry Manhattan Bryan Gardner Whisky, cranberry sauce, vermouth, and a dash of bitters make a very good, colorful drink. View Recipe 08 of 17 Bleeding Heart Martini Pickled baby beets bleed beautifully into clear, cold gin and add a sophisticated nibble to your last sip. View Recipe 09 of 17 Manhattan Kir Royal David Loftus The addition of vermouth and Angostura steers a classic Kir Royale into Manhattan territory—the meeting of two great cocktails, like two well-suited humans. Cassis and amber bitters turn it appropriately pink. View Recipe 10 of 17 Campari, Gin, and Orange Liqueur This three-ingredient cocktail is just as the name suggests: It's an upgrade on the classic Campari-orange juice combo. Made crimson by Campari and balanced by the spicy bitter-orange sweetness of the liqueur Créole Shrubb by Clement, the drink is regularly blended on the sunny Caribbean isle of Martinique. View Recipe 11 of 17 Chambord Royale Anna Williams Can you have too many Champagne cocktail recipes in your repertoire? No, you cannot. This sparkler calls on Chambord for color and character—the French blackberry liqueur tints your drink cerise and reminds you of the color of love. View Recipe 12 of 17 Cranberry Paloma Bryan Gardner Cranberries are underappreciated when it comes to cocktials. Their tannins and astringency add body to drinks, and then there is that color. Combining grapefruit with this native American favorite makes for a brilliant interpretation of the peerless (yet pale) tequila drink. View Recipe 13 of 17 Venus Blush Cocktail Prosecco and Apérol cut with blood orange juice and seltzer is a gorgeously low-ABV refresher for a Valentine's breakfast or brunch. Pass the French toast! View Recipe 14 of 17 Pom Surprise Raymond Hom Antioxidant-rich pomegranate juice and freshly squeezed tangerines (plus their intense zest) are shaken up with good vodka and bitters—making this cocktail positively healthful. View Recipe 15 of 17 Aperol Negroni Mike Krautter Gin is blended with Apérol and sweet and dry vermouths, then poured into a glass rinsed with anise-strong Absinthe to create this red-hued sip. View Recipe 16 of 17 Cranberry Martini Freezing the martini glasses adds a sense of occasion to the condensation that will gather on your glasses of your ruby drink as you sip. View Recipe 17 of 17 Red Wine Spritzer Here's a drink for the lucky valentine sipping in a mild winter climate. Red wine is seriously undervalued as a cocktail ingredient; its fuller body (thanks to grape-skin tannins) lends itself well to gentle blending. A dash of a bittersweet apéritif like Apérol puts a wiggle in its hips, and a spritz of seltzer lightens the alcohol load. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit