As seen on Breakfast Television, I’m sharing drink recipes that can be enjoyed by everyone this Valentine’s Day Season. We’re highlighting recipes that’s great for your kids, something for that love of your life that loves to sip whisky, the person who doesn’t love the taste of alcohol, and a trip over to Paris. These Valentine’s Day Cocktails are sure to impress everyone this weekend, no matter who you’re celebrating with.
If you didn’t get a chance to catch this segment on Television, that’s okay. You can find the video in the LINK ATTACHED HERE.
Strawberry Glitter Tea Lemonade
I’ve never been one that loves Valentine’s Day, but as a new mom, I found a new appreciation for this holiday. Valentine’s Day can be so fun with kids and encourages me to celebrate love for all the loves of my life. So I try to make it as fun as possible for my Toddler, and this drink is all that and more! I manage the sweetness with a quick Honey Syrup recipe, I use Edible Glitter for that sparkly factor AND we have a drink that turns a different colour right in front of your eyes. The kids will love this (oh and so will the adults).
How does the drink turn a different colour?
So how does the coolest drink in the world turn a different colour? Well this is all thanks to the NATURAL properties of Butterfly Pea Flower, which is conveniently available as a Tea. This is not the first time I’ve used Butterfly Pea Flower tea and it won’t be the last. I love it because it’s a natural way of creating drama to a cocktail. Plus, It doesn’t have a strong or distinctive flavour, which makes it easy to manipulate to your preference. The Butterfly Pea Flower Tea I used can be found on AMAZON with a link HERE to purchase!
Strawberry Glitter Tea Lemonade
A refreshing lemonade made with Butterfly Pea Flower Tea, edible glitter and honey lemonade for this fun, tasty drink the kids (and adults) will love!
– Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
- 6 oz Steeped Butterfly Pea Flower Tea no sugar added
Lemonade portion:
- 1.25 oz Lemon Juice
- 0.75 – 1.25 oz Honey Syrup 1:1 ration of honey and water
- 0.5 tsp Edible Glitter
- 2 Strawberries Sliced or optional strawberry Rose for Garnish
Instructions
- In a large Collins Glass, fill with ice and Butterfly Pea Flower Tea.
- Combine the Lemonade Portion in an easy pourable cup / measure. Pour over top of the tea mix and stir slowly. Watch the colours and drink transform into a beautiful purple with shimmer.
- Stir in Strawberry Slice for this refreshing Strawberry Glitter Tea Lemonade
Cinnamon Heart Old Fashioned Cocktail
For this special Valentine’s Day cocktail, I’m featuring a recipe that is targeting the folks that love to sip on a quality Whisky! Instead of just buying your loved one a bottle of whisky, why not take it a step further by creating something special their palate can enjoy? PLUS, they’ll love the effort you took to make their Valentine’s Day extra special with this Cinnamon Heart Old Fashioned Cocktail.
Truth be told, I have never enjoyed Cinnamon Hearts. So why would I make it the star ingredients in this Canadian Whisky Cocktail? Because Canadian Club 12 Year Old and my Cinnamon Heart Syrup create some true magic. By creating a simple Cinnamon Heart Syrup Recipe, and pairing it with the Canadian Club 12 Year Old Whisky, you can create an outstanding Old Fashioned like no other. The heat and spice from the syrup, lend so well with the tasting notes of the Canadian Club 12 Year Old. It picks up the delicate banana and dried fruit aroma and offers a rich and round taste with light spice, vanilla and fruit character and ends with a long and dry finish. That’s what you get when you work with a quality spirit like the Canadian Club 12 Year Old featured here. And you only need a little of the Cinnamon Heart Syrup for this Valentine’s Day Cocktail to go a long way. You can find the recipe below here:
Cinnamon Heart Old Fashioned
A delicious, Valentine-themed Old Fashioned using Canadian Club 12 Year Old Whisky.
– Difficulty: Intermediate
Ingredients
- 2 oz Canadian Club 12 Yr Old Whisky
- 0.5 oz Cinnamon Heart Syrup
- 3 Dashes Dillon’s Aromatic Bitters
- 2 Orange Peels
Instructions
- In a mixing glass, add 1 orange peel and muddle to extract oils
- Add in bitters, syrup and then the Canadian Club 12 Yr Old Whisky.
- Fill with ice and stir well.
- Strain over 1 large Ice Cube.
- Garnish with remaining Orange Peel
Recipe Notes
To make the Cinnamon Heart Syrup, follow the Cinnamon Hearts Syrup Recipe available HERE, but add 1 inch Ginger (skin removed) with 1 star anise for added flavour.
Love on the Beach (Lower-in-Alcohol Beverage)
It shouldn’t surprise me, but I still get told the following A LOT. There are many of you that tell me that they don’t love the taste of alcohol. Or simply they just want something really light / lower-in-alcohol that can be very simple and easy to sip. So this cocktail is for all of you that feel like this, plus you can make it ALCOHOL-FREE with a Non-Alcoholic Gin Substitute. It’s bright, easy and meant to be approachable for all palates. The other major bonus is that this cocktail tastes like you’re on vacation.
So what are the necessities to this cocktail? Well, I created this with a vodka that’s incredibly smooth in taste, but maybe not the easiest to pronounce and that’s with Luksusowa. It’s so easy on the palate and this vodka deserves more love because it’s delicious and at a great value price point. Guava Juice and Coconut Water demands a quality product, hence why Rubicon is my first choice for my tropical juice flavours in Cocktails. Lastly, the Fever-Tree Sparkling Grapefruit Soda, really rounds out all the flavours, and is a MUST in this cocktail and on your bar.
Love on the Beach
We've got a Lower-In-Alcohol Serve, that's absolutely delicious and light in taste. Combining Vodka, Guava Juice, Coconut and Lime for a drink that will make you feel as if you're on vacation.
– Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
- 0.75 oz Vodka
- 1.5 oz Rubicon Guava Juice
- 1.5 oz Rubicon Organic Coconut Water
- 0.5 oz Lime Juice
- 1 oz Fever-Tree Grapefruit Soda
- 2 Strawberry Slices
Instructions
- In a Hurricane Glass, fill with ice completely.
- Add in all your ingredients, saving the Grapefruit Soda for the end.
- Stir and top with Strawberry Slices.
Summer in Paris (Brandy Raspberry Sour)
There is so much to love here. I love bringing a unique experience to any occasion. So if a trip to Paris is out of the budgets at the moment, take it one step further by creating a drink inspired by your fantasy destination. With Paris being the city of LOVE, I let that guide my creation here. I used my absolute FAVOURITE, affordable brandy and that’s the St. Remy Signature Release. It’s a fantastic Brandy, and at the price point and quality, this bottle is all about Value which I love. We’ve also shaken up this Valentine’s Day Cocktail with fresh Raspberries, Egg Whites and citrus for an outstanding Brandy Sour. So think Summer in Paris, and here we are.
But if you’re here because you were intoxicated by the glassware, I get it. It’s one of my favourite glasses too and a must serve for Valentine’s Day. So I love that we could have fun with this, and if you’d like to shop this Glassware, you can find it at ALAMBIKA. Plus if you use discount code MONICA at checkout, you can get 10% on some of my special selections!
Summer in Paris
We're bringing Paris in a Glass with this Brandy Raspberry Sour, utilizing St Remy Brandy Signature Blend, fresh raspberries, Cointreau and egg whites.
– Difficulty: Intermediate
Ingredients
- 1.75 oz St Remy Brandy
- 0.25 oz Orange Liqueur Cointreau
- 4 Fresh Raspberries
- 1 oz Freshly Squeezed Lemon
- 0.5 oz Honey Syrup 1:1
- 1 Egg White approximately 1 oz if using Egg White carton
- Bitters for Heart Shape Design *Optional
Instructions
- In a shaker, muddle Raspberries.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and shake without ice. Shake Well.
- Once that’s done, add in ice again to your shaker and shake well to chill the cocktail.
- Double strain into your favourite coupe or Rose Glass.
- Dress the top with 4 drops of Bitters, and use a toothpick to make the heart shape on top.
Recipe Notes
If you’d like to substitute the Egg White, I would suggest Aquafaba or a Miracle Foamer. And no, Aquafaba will not make your drink taste like chickpeas.
If you’d like to find more Valentine’s Day Cocktails, you can check out our list of options HERE!
