Cheers to romantic Valentine’s Day cocktails

Valentine’s Day is here, and no matter how you’re celebrating the occasion: whether it be with your significant other, drinking alone with your dog or hanging out with friends, every holiday is better with a cocktail. Cocktails are a great way to impress others ⁠— and even yourself!

If you hate Valentine’s Day (I know I do), maybe one of these drinks will make your day a little more bearable. So, this Valentine’s Day, mix up a cocktail or ten by checking out one of the eight recipes below:

Between The Sheets

Ingredients:

.75 oz Cointreau

1 oz. Mount Gay Silver rum

1 oz.· Rémy Martin VSOP cognac ·

0.5 oz fresh lemon juice

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and add ice. Shake and strain into a martini or coupe glass.

Tito’s Olive You So Much

Ingredients:

3 oz Tito’s Handmade Vodka

1 oz (or less) olive juice

Olives for garnish

Instructions:

Just add Tito’s Handmade Vodka and olive juice to a shaker with ice. Shake or stir, and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with olives.

Strawberry Feels

Ingredients:

2 oz. Mount Gay XO

.25 oz simple syrup

2 strawberries (de-stemmed and halved)·

2 dashes of Angostura Bitters

Strawberry or orange peel for garnish

Instructions:

Add simple syrup and strawberries to a mixing glass. Gently muddle to break down strawberries and infuse. Add rum, bitters, and ice. Stir and strain over a big cube in a rocks glass. Garnish with orange peel or strawberry on the glass.

Ruby Spritzer

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. Patrón Silver

2 oz. Martinelli’s Sparkling Apple Cider

1 oz pomegranate juice

.5 oz. fresh lemon juice

1 dash Angostura bitters

Lemon twist for garnish

Instructions:

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice to chill. Strain into a champagne flute. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Ketel One Botanical Grapefruit + Rose Spritz

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Ketel One Botanical Grapefruit & Rose

3 oz soda water

Herbs of choice, crisp citrus or fresh fruit for garnish

Instructions:

Serve in a wine glass with ice and your choice of fragrant herbs, crisp citrus, or other fresh fruit.

The Hummingbird Martini

Ingredients:

2 oz The Botanist Gin (Fresh Raspberry-Infused*)

1 oz Bianco Vermouth

2 dashes of Orange Bitters

Instructions:

Strain Fresh Raspberries from The Botanist Gin. Add the ingredients into a mixing glass. Add ice and stir. Strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with fresh raspberries.

*To infuse The Botanist Gin: Add crushed fresh raspberries into a mixing glass with The Botanist Gin. Let sit for 10 minutes. Strain.

Baileys Red Velvet Cupcake Martini

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz Baileys Red Velvet

3/4 oz vodka

Instructions:

Add Baileys Red Velvet and vodka in an ice-filled shaker. Shake with ice and pour into a martini glass.

Rose-Berry T&T

Ingredients:

1.25 oz Tanqueray No. TEN

.5 oz Raspberry Syrup

Tonic water (to top)

Freeze Dried Raspberry Dust (for rim of glass), Rosemary, Spray Rose for garnish.

Instructions:

Add ice to glass with Tanqueray No. TEN and raspberry syrup. Top with tonic. Add garnish.