How to… woo your amour this Valentine’s Day

Forget chocolates and flowers, say it with a lovingly made cocktail.

Something with gin…

Raspberry Rose Royale

25ml Hendrick’s Gin
5ml sugar syrup*
Two fresh raspberry (one to garnish)
Champagne

Method:
Combine the raspberry, gin and sugar syrup in a cocktail shaker or Kilner jar and shake three times. Fine strain into the base of a Champagne flute then top with Champagne. Garnish with a fresh raspberry.
*To make sugar syrup – boil equal parts sugar and water together and allow to cool.

Angel Face Martini

35ml Tanqueray London Dry Gin
15ml Calvados
15ml apricot liqueur

Method:
Stir all ingredients together over ice. Strain into a chilled Martini glass and garnish with a twist of orange.

Something warm…

Apple Of My Eye

50ml Pimm’s Blackberry & Elderflower
150ml cloudy apple juice
15ml fresh lemon juice
10ml toffee or maple syrup
Blackberry to garnish

Method:
Add all ingredients to a pan and heat through – be careful not to boil. Pour into a heat-proof glass or, for a vintage vibe, a teacup and saucer. Garnish with a fresh blackberry.

Something sweet and milky…

Bene-Dulgent Milk Punch

30ml Bénédictine
20ml Mozart Dry Chocolate spirit
10ml De Kuyper Butterscotch Liqueur
20ml condensed milk
40ml milk

Method:
Pour all ingredients into a shaker or Kilner jar, fill with ice and shake very hard for 10 seconds then fine strain into a wine goblet. Garnish with grated chocolate and nutmeg.

Something with a touch of coconut…

Silver Angel

50 ml Malibu
5ml Crème de Peche
Apple juice
Champagne or sparkling wine

Method:
Shake Malibu and Crème de Peche over ice in a shaker or Kilner jar. Pour into Champagne flute and top with apple juice and Champagne or sparkling wine.

Something with vodka…

The Cîroc Dark Sunset

50ml Cîroc Red Berry Vodka
15ml raspberry liqueur
15ml fresh lemon juice
5ml sugar syrup
5 fresh raspberries
Soda water
Blackberries to garnish.

Method:
Gently muddle the raspberries in a cocktail shaker, add 50ml of Cîroc Red Berry Vodka and shake well. Strain over ice into a Sling glass and top up with soda water. Garnish with three fresh blackberries.

From Russia With Love

40ml Beluga Vodka
40ml lemon juice
40ml agave syrup
Dash of Crèmè de Mûre
5 fresh raspberries (1 to garnish)

Method:
Place four fresh raspberries into a shaker or Kilner jar, use a muddler or spoon to crush. Pour vodka, lemon juice and agave syrup into shaker with the crushed raspberries and fill with ice. Shake hard and then strain into a rocks glass. Add a dash of Crèmè de Mûre to create a red tint, top with ice and garnish with a single raspberry.

The Cocktail Lovers say…

On your own on 14th Feb? No worries, treat yourself to one of the handsome gift sets in the Singles Collection at Alexander & James. For rum lovers there’s the Zacapa XO and Zacapa Alchemy glass; for tequila fans there’s the Don Julio Reposado and Don Julio Drop glass and whisky buffs can choose from either The Singleton o.D 18 and Baccarat crystal tasting glass or Talisker Storm and Alexandre & James Highball glass.
alexanderandjames.com

This week we’re loving…

Why should IKEA have all the fun on the flat pack front? At London Cocktail Club, JJ Goodman and co. are offering their guests flat pack cocktails. Oh yes indeedy, choose from Bellini, Summer Fruit Daiquiri, Martini or Pornstar Martini and you get all of the ingredients presented to you in a nifty box for you to make at your table. And if you want to turn the fun factor up even further, the team invite you to buy one of their Party Bags – dressing up kits for grown-ups who are still young at heart. Guaranteed to get any party off to the perfect start.
From 14th February at London Cocktail Club. Valentine’s Day treat perhaps?
londoncocktailclub.co.uk

As featured in The Independent Dish of the Day blog 13/2/2014