With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, bars up and down the country are looking to impress loved-up consumers with dreamy, enamouring cocktails. We take a look at what some venues and brands are up to mark the occasion.
In celebration of Valentine’s Day, The Ivy Chelsea Garden’s entrance will be adorned with an installation inspired by Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s painting of the iconic love swing. Guests will be invited to step into the whimsical, picture-perfect display surrounded by an abundance of pale pink and peach roses.
The venue will also be adding two new Valentine’s Day-themed cocktails using Lanique Spirit of Rose, as well as a limited-edition sharing dessert, to its menu. The first serve, the Rose Fizz, blends Lanique Spirit of Rose and Ivy Collection Champagne, while the Rose Petal Martini (pictured above) features Lanique Spirit of Rose, Plymouth Gin, lychee juice and Peychaud’s bitters.
The venue’s Valentine’s Day-inspired dessert, designed for two, is ‘Roses are red, berries are too’, a treat of white chocolate cheesecake, raspberries, strawberries and rose petals.
St James Bar at luxury London hotel Sofitel St James is serving up a special Valentine’s Day cocktail named Encantado, which offers a delicate blend of Calle 23 Tequila infused with strawberry and timur cordial, pickled clementine juice and oyster leaf, topped with champagne. For a quintessentially romantic finish, the drink is garnished with strawberry leather and a light sprinkle of chocolate dust.
Encantador
50ml Calle 23 Tequila
20ml Strawberry & timur cordial
3 drops Oyster leaf
10ml Pickled clementine juice
Top with Champagne
Garnish with strawberry leather and chocolate dust.
Fentimans is looking to tempt gin lovers with Hendricks & Rose. Made using Fentimans Rose Lemonade, it’s described as a perfect pink-hued option for those looking for a Valentine’s pre-dinner treat or romantic drinking experience.
Hendrick’s and Rose
50ml Hendrick’s Gin
125ml Rose Lemonade
10ml Elderflower syrup
Build all ingredients in a glass with ice and garnish with cucumber.
This Valentine’s Day, consumers can indulge in a date night at La Maison Rémy Martin, a permanent residency at Bibendum in collaboration with celebrated two-Michelin starred French chef Claude Bosi.
The cocktail menu has been updated for spring and includes concoctions such as a classic French 75, bespoke Old Fashioned and Lady in Red, a Pornstar Martini with a cognac twist. There’s also the crowd-pleasing Espresso Martini, with Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal, Mount Gay Black Barrel rum, espresso and cacao.
A selection of food pairings are available, including cheeses from the trolley, the all-time favourite Bibendum lobster bao, and for the ultimate aphrodisiac boost, rock oysters.
French 75
25ml Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal
20ml Lemon juice
10ml Jasmine tea-infused sugar syrup
Top with Champagne
Shake together the Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal, lemon juice and Jasmine tea-infused sugar syrup. Strain into a flute and top up with Champagne. Garnish with a twist of lemon zest.
Old Fashioned
Rémy Martin 1738 or Rémy Martin XO
A choice of cherry, grapefruit, chocolate, Angostura, creole or Peychaud’s bitters
A choice of orange zest, dark chocolate, dried Figs or lemon twist garnish
Add sugar and bitters to a whisky glass and gently muddle, add 50ml Rémy Martin 1738 or Rémy Martin XO and stir gently. Add one ice cube at a time until chilled, but not over diluted. Garnish to your preference.
Lady in Red
35ml Rémy Martin VSOP
10ml Passoã
15ml Cointreau Blood Orange
15ml Vanilla syrup
10ml Lemon juice and squeeze
Passionfruit
Soda water
Shake together Rémy Martin VSOP, Passoã, Cointreau Blood Orange, vanilla syrup, lemon juice and squeeze in a half passionfruit. Shake and strain over ice, then top up with soda. Serve in a rocks glass and garnish with fresh mint twig and the other passionfruit half.
The One to Be Loved cocktail has been created for Fenjiu, China’s premium Baijiu white spirit, by Paolo Lazzarich, senior bartender of Soho House, especially for celebrating Valentine’s Day on 14 February.
The One to Be Loved
30ml Fen Chiew by Fenjiu 10-year-old
20ml Lanique Rose Liqueur
10ml Clarified lemon juice
Stir the ingredients and pour into a Nick & Nora or Martini glass. Garnish with a rose petal.
The Sky Garden, located in London skyscraper The Walkie Talkie, offers spectacular views across the city. This year the bar has collaborated with VII Hills Italian dry gin to create the Hills of Love cocktail, inspired by the romantic city of Rome. Made with VII Hills gin, wild strawberry-infused wine, chocolate liqueur and coconut protein, the team believe it’s the ideal tipple to sip on whilst taking in London’s most famous landmarks.
As Valentine’s Day approaches, The London Essence Company has created a selection of easy-to-make, “light and low” cocktails. Each serve has been paired with a London Essence crafted soda or tonic, including flavour combinations Pomelo & Pink Pepper, White Peach & Jasmine and Elderberry & Hibiscus.
Prosecco Spritz
Prosecco
White Peach & Jasmine Soda
Lemon zest
Pour both liquids into a chilled glass, rub the lemon zest garnish around the rim of the glass to release the oils, then discard.
Orange & Pink Pepper Highball
20ml Grain-based vodka
15ml Cointreau
10ml Lime juice
125ml Chilled Pomelo & Pink Pepper Tonic
Build over ice in a Highball glass and garnish with rose petals.
Elderberry & Hibiscus Highball
50ml Red Vermouth
Elderberry & Hibiscus crafted soda
Build over ice in a Highball glass and garnish with orange zest.
One example from the ‘Elixirs’ list is the pink, vodka-based, raspberry-flavoured Damiana’s Charm. The key ingredient of the cocktail is the recognised aphrodisiac ground damiana leaf, which also goes by the name ‘Love Leaf’. Guests of The Cauldron can also try the Heartbreak Shot, served in a black shot glass, which has been developed to appeal to consumers looking for the perfect anti-Valentine’s night of fun with friends.
Mixologist and ‘head potions master’ Dave Duckworth said: “Love is most definitely in the air in Edinburgh. We’re excited to introduce some love potions to the city, and add even more fun to our dramatic cocktails.
“Damiana has been used throughout history to increase sexual desire, so it was a logical step to pair it with vodka and raspberry to celebrate Valentine’s Day. The Damiana’s Charm looks and tastes fantastic, and we’re looking forward to seeing a little extra magic in the bar in the coming weeks.”
