Blood Orange Sour
red, fresh, and for two
Place the coupes in the freezer for ten minutes.
Juice the blood orange and lemon fresh; half a blood orange yields approximately 3 cl of juice.
Shake the gin, the Campari, both juices, and the sugar syrup with plenty of ice for twelve seconds.
Double strain into the chilled coupe to leave the pulp and ice shards behind.
Squeeze an orange zest over the glass as a twist and place it on the rim.
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Send the recipe for the Valentine's cocktails to your own email, so you have it on hand when you make it. You'll also receive a €5 discount code on orders from €50, for the accompanying glasses.
Cocktails for two
For two people, making a cocktail is easiest to manage: a 50 cl shaker has room for two portions at once. Double all the measurements, fill the shaker three-quarters full with ice and shake for fifteen seconds instead of twelve, because the larger quantity needs a little more time to chill. Put the coupes in the freezer beforehand and juice the fruit before you start, so you are not standing at the counter while the food gets cold. Choose one cocktail for the aperitif, fresh and dry, such as this sour or a Kir Royal, and optionally one with dessert. Something sweet and creamy works better there, such as a Brandy Alexander. Stick to two cocktails per person, so the evening remains about each other rather than the drinks.
The right glass
A coupe is the glass for Valentine's Day: the wide, shallow bowl shows off the cocktail's colour, while the aroma reaches your nose directly. Choose a model ranging from 22 to 26 cl, so it can hold a 13 cl sour with enough room to move without spilling. Put it in the freezer beforehand; a coupe has no ice in the glass, so the chill has to come from the glass itself. A martini glass also works for a French Martini. View the coupes.
RCR Timeless Champagne Glass / Coupe 26 cl (6 pieces)
Bormioli Rocco America'20S Champagne Glass / Coupe 22 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 79,90.
The right tools
For these Valentine's cocktails, in addition to glassware, you'll use a Boston shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, a cocktail strainer, a fine strainer for double straining and a citrus juicer. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you'll find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glassware set (our choice 01) + 5 bar tools together € 161,70.
What do you need to make these Valentine's cocktails?
For these Valentine's cocktails, you need gin and vodka. Well-known bottles include Campari, Cointreau and Absolut Raspberri. On each alcohol page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it pairs with and which glass you need.
Seven red and pink cocktails
Good to know
Shaking two cocktails at once
A 50 cl shaker is just large enough for two sours; in an 80 cl Boston shaker, you have more room for ice. Making more than two servings at once works poorly: the shaker gets too full of liquid, there is less room for ice, and the cocktail does not get properly cold. Fill it three-quarters full with ice cubes, close it firmly, and shake for fifteen seconds, until the outside frosts over. Then strain alternately into both glasses, a little at a time, so they both get the same amount and the dilution is equal.
Red and pink without food coloring
You get the color of a Valentine's cocktail from the ingredients themselves. Campari and cranberry juice give a bright red, blood orange a deep orange-red, and crème de cassis a dark purplish red, as in the Kir Royal. For pink, use raspberry syrup, grenadine, or a few crushed strawberries or raspberries, then double-strain. Real grenadine is made from pomegranate; cheaper versions are often just sugar and coloring. Half to one and a half centiliters is enough, as in the Pink Lady. The more egg white or cream the recipe contains, the softer the pink becomes.
An alcohol-free Valentine's cocktail
The Blood Orange Sour is easy to make alcohol-free because the juice takes center stage. Replace the gin with a non-alcoholic gin or 3 cl of cold, strong rooibos, leave out the Campari, and add an extra half a centiliter of lemon juice for sharpness. Shake everything for the same amount of time and strain into the same chilled coupe, so no one can tell who is drinking what. A splash of cold tonic makes it longer and drier. Find more ideas in the Mocktails and the Virgin Sex on the Beach.
A cocktail with dessert
After dinner, you don’t want another tart sour, but something creamy or bittersweet that can stand alongside chocolate. The Brandy Alexander with cognac, crème de cacao, and cream tastes like a liquid bonbon. An Espresso Martini keeps you awake and pairs well with tiramisu or chocolate cake. For something lighter, pour a Kir Royal with a fresh raspberry in the glass. Make the dessert cocktail smaller than the aperitif; 7 to 9 cl is enough, and serve it in a small coupe or a Nick & Nora glass.
Frequently asked questions
Which cocktail do you make for Valentine’s Day?
A fresh red or pink cocktail in a coupe, such as the Blood Orange Sour on this page, a Clover Club with raspberry, or a Cosmopolitan with cranberry. They’re ready for two people in five minutes. After dinner, choose something creamy, such as a Brandy Alexander.
Which glass do you use for Valentine’s cocktails?
A 22 to 26 cl coupe. The wide bowl shows off the color, while the stem keeps your hand away from the cold cocktail. Put the glass in the freezer for ten minutes before pouring. For bubbles such as a Kir Royal, choose a flute from the champagne glasses.
How do you make a cocktail pink?
With raspberry syrup, grenadine, cranberry juice, or muddled strawberries or raspberries. Half to one and a half centiliters of syrup is enough; more mainly makes the cocktail sweeter. Double-strain if you use fresh fruit. Egg white or cream makes the pink softer and lighter, as in the Pink Lady and the Clover Club.
What can you use if you don’t have a blood orange?
Regular navel orange with a little more Campari. Use 3 cl orange juice and increase the Campari to 1.5 cl; you’ll get almost the same color and a slightly more bitter taste. Pomegranate juice works too: 2 cl pomegranate and 1 cl orange. Blood oranges are usually available in stores from January through March.
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