Call me a miserable old cynic, but I’ve long held onto the notion that Valentine’s Day is an event made up by one of the large stationary chains, with the sole aim of selling more schmaltzy-messaged greetings cards, heart-shaped balloons and doe-eyed teddy bears in gift bags – and let’s face it, nothing screams ‘unromantic-last-minute-gesture’ like a teddy bear in a bag.
That said, 14 February is still a golden opportunity to shower affection on our loved ones, and it can be fun – given the right location to create the perfect mood, or some exquisite romantic drinks to make at home, as you choose the perfect playlist or Netflix series to cosy up to.
Romantic drinks for Valentine’s Day 2024, at home or away
Make it Japanese-themed in London
Whilst a trip with your loved one to see the cherry blossom season in Kyoto might be about as romantic as it gets, fans of Japanese culture need look no further than London’s Prince Akatoki hotel for an authentic – and deeply romantic – selection of cocktails especially for Valentine’s Day 2024. The special two-drink menu, entitled ‘A Journey Of Romance’ is a love letter to the senses.
Kai brings together Hibiki Japanese Harmony blended whisky, Macallan 12-year-old single malt, kumquat essence, cold brew sencha tea and spiced orgeat syrup. Its companion drink, Ai, includes Japanese gin, shiso, yuzu juice, a mirin reduction and soda water. Both romantic drinks are perfect for sharing sips with your partner too.
Each cocktail is priced at £18, princeakatokilondon.com
A romantic weekend at the coast, in Cornwall
If you’re planning a last-minute getaway, you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere more romantic than the spectacular scenery and coastal splendor of Cornwall, in particular Carbis Bay, which has become something of a gastronomic hot spot, thanks to the brilliance of the Michelin-starred Ugly Butterfly, opened by renowned chef, Adam Handling. The bar is utterly delightful and the sunset views across the sea are worth the trip alone. But romantic drinks are the order of the day and the Fal Town, a wonderfully novel take on the dry martini fits the bill perfectly, with local oyster shell-infused Belvedere vodka, Tarquin’s Cornish gin, finished off with a samphire and seaweed ocean foam, for additional wafts of aphrodisiac coastal delight.
£16, uglybutterfly.co.uk
A cosy city break in Edinburgh or Glasgow
Whilst you can’t predict the weather, you can cuddle up close to your loved one and enjoy the warming hospitality of some of the best cocktail bars in the UK. At August House in Glasgow, you’ll find some especially curated Valentine’s Day cocktails, including the Love Heart Crush, lovingly made with Malfy Limone gin, watermelon syrup, fresh lemon juice, topped up with soda and garnished with love heart sweets. Over in Edinburgh at the sumptuous Gleneagles Townhouse rooftop bar, The Lamplighters, you’ll find a tropical-themed cocktail called Caught In The Rain, made with vodka, banana, white chocolate and pineapple, which you and your partner can sip together whilst imagining your next exotic, highly romantic trip together.
Cocktails in a box from Scarfes bar, London
London’s elegantly appointed Scarfes bar situated in the Rosewood Hotel has long been a favourite haunt of mine and possesses an envious single malt whisky collection for the discerning drinker. It has now curated a special Valentine’s Cocktail Box, featuring an especially bottled martini-style cocktail with Japanese Roku gin, 1757 Vermouth di Torino and peach, alongside two mini coupes, cocktail picks and a deck of Scarfes playing cards for the makings of a perfect night in. Even better, book a night at the Rosewood and bring the box up to your room to heighten the romantic gesture.
Valentine’s Cocktail Box, £98, rosewoodhotels.com
Cocktails at home with tequila: the spirit to reignite the sizzle…
On face value, despite how much joy it undoubtably contains, a bottle of tequila may not seem like the most romantic of gestures. But given a few rounds of decadent Paloma cocktails, or the odd Rose-Tinted Margarita, and things can very much take an impassioned turn. Tequila brand Komos has launched a rather fun reposado – or lightly aged expression – created by industry veteran and sommelier Richard Betts, which sees the usually herbaceous spirit rested for two months in French oak barrels previously containing Cabernet red wine from Napa Valley. The wine has imparted a rose-like hue to the spirit, alongside some generous fruity notes, adding colour and depth to your cocktails. Buy a bottle from Amathus in Soho and you can get it engraved with a romantic missive too.
Komos Tequila Reposado Rosa, £86 – £139, amathusdrinks.com
The ultimate stay-at-home Valentine’s Day cocktail kit? Quite possibly…
For the sophisticated sipper in your life, things just got a whole lot simpler, thanks to this well-curated Dirty Martini kit from Drinksdistilled.co.uk, which aims to give home drinkers more inspired confidence in their cocktail-making endeavours (more ideas in the 60-Second Cocktails book). The kit features all the cocktail tools you need – a bottle of Dimas vodka, which is distilled in the Ukraine, some pickled gerkins, pickle brine (rather than the usual olive kind,) two stunning Nick & Nora glasses (the perfect size for martinis in my opinion) and a recipe from cocktail writer and expert Millie Milliken – and the Dirty Martini is a cracking aperitif to get the tastebuds enlivened before any romantic meal. What’s more, £5 from every sale goes towards first aid kits in the Ukraine.
