12 pink cocktails and mocktails to serve this Valentine's Day
Heat things up at home with these blushing pink cocktails and mocktails that are perfect for serving on Valentine's Day, at bachelorette parties or anytime you feel like being pretty in pink.
We always love a great cocktail or mocktail — especially when they're themed. With Valentine's Day right around the corner, these beautiful pink cocktails and mocktails are a festive way to celebrate without breaking the bank on a dozen roses or a lights-out meal at one of Toronto's best restaurants. (In this economy) it's the thought that counts, and your boo will love to see you playing bartender, mixing up pink cocktails or mocktails and turning your place into one of the best bars in the city, instead of actually venturing out in the freezing cold.
If you don't already have a reservation at one of the most romantic restaurants in Toronto, it might be too late. But that's OK. These pink cocktails and mocktails are here to save the day. Order some cheap eats, cook a romantic dinner or simply make a charcuterie board. Cozy up in your jammies or get dressed up for a night in and sip on these pink cocktails and mocktails by the fireplace (channel).
Best of all, none of these pink cocktails or mocktails are made with American alcohol — it's all Canadian and European, baby. Skip the crowds this Valentine's Day and stir up these sweet pink cocktails and mocktail recipes at home.
Fill a highball glass with your favourite vanilla or chocolate ice cream.
Add the Dillon's Rose Gin and chocolate liqueur to the glass.
Top your glass with ginger beer.
Give a quick stir.
Drizzle Dillon's Niagara Grenadine on top and enjoy!
Gia's Aperol Spritz 3.0
Makes 1
Preparation time 5 minutes
Ingredients
3 oz Aperol infused with Fragola Fabbri
½ oz Lillet
3 dashes rhubarb bitters
½ oz lemon juice
Sparkling rosé or rosé, to top
Dehydrated strawberry dust, to garnish
Method
Add all ingredients except rosé to a shaker tin with ice and shake.
Strain into a glass over fresh ice.
Top with rosé or sparkling rosé and garnish with dehydrated strawberry dust.
Gin-uinely Yours
With its stunning presentation and irresistible flavour, the Gin-uinely Yours pink cocktail is perfect for toasting love, friendship or simply the joy of a beautifully crafted cocktail. Make it from scratch or with a Dillon's cocktail kit.
Makes 1
Preparation time 5 minutes
Ingredients
1½ oz Dillon’s Rose Gin
¼ oz Dillon’s Gentian
¼ oz Dillon’s Niagara Grenadine
1 oz fresh lemon juice
1 egg white
Dehydrated lemon wheel, for garnish
Method
Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker and dry shake for 20–30 seconds.
Add ice and shake again until the shaker is frosty and cold.
Strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with a dehydrated lemon wheel.
Clockwork's Meet me At the Clock
Makes 1
Preparation time 5 minutes
Ingredients
1 oz Hendricks Gin
½ oz lemon juice
½ oz simple syrup
1½ oz Veuve Clicquot Champagne
5 dashes peychaud bitters
1 frosé ice ball
Method
Add all ingredients except champagne and frosé ice ball to a shaker tin with ice and shake.
Add a frosé ice ball to a large, chilled coupe glass.
Strain the cocktail over the ice ball and top with 1½ oz of champagne.
The French Blonde
Billed as Taylor Swift's favourite cocktail, this refreshing and citrusy serve will make you want to dance with the one in New York with no shoes.
Makes 1
Preparation time 5 minutes
Ingredients
1 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin
¾ oz St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur
½ oz Lillet Blanc
1½ oz fresh strained grapefruit juice
1 dash lemon bitters
Grapefruit twist, to garnish
Method
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice
Shake (it off) and strain into a coupe.
Garnish with a grapefruit twist, if desired.
d|bar's Rhubarb Basil Gin Spritz
Makes 1
Preparation time 5 minutes
Ingredients
8 pieces of soaked rhubarb
1 bunch basil
½ oz lemon juice
½ oz rhubarb syrup
1 oz Botanist Gin
4 oz Moët & Chandon Impérial Rosé Champagne
Method
Add all ingredients, except the rosé champagne, to a mixing glass and muddle.
Pour into a wine glass over ice.
Top with the rosé champagne.
The Rabbit Hole's Blushing Bunny
Makes 1
Preparation time 5 minutes
Ingredients
1 oz Dillon’s Maison Selby Berry Bliss Liqueur
1 oz apple juice
2 oz Cave Spring Rosé
½ oz honey ginger syrup
½ oz lemon juice
4 fresh raspberries
Lemon slice, to garnish
Method
Add all liquid ingredients and three of the raspberries to a cocktail shaker with ice.
Shake and dirty pour into a wine glass.
Garnish with a fresh raspberry and a slice of lemon.
Dillon’s Rose Gin Negroni
This take on a classic negroni uses Dillon's Rose Gin to add floral notes to an otherwise strong and citrusy gin cocktail.
Serves 1
Preparation time 5 minutes
Ingredients
1 oz Dillon’s Rose Gin
1 oz Dillon’s Sweet Vermouth
1 oz Select Aperitivo
2–3 dashes Dillon’s Ginger Bitters
Orange peel, to garnish
Dried rose petals, to garnish
Method
Add all of the ingredients to a mixing glass. Add ice and stir for 20 to 30 seconds.
Place a large cube in a rocks glass and strain cocktail into the glass.
Garnish with either a large orange peel or dried rose petals. Or both!
Hong Shing's Rosé Royale
Makes 1
Preparation time 5 minutes
Ingredients
3 oz rosé wine
¾ oz Dillon's Rose Gin
½ oz gin
½ oz simple syrup
¼ oz fresh lime juice
Method
Add all ingredients to a shaker tin with ice. Shake.
Fine strain with a Hawthorne strainer into a coupe glass.
Cranberry Crush
Fresh cranberries and whole black peppercorns combine for the perfect balance of spicy, sweet and tart notes in this cocktail.
Serves 1
Preparation time 5 minutes
Cooking time 15 minutes
Ingredients
Cranberry and pepper shrub (makes 1 cup, enough for 8 cocktails)
½ cup filtered water
1 Tbsp black peppercorns
1 cup fresh cranberries
½ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup maple syrup or honey
For the cocktail
1 oz Dillon’s Dry Gin 7
1 oz cranberry and pepper shrub
2 dashes Dillon’s Cranberry Bitters
2 oz soda water
Fresh cranberries, to garnish
Black pepper, to garnish
Method
To make the cranberry and pepper shrub: Add the water and peppercorns to a medium pot, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce the heat to simmer. Add the cranberries and continue to simmer for 10 minutes, or until the cranberries are totally broken down, and the liquid is bright red.
Remove the pot from the heat, and add the apple cider vinegar and maple syrup. Stir to combine all the ingredients and let cool to room temperature.
Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into an airtight glass jar. The shrub will keep, covered in the refrigerator, for up to two weeks.
To make the cocktail: Add the gin, shrub and bitters to a shaker tin with ice. Shake vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds.
Strain the cocktail into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice and top with soda water. Garnish with fresh cranberries and black pepper.
Ceder's Pink Rose & Tonic mocktail recipe
The star of this mocktail recipe is Ceder's Pink Rose, a non-alcoholic spirit with a soft and sweet take on classic gin flavours.
Makes 1
Preparation time 5 minutes
Ingredients
1 part Ceder's Pink Rose
2 parts tonic water
Raspberries, to garnish
Mint, to garnish
Method
Combine Ceder's Pink Rose and tonic water in a highball or wine glass over ice. Stir.
Garnish with fresh raspberries and a sprig of mint.
Rise's The Surfer mocktail recipe
Surf on a wave of juicy watermelon with a hit of fresh mint in this mocktail from Rise.
Makes 1
Preparation time 10 minutes
Ingredients
1 watermelon slice
1 tsp maple syrup
7 oz (207ml) RISE 1g Watermelon & Mint
3 fresh mint leaves
Method
Blend the watermelon slice to make juice.
Strain the watermelon juice and pour it into a glass.
Add the kombucha and maple syrup. Stir with a bar spoon and serve.
