This Valentine’s Day, let the celebration of love find its place at the table. It may be a candle-lit dinner, or an easy evening on the balcony with music playing softly in the background. It may even be two people experimenting in the kitchen, laughing over spilt ice and uneven measurements.
What matters is not perfection, but presence.
A glass raised together, a recipe made together, a memory created together... When so much around feels uncertain, it is in such moments that love finds its certainty.
To celebrate this special day, TNIE shares a few recipes of cocktails to spread the love on the day — simple, sweet and special, to celebrate warmth and togetherness.
Rose Petal Martini
Ingredients
Gin: 60 ml
Rose syrup: 15 ml
Fresh lemon juice: 15 ml
Ice cubes: 1 cup
Dried edible rose petals (optional): ½ teaspoon
Method
Chill a martini glass in the refrigerator. Add gin, rose syrup, and fresh lemon juice into a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice cubes and shake well for 15–20 seconds until properly chilled. Strain into the chilled glass. Garnish with a few dried edible rose petals and serve immediately.
Strawberry Champagne Sparkle
Ingredients
Fresh strawberries: 3–4
Sugar syrup: 10 ml
Chilled Champagne / Prosecco: 120 ml
Ice: a few cubes
Method
Wash and hull the strawberries. Mash them into a smooth puree using the back of a spoon. Add the puree to a chilled champagne flute. Add sugar syrup if desired. Slowly top with chilled Champagne or Prosecco. Stir gently and serve immediately.
Chocolate Espresso Martini
Ingredients
Vodka: 45 ml
Fresh espresso: 30 ml
Coffee liqueur: 20 ml
Chocolate syrup: 10 ml
Ice cubes: 1 cup
Cocoa powder or coffee beans: a pinch
Method
Brew fresh espresso and allow it to cool completely. Add vodka, cooled espresso, coffee liqueur, and chocolate syrup into a shaker. Fill with ice and shake vigorously for 20 seconds until frothy. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish lightly and serve immediately.
Raspberry Mojito
Ingredients
White rum: 50 ml
Fresh raspberries: 5–6
Mint leaves: 6–8
Sugar syrup: 15 ml
Fresh lime juice: 15 ml
Soda water: 60–90 ml
Ice cubes: 1 cup
Method
In a sturdy glass, gently muddle raspberries and mint leaves. Add sugar syrup and fresh lime juice. Fill the glass with ice cubes and pour in the white rum. Top with chilled soda water and stir gently. Garnish with mint and serve immediately.
Pomegranate Love Potion
Ingredients
Vodka: 45 ml
100% pomegranate juice (chilled): 60 ml
Honey syrup (equal parts honey and warm water mixed): 10 ml
Fresh lemon juice: 10 ml
Ice cubes: 1 cup
Pomegranate seeds: 1 teaspoon
Method
Add vodka, chilled pomegranate juice, honey syrup, and lemon juice into a shaker. Fill with ice and shake well for 15–20 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass. Garnish with a few pomegranate seeds and serve immediately.
Classic Cosmopolitan
Ingredients
Vodka: 45 ml
Triple sec: 15 ml
Cranberry juice: 30 ml
Fresh lime juice: 10 ml
Ice cubes: 1 cup
Orange peel (optional garnish): 1 strip
Method
Add vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, and fresh lime juice into a shaker. Fill with ice and shake well until chilled. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a strip of orange peel and serve immediately.
For the wine lovers
Binu T Abraham, a dentist and a passionate wine connoisseur, shares how wine makes a difference when it comes to romance. “Valentine’s Day isn’t just about chocolates and roses — it’s about creating a moment that lingers. And nothing sets the mood quite like a glass of wine that speaks the language of romance,” he says.
Rosé: It is a love story in a glass. Made from red grapes, it captures the best of both worlds — the fresh, crisp acidity of a white and the subtle fruitiness of a red. Its soft strawberry, watermelon, and rose‑petal notes make it perfect for a candlelit dinner, pairing effortlessly with everything from salads to grilled food. A chilled bottle of rosé is exactly what you want when you’re sharing a toast with someone special.
Champagne: True Champagne comes from France’s Champagne region, made using the traditional method (méthode champenoise), where a second fermentation happens in the bottle, creating those iconic bubbles. Its flavours — think green apple, toast, and a hint of citrus — dance on the palate, making every sip feel like a celebration. Make sure to use a long flute glass, so that the bubbles can travel up a good distance.
A few tips
Start with Champagne: Serve it chilled (around 8–10°C) as a welcome drink. Its acidity and bubbles awaken the palate.
Move to rosé: Pair it with your main course — roasted chicken, shrimp, or a mushroom risotto. Serve it at 10–12°C.