If you’re contemplating spending Valentine’s Day at home this year, why not romance your other half with some spectacular cocktails? With the help of the mixologists at Bohemia Restaurant and Bar in Jersey, we’ve made these foolproof tips on creating home-made romantic refreshments, certain to tempt you towards a night in. Whichever cocktail you chose to create, here are 6 IDEAL tips for Valentine’s Day cocktails.
GLASSES GALORE
If you’re out to impress, it’s worth investing in good quality glasses to add a touch of class and elegance to your home-made beverage. Think of it as an extra Valentine’s Day present, if you like. Should you opt for a stemmed glass, you could also tie a pretty ribbon or flower stem around the base. It’s the little touches which add up to a big result.
SHAKEN VS STIRRED
As a general rule, any drink that contains only alcohol should be stirred, while any drink which contains a mixer should be shaken. So, bear this in mind when mixing, matching and concocting.
ICE ICE BABY
A little-known tip is to boil the water for your ice-tray prior to pouring it in, as these means no bubbles will form whilst your ice cubes freeze, giving your cocktails a professional look.
SWEET AND SOUR
The perfect formula for achieving the sweet and sour balance is 2:1:1. That’s two parts alcohol, one part sour, and one part sweet. Simple, really, and with endless possibilities. Ingredients which bring the sour include lemon or lime juice; and a sweet ingredient, such as simple syrup or triple sec will round out those sharp edges.
THEME
Recreate that trip to Mexico you took together with tequila cocktails and nibbles to match. Or recall those heady, hot days in Thailand with a palm sugar and makrut lime based offering. Whatever you choose, try to evoke nostalgia of fun and romantic holidays spent as a team with themed cocktails.
MAKE A BIG BATCH
If your Valentine is a fan of straight-spirit cocktails, why not create a big, preparatory batch of your drink ahead of time. You can then chill this in the fridge in an empty wine bottle and pour individual drinks when you’re ready.
GARNISH
A garnish is more than just pretty decoration— it’s often what brings the whole drink together, flavour-wise, and because of this, it’s worth doing well. It’s the first part of the drink customers judge, so you should put the same great deal of thought into this part of the cocktail process at home. Green garnishes look wonderful with clear drinks, and can even be added to ice for an extra wow-factor.