Impress her with a Valentine’s Cocktail

(Written for Dinner4Date )

For your first Valentine’s together, you gave her roses. For the next, you cooked her dinner. You’ve bought her chocolates and you’ve surprised her with champagne. So this year, you know that she’ll expect something different and extra special. You want to show her that the thought does count. The only problem is that you have been thinking but you haven’t come up with an answer.

Ever since Tom Cruise shook his stuff in the movie Cocktail, the idea of mixing fancy drinks has been thrown into the limelight. Bars and nightclubs around the world maximise on the entertainment value and impress the ladies into wanting to sample their tropical delights.

Why not treat her to your very own display of cocktail affection? If you’ve never mixed drinks before (other than alternating beer and shots down the pub) then the prospect of concocting something from scratch may seem a little intimidating. However, there are many basic mixes that are easy to follow and but will illustrate a newfound labour of love.

So where do you start? A cocktail recipe is no different from a food recipe - so go with what you know. If she likes steak, you’d cook her steak, so if her favourite tipple is gin, then that’s a good place to start. There’s also the visual element to consider – something pink or red will provide an added Valentine’s touch. A raspberry gin and tonic is simple, colourful and will appeal to her taste buds.

Pour 50ml of gin (choose a nice brand that you’ve heard her mention before) into a tall glass of ice. Add a dash of Chambord (a liqueur that you’ll find in any supermarket or off licence but can also be substituted with raspberry syrup). Top with tonic and garnish with a couple of fresh raspberries. Don’t forget to prepare it in front of her and present it while it’s still nice, crisp and cold.

If you’re feeling a little more adventurous then investing in a cocktail shaker will add to the glamour and occasion. You can pick a basic one up cheaply at most large supermarkets or online. It’s worth the extra expense to look the part (rather than trying to improvise with whatever is in the kitchen cupboard.) A Strawberry Daiquiri prepared before her eyes and served into a Martini glass will be both elegant and delicious.

Place four fresh strawberries into your cocktail shaker and add two teaspoons of white sugar. Then add 35ml of white rum and a large dash of strawberry liqueur (again you can use a strawberry syrup as a substitute). Squeeze in some fresh lime juice (around a tablespoon). You then need to muddle the ingredients together – if your cocktail shaker didn’t come with its own muddle, you can use the end of a rolling pin to achieve the same result.

Once this is done, put the lid on the cocktail shaker and give it a good shake (this is where you best flair bartending impression comes into play). Pour into a Martini glass, using a strainer (again you can improvise – something like a tea strainer or small sieve will remove the excess fruit that you don’t want in the drink). Finally, don’t forget that all-important garnish to create a professional look. Slice a strawberry in half and drop it in. Serve it her with a smile and she is sure to be touched.

These recipes are simple but if you take the time, she won’t forget your efforts. And then you’ll have a whole year to practise more complex cocktails to surprise her with next Valentine’s Day!