If you’re looking to stir up a little romance (or at the very least some chemically-induced mood enhancement), we’ve got just the thing for you: three scarlet-hued cocktails that will put you and your companion in the mood for love. Alternatively, if there is no special companion, these delightful drinks are a stylish way to drown your sorrows and forget all about Cupid and his damned bow and arrow.
Scarlet Passion
If you’ve never tried Alizé Red Passion, it’s worth tracking down a bottle. A blend of passion fruit, cranberry juice and premium French vodka, it’s quite delicious. It’s also the base of this perfectly balanced cocktail, which has added cranberry juice, vodka and lime juice. As cocktails go, this one is fairly tame, which is good, because you will definitely want two.
Makes 4 drinks
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Alizé Red Passion, chilled
- 2 ounces premium vodka
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- 10 ounces cranberry juice cocktail
- Lime slices for garnish
Instructions
- Combine the Alizé, vodka, lime juice and cranberry juice cocktail in a cocktail shaker or bar glass. Add a good amount of ice and stir for about 15 seconds, until chilled.
- Pour into chilled martini glasses and garnish with lime slices.
Red Blossom
This gin-based drink is a twist on the classic Orange Blossom cocktail. My version is made with blood orange juice instead of regular orange juice, and is sweetened with a little grenadine syrup and Cointreau or Aperol. This cocktail has a kick to it, so f you want, you can serve it on the rocks instead of straight up.
Makes 2 drinks
Ingredients
- 3 ounces gin
- 1 ounce Cointreau or Aperol
- 3 ounces blood orange juice
- ½ ounce grenadine syrup
- Blood orange crescents for garnish
Instructions
- Combine the gin, Cointreau or Aperol, blood orange juice and grenadine syrup in a cocktail shaker or bar glass. Add a good amount of ice and stir for about 15 seconds, to chill the cocktail.
- Pour into chilled wine glasses and garnish with blood orange crescents.
Pom Cocktail
Another gin-based drink, this cocktail is flavored with pomegranate juice, a hint of lemon and Prosecco. It’s festive and flirty – perfect for a night of high romance. Or really, just about any night.
Makes 2 drinks
Ingredients
- 2 ounces POM Wonderful pomegranate juice, chilled
- 2 ounces gin
- 1 ½ ounces simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water brought to a boil and cooled)
- 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 6 ounces Prosecco, chilled
- Lemon peel twist
Instructions
- Combine the pomegranate juice, gin, simple syrup, lemon juice and Prosecco in a cocktail shaker or bar glass. Add a good amount of ice and stir for about 15 seconds, to chill the cocktail.
- Pour into champagne flutes and garnish with a lemon peel twist.
