Love Potion Cocktail

This love potion cocktail is a vibrant mix of raspberry vodka, cranberry juice cocktail, sweetened lime juice, and grenadine. Perfect for Valentine’s Day!

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About Love Potion Cocktail

When it comes to Valentine’s Day, I tend to think it’s one of the most underutilized holidays.

I mean, yes, Valentine’s Day was created by the greeting card companies, so it’s not like there’s some deep meaning behind the ritual of buying chocolates and flowers. But despite its origins, it exists. It still comes around every year, without fail.

So, why not make the best of it?

Why not have a little fun?

And better yet, why not do something that doesn’t depend on whatever is going on with your social life? Do something everyone can enjoy no matter what their story is at the moment.

I might be a little biased here, but I’m always looking for a reason to whip up a festive drink, and this train of thought just has me fantasizing about all pretty cocktails I could make. Because really, what else sheds the stress of real life like a dose of some good spirits?

Plus, the pinks and reds of Valentine’s Day are prime opportunities to make a really stunning drink.

Case and point: this Love Potion Cocktail.

Can this drink be made in advance?

Yes, it totally can!

If you’d like to whip up a large batch in advance (be sure to check the “how to measure this cocktail section”), feel free to whip up as much as you need and store it in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

What is in a Love Potion Cocktail?

There are more than a few recipes for a love potion drink out in the universe, but this version only uses four ingredients:

• Sweetened Lime Juice – When it comes to drink mixes, sweetened lime juice is not as popular as it probably should be. As the name states, it’s lime juice with added sweetener, which makes it a bit thicker and a more vibrant color. It’s typically served with gimlets.
• Raspberry Vodka – Raspberry flavored vodka is used because it blends well with the cranberry juice cocktail (see next ingredient). When picking your vodka, feel free to use your favorite brand. If you don’t have (or can’t find) raspberry vodka, you can use straight vodka instead.
• Cranberry Juice Cocktail – Yes, this beautiful cocktail has cranberry in it, but fear not – the taste is very mild. This is because we’re using a juice cocktail instead of 100% juice. A “juice cocktail” means that it’s actually a fruit blend (such as apple, grape, or cherry) with added sweeteners, so it already has a softer taste than the 100% fruit juice.
•  Grenadine – The more mixed drinks I make the more I realize that all the best ones have grenadine. It’s a pomegranate-based syrup with a bright red color and a sweet, pleasant taste. The reason why this cocktail is so pretty is all thanks to the vibrant red hue of grenadine.

What fruit can you garnish with?

To match the theme of this red drink, you could use any of the below fruits. Either skewer them or let them float in the drink!

• Raspberries (as pictured)
• Strawberries
• Red grapes
• Cherries
• Blood orange slices
• Pomegranate seeds

how to measure this valentine’s day cocktail

This cocktail is written like a standard drink recipe, meaning that instead of an exact measurement (ex: 1 cup) the recipe will read “1 part.”

This can sometimes be a little confusing, but I’ve found the best way to think of it as this:

Recipes that measure in parts usually mean it’s written so that you can adjust the size of the cocktail to whatever you want but still keep the ratio of the ingredients correct.

For example, let’s say you wanted to make one drink. This typically means you’re using 1 standard shot glass for measuring. So when the recipe says “1 part” you would interpret that amount as “1 standard shot glass” full. If the recipe says “1/2 part” you’d fill the shot glass halfway so that it’s “1/2 standard shot glass.”

OR, let’s say you wanted to make enough drinks for a few friends. When making the drink you could interpret “1 part” as “1 cup” (or “1/2 part” to “1/2 cup.”)

Using this method, the drink will taste the same no matter what size you make it.

What are the measurements for one drink?

In a hurry and want simple measurements for just one drink? No problem! Just use this as a guide:

• 1 oz sweetened lime juice
• 2 oz raspberry vodka
• 2 oz cranberry juice cocktail
• 1 oz grenadine

You can also select “Metric” measurements in the recipe card below to see these numbers.

Notes & tips for this red cocktail

• To get the same look as pictured, you’ll need to serve this drink in a martini glass. Be sure your bar is stocked with some before whipping up this drink!
• Like most mixed drinks, you’ll need a trusty cocktail shaker to make this red cocktail. I use a Mason Jar and Stainless Steel Cocktail Shaker Set that has a rustic look that’s fun for parties. If you already have a ton of mason jars and just need a cocktail shaker lid, you can pick up on here: Mason Jar Cocktail Shaker Lid.

More colorful drinks

How to make a love potion cocktail

This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.

Step 1 – In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour in the raspberry vodka, sweetened lime juice, cranberry juice cocktail, and grenadine.

Step 2 – Shake it up!

Step 3 – Serve and enjoy!