I don’t drink alcohol anymore for a lot of reasons. (I’ll probably talk about that stuff later.) Before my freelancing took off and after my short-lived corporate career, I bartended. I did that for about two years. I wasn’t great, but I wasn’t too bad! I have always had a love of stemware. Even in college, I had a set of wine glasses, champagne flutes, and martini glasses. I just feel classy drinking out of them!
Anyways, I came up with two Valentine’s inspired drinks. I am including the alcoholic version and a virgin alternative. They’re super yummy both ways. For the guys, embrace your masculinity and enjoy these pinky/purple drinks. One is a fancy martini, and one is a super simple champagne drink. You can drink these without martini glasses or champagne flutes, but it’s not nearly as fun in my opinions. I do suggest having a shaker with a strainer; it makes the process faster and cleaner unless you know what you’re doing.
Ingredients
Blackberry Fizz Martini
- Fresh blackberries
- Fresh Mint
- Vodka
- Champagne/Sparkling White Grape Juice – chilled
- Ice
Raspberry Sunrise
- Fresh raspberries – frozen
- Raspberry syrup
- Champagne/Sparkling White Grape Juice – chilled
Instructions
Blackberry Fizz Martini
- In the shaker fill halfway with ice. Add 1.5 oz vodka, five blackberries, four mint leaves.
- Shake vigorously for thirty seconds to a minute.
- Pour liquid through the strainer into the martini glass.
- Fill the glass with champagne the rest of the way and garnish the rim with a blackberry.
Raspberry Sunrise
- Fill champagne flute with champagne ¾ of the way full.
- Slowly pour raspberry syrup down the inside of the flute. The raspberry syrup will settle on the bottom creating the sunrise effect.
- Add a few frozen raspberries to the top to keep the drink cold. You can also garnish the rim with a raspberry.
To make these drinks non-alcoholic is very simple. For the martini, use sparkling white grape juice instead of vodka and champagne. For the raspberry sunrise, instead of champagne substitute sparkling white grape juice. For the sunrise look, it is really important to use white grape juice. The look of the drinks will be the same, but it’s perfect for the sober people, pregnant ladies, under agers, and anyone else. I love it. They are super quick, easy, and yummy.
No better way to toast your loved one than with a romantic cocktail. If you’re looking for a great red dress, I highly suggest this linen one from Nasty Gal! I love it. I’m ready for summer. I paired it with these light pink, faux-sued slip ons from Target. I wear them constantly and receive a ton of compliments.
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