Do you have a favourite Valentine’s Day movie you like to watch every year? Maybe it was the first movie you and your other half saw together, or perhaps it’s just become your own Valentine’s Day tradition. Either way, if you’re after a romantic film this February 14th, you’ve plenty of great movies to choose from.
And if you’re planning to sit down and enjoy a movie on the most romantic day of the year, you might want an appropriate drink to go with it. Sure, you could pop open a bottle of bubbly, but what about a cocktail inspired by the very movie you’re about to watch?
We then teamed up with bartenders Christopher Sarens and Ryan Cook, two expert cocktail makers from Guilty Bar in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, and set about creating five unique cocktail recipes inspired by some classically romantic films.
You can find all of our one-of-a-kind creations below, each of which can be mixed in a cocktail shaker and then strained into the appropriate glass.
1. Right time, right place
Based on the all-time classic romance film, Casablanca, this cocktail blends indulgent dark chocolate and aromatic liqueurs with an espresso hit for a fragrant and chocolatey twist on everyone’s favourite espresso martini.
Ingredients:
- 25ml of dark chocolate liqueur
- 20ml of aromatic liqueur
- 15ml of coffee liqueur
- 50ml of espresso
- 15ml of sugar syrup
- Dried rose petals to garnish
Method:
- Shake with ice and strain
And if you want to make this cocktail look even more authentic for the time period, why not serve it in a Coupe glass – a fashionable glass that would look perfect in Rick’s Café?
2. Midnight Shower
We all know how handy it is to have a pantry close at hand for storing all those spices, dried foods, and special A novel spin on the popular aviation cocktail, we’ve updated the traditional ingredients list to represent the mood of the film, Singing in the Rain. We even managed to change the colour of the cocktail to simulate shades of rain.
Ingredients:
- 15ml of gin with glitter powder
- 15ml of Bleu curacao
- 7.5ml of Violette liqueur
- 22.5ml of lemon juice
- 12ml of cherry syrup
- A mini umbrella for garnish
Method:
- Shake with ice and double strain
When serving, we recommend using a Nick and Nora glass, which is similar in style to a wine glass and would have been used to serve a variety of cocktails during the prohibition era.
3. The Last Sunrise
Inspired by the iconic movie, Before the Sunrise, we took a hint out of the film’s playbook and opted to make a cocktail based on the word milkshake, which features as a prominent plot point in the story. This led to us creating a creamy, raspberry ripple-styled drink.
Ingredients:
- 15ml of vodka
- 15ml of Irish cream liqueur
- 15ml of black raspberry liqueur
- 15ml of doughnut syrup
- 75ml of pineapple juice
- A drizzle of grenadine syrup
- Whipped cream for garnish
Method:
- Shake with ice and strain
To serve, we suggest a typical sling cocktail glass so you can top this concoction up with plenty of whipped cream.
4. Father of the Bride
An inspirational and favourite film of many, The Princess Bride provides romance, daring exploits, and comedy in equal measure. So, naturally, this cocktail brings the same sensations to your tastebuds, blending cinnamon and butterscotch to simulate the taste of adventure.
Ingredients:
- 22.5ml of cinnamon whisky
- 15ml of butterscotch liqueur
- 15ml of spiced rum
- 50ml of apple juice
- 20ml of lime juice
- 15ml of vanilla syrup
- A dash of Angostura bitters
- A dash of vanilla bitters
- Garnish with a glazed cherry.
Method:
- Shake with ice and strain
And in keeping with the theme of the movie, we elected to serve this cocktail in a mug for an additional adventurous feel.
5. Cherished Memory
Last, but certainly not least, our Cherished Memory cocktail is a reimagining of a gin martini with a twist, one that means it could easily feature in the movie Roman Holiday. Filled with plenty of gin, this martini follows it up with a relaxing cucumber aftertaste.
Ingredients:
- 42.5ml of gin
- 7.5ml of wine-based aperitif
- 2-10ml of brine (depending on preference)
- ½ a cucumber and 300ml water (blend and add a pinch of salt)
- Garnish with lost love notes
Method:
- Shake with ice and strain
Naturally, considering this drink is a martini, it goes without saying that it should be served in a martini glass.
These 5 movie-inspired drinks should be more than enough to inspire you and your other half to get creative this Valentine’s Day. In fact, why not turn part of your evening into a cocktail mixing session and experiment by trying them all? Once you have your favourite, you can sit down and enjoy the movie it’s based on.
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