Sweet flavors, sparkling wines, and flavorful drinks make up this selection of easy-to-mix cocktails that are great to share on a romantic evening. Valentines wrapping writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.

Have fun by embellishing your drinks with garnishes that fit the mood. Carve fruit into heart shapes, dip strawberries in chocolate, adorn glasses with candies, or add a single flower. The blushing rose is a sexy little cocktail. For a truly unique and delightful drink, try the figgy sparkler. The recipe pairs figs and cranberries with vodka and prosecco. The brogue is a fine choice for whiskey lovers.

It focuses on the contrast between a smooth single malt scotch and the delicate floral flavor of lavender. Continue to 5 of 15 below. Lychee is a lesser-known aphrodisiac, though the small Asian fruit can make a real splash in beverages. The red lotus is a simple drink of vodka, lychee liqueur, and cranberry juice. When a sweet, dreamy drink is on your mind, few can rival the floating on cloud nine recipe. Madame Ruth’s love potion has nothing on this blend. The name says it all because bésame is Spanish for “kiss me.

Its star ingredient is Agavero, a tequila-based liqueur flavored with the essence of the Damiana flower. Continue to 9 of 15 below. Enjoy the perfect pairing of bourbon and fresh strawberries in the Kentucky kiss. Warm and soothing, the café amore is a fantastic coffee drink. A classic from the 1930s, the hanky panky cocktail is a perfect fit for Valentine’s Day. Continue to 13 of 15 below.

The affogato is dessert and after-dinner coffee in a single glass. A simple mocktail that requires nothing more than white grape juice and sparkling water, this nonalcoholic recipe mimics the taste of sparkling wine. So sweet and innocent, the berry sweetheart is a pleasing nonalcoholic drink that mixes up quickly. What is Valentine’s Day and how did it start? Valentine’s Day, or St Valentine’s Day, is celebrated every year on 14 February. It’s the day when people show their affection for another person or people by sending cards, flowers or chocolates with messages of love. The day gets its name from a famous saint, but there are several stories of who he was.

The popular belief about St Valentine is that he was a priest from Rome in the third century AD. Vote: Would YOU get a Valentine’s Day card for your pet? This is the oldest known Valentine’s Day message in English. Emperor Claudius II had banned marriage because he thought married men were bad soldiers. Valentine felt this was unfair, so he broke the rules and arranged marriages in secret. When Claudius found out, Valentine was thrown in jail and sentenced to death. There, he fell in love with the jailer’s daughter and when he was taken to be killed on 14 February he sent her a love letter signed “from your Valentine”.

The first Valentine’s Day was in the year 496! Having a particular Valentine’s Day is a very old tradition, thought to have originated from a Roman festival. The Romans had a festival called Lupercalia in the middle of February – officially the start of their springtime. It’s thought that as part of the celebrations, boys drew names of girls from a box.

They’d be boyfriend and girlfriend during the festival and sometimes they’d get married. Later on, the church wanted to turn this festival into a Christian celebration and decided to use it to remember St Valentine too. Gradually, St Valentine’s name started to be used by people to express their feelings to those they loved. I didn’t know there was so much history to Valentines Day! 2: It’s a way for shops to entice others to buy their products. Valentine’s Day has turned into a commercial opportunity for brands to charge us ridiculous amounts of money, for chocolate and stuffed animals. Exactly, it’s a complete money-grab for a lot of big businesses and corporations which I think is pretty sad.

The pattern for the answers is true, false, true, false, true, false. I enjoy seeing my friends wo do love like hate at lunch it’s so funny! I always make presents and a card for my parents. This year, I made them both pom pom hearts! I’m not really a valentines person but happy Valentines day anyway!