6 Valentine’s Day Coffee Cocktails To Sip With Your Sweetheart
When I was in high school, our concert band used to go on tour each spring.
These trips were fun adventures for the students, but they were also true blessings for those we’d visit as we’d generally play for nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and such.
And, at each location, without fail, we’d play a tune from the early 1900’s, “Let Me Call You Sweetheart.”
For us, teens and tweens, the tune held little meaning, but for the residents…well, they soon let us know just how special these lyrics truly were.
Our director commonly beckoned roughly half of the band members to confidently play the tune, calling on the rest of us to softly sing…
“Let me call you sweetheart, I’m in love with you. Let me hear you whisper that you love me too. Keep the love-light glowing, in your eyes so true. Let me call you sweetheart, I’m in love with you.”
While we softly played and sang, if there were any couples present, they’d commonly get up, grab their sweetheart, and slowly sway, cheek to cheek, often with tears streaming down their faces, no doubt recalling years of similar love-filled dances.
I often couldn’t help but think of my own grandparents as I’d watch the lovers sway, recalling how my grandpa would randomly say, “Come here, Mel” to my grandma, before he’d take her in his arms and twirl her around the dining room.
Songs today, obviously, hit a little differently. But, each year around Valentine’s Day, I think of the sweethearts we were privileged to meet and watch during those special moments of my high school days.
And, I think of my grandparents and their dining room dances.
Really, this is what Valentine’s Day is all about…
The closeness some are privileged to share with their sweetheart.
The kind whispers of love shared between friends turned lovers, and sometimes lovers turned lifelong friends.
Of course, woven between those whispers, dances, and expressions of love, I can only imagine the countless dinners, drinks, wining, and dining.
It’s customary, right?
For it’s through these seemingly ordinary moments shared that love begins, grows, and blooms…for as long as you both shall live.
The following selection of love-themed, Valentine’s Day worthy cocktail recipes, while they highlight our true love here at Lifeboost, coffee, also set the stage for a Valentine’s Day to remember - one hopefully filled with fun, laughter, fondness, and love for each of you.
So, whether you’re celebrating with your new sweetheart, old sweetheart, friends, family, or enjoying a quiet evening engaging in some quality self-love at home, we hope you’ll enjoy each love-inspired coffee cocktail recipe below…from our heart to yours!
1 - A Valentine’s Day Classic: Espresso Martini
A drink that needs no clever moniker, the espresso martini is timeless, a true classic to enjoy as part of your romantic Valentine’s dinner with your sweetheart.
Many savor the silky smoothness of an espresso martini after a decadent meal, but feel free to break the mold and sip through this classically creamy, sweet, foam-topped drink to start your night off right as well!
A fair reminder though, as you likely know, an espresso martini can pack quite the boozy punch, so drink responsibly, and as always…enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1-ounce Lifeboost Espresso Coffee, cooled
- 2 ounces vodka
- ½ ounce Kahlua
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- Ice
- Coffee beans, for garnish
Instructions
- Add ice, cooled espresso, vodka, Kahlua, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously until frost forms on the outside of the cocktail shaker. Shaking in this manner and for this length of time is crucial to create a nice, creamy layer of foam to cover your martini.
- As soon as you’re finished shaking, strain immediately into a martini glass.
- Add 2-3 coffee beans on top of the foam for garnish and enjoy!
2- Sippable Sophistication
This creamy espresso martini is essentially just a variation of the OG we listed above, but let me tell you, the addition of velvet cream liqueur and chocolate simply makes this a must for your Valentine’s Day celebration.
So smooth. So creamy. So decadent. So sophisticated!
Amaretto is often associated with this lover’s holiday as the roots of this liqueur tell a tale of young, innocent love dating back to the 1500’s during the Italian Renaissance.
And here, while the hints of almond flavor are less pronounced than what you’d experience in a typical amaretto, the name of the liqueur - velvet cream - indeed shines without disappointment, elevating this classic to new heights with its silky texture and decadent flavor.
Ingredients
- 1-ounce Lifeboost Espresso Coffee
- 1 teaspoon chocolate sauce
- 3 ounces Disaronno Velvet Cream Liqueur
- 1 ounce vodka
- 1 ounce Kahlua
- Ice
Instructions
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, then add all other ingredients to the shaker and shake vigorously until frost forms on the outside of the shaker.
- Strain into a martini glass (over ice or straight, your choice), and enjoy!
3- Cupid’s Red Velvet Arrow
Uniquely sweet, sinfully delicious, and romantically hued, red velvet cake is another classic Valentine’s Day treat.
But if you ask me, this cupid-themed colored dessert would be even better as a sippable, coffee-infused, beverage!
And, that’s what we’re delivering here - a delicious red velvet coffee cocktail (with or without the red hue for those looking to nix the added coloring…trust me, it’s just as tasty without it).
*Red velvet cake does get its color from the addition of red food coloring, as will this latte. So, feel free to omit this if you’d like, as the true flavor star behind a red velvet dessert is smooth, rich, chocolatey cocoa. You’ll still experience this incredible flavor when excluding the red food coloring, but your final product will simply possess the hue of a creamy, cocoa-infused, boozy coffee treat.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces Lifeboost Dark Roast Coffee
- 1 ounce chocolate liqueur
- 1 ounce Kahlua
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- 1-2 ounces red velvet coffee creamer (see recipe below)
- Cream cheese whipped cream, for topping (see recipe below)
Red Velvet Coffee Creamer
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream (or half and half)
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- ½ cup cane sugar
- 1 tablespoon red food coloring (feel free to omit this if avoiding red dyes)
- ¼ cup chocolate syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Add milk and cream to a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat just until steaming, not boiling.
Add sugar to the cream mixture and stir to combine.
Add chocolate syrup and red food coloring and stir to combine.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.
Allow the mixture to cool a bit before transferring to an airtight glass container to store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Cream Cheese Whipped Cream
- 4 ounces room temperature (very soft) cream cheese
- 2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar (depending on how sweet your sweet tooth is)
- ¼ cup half and half
- ½ cup heavy cream
Cream together cream cheese and powdered sugar with a mixer until smooth and fluffy.
Slowly add cold heavy cream and half and half to the whipped cream cheese mixture, and whip all ingredients until a smooth, velvety foam forms (this could take roughly 3-5 minutes).
Use cream cheese whipped foam to top your red velvet coffee cocktail treat.
4- Sweetheart’s Swig
Raspberries, chocolate, coffee, and liqueur…what a divine combination!
Valentine’s Day is commonly accompanied by chocolate covered fruits of all sorts, including the usual dark or milk chocolate covered strawberries or cherries, milk chocolate covered grapes (an Old Kentucky Chocolates favorite from my neck of the woods), and chocolate covered raspberries.
Now, when it comes to raspberries, dark chocolate truffles are a common, decadent choice, but many culinary experts attest to white chocolate being the tastier companion to this tart, yet sweet berries.
And that’s the decadent choice we’ve opted for in the following coffee cocktail, a white chocolate raspberry truffle cold brew. It’s a swig fit for sweethearts!
Ingredients
- 4 ounces cold brewed Lifeboost Medium Roast Coffee or Lifeboost Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Coffee
- 1-2 teaspoons sweetened condensed milk
- 1-ounce Sheelin’s White Chocolate Liqueur
- ½ ounce raspberry liqueur
- 2 ounces half & half
- Ice
- Whipped cream, optional for topping
Instructions
- Since sweetened condensed milk can sometimes be difficult to dissolve in cold liquids, I recommend adding this ingredient to the cold brew and stirring until fully dissolved before adding the ingredients to a cocktail shaker to fully incorporate.
- Once the sweetened condensed milk and cold brew are fully incorporated, add to a cocktail shaker with ice, raspberry liqueur, half & half, and white chocolate liqueur.
- Shake vigorously to combine, then strain into a cocktail glass.
- Top with whipped cream, if desired, and enjoy!
*For a more potent, and fresh, raspberry flavor, I recommend muddling roughly ¼ cup (or a little less, depending on how tart you prefer your drink) of fresh raspberries, straining, then adding to the shaker. This just allows the raspberry flavors to come to the forefront a bit more.
5- Gal’s Night Out
They say chocolate covered strawberries are a girl’s best friend - oh wait, I think that’s diamonds - oh well!
Chocolate covered strawberries are sinfully delicious, and while they’re commonly thought of as a romantic dessert, who says they can’t be a girl’s best friend, or a decadent treat to enjoy with your best girlfriends!
If you tuned in for our Galentine’s Day article, where we listed several options for making the most of this special day set aside for gal pal celebrations, we mentioned that we’d be including a coffee cocktail amongst the selections here that would be perfect for a girl’s night.
Well, I can’t think of a drink more suited for a lady’s palate than one which includes flavors of coffee (of course), chocolate, and strawberries! Yum!
While you could certainly use any of these drinks for your night of gal pal bonding (and shenanigans, no one’s judging) something fruity, chocolatey, and boozy with a healthy dose of java sure seems quite fitting!
Okay, wait, before we get down to the recipe details, I just thought of a great Galentine’s celebration suggestion - If you’re having a group of your best gals over to hang out on Galentine's Day, consider providing a full coffee bar where your guests could make anyone (or two, etc.) of the drinks we’ve shared with you here today.
You could even provide a drink list prior to the day and have each person bring a few necessities for the recipes, then have fun mixing, sampling, and sipping together! Just a thought.
Now for the chocolate covered strawberry coffee cocktail goodness…
Ingredients
- 4 ounces cold brewed Lifeboost Chocolate Covered Strawberry Coffee or Lifeboost
- Medium Roast Coffee
- 3 ounces half and half
- 2 ounces chocolate liqueur
- 1 tablespoon strawberry simple syrup (see recipe below)
- 1 tablespoon chocolate syrup
- ½ cup ice
- Whipped cream, optional for topping
- Fresh strawberry or a chocolate covered strawberry, optional for garnish
Instructions
- Add cold brew, half and half, chocolate liqueur, strawberry syrup, chocolate syrup, and ice to a blender and blend until smooth (adjust amount of ice to your liking).
- Pour into a glass and top with whipped cream, add a strawberry for garnish, if desired, and enjoy!
Strawberry Simple Syrup
- 1 ½ cups strawberries (washed and stems removed)
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup cane sugar
Combine strawberries, water, and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring frequently.
Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. After the cooking time, the berries should be very soft, and the liquid should be bright red.
Strain the strawberries from the liquid, but do not mash them (mashing will make your syrup cloudy).
Chill the syrup in the refrigerator for an hour or two before using to ensure it is cold.
6- Cusp Of Love Creme Brulee
Creme brulee is an elegant dessert selection for any romantic dinner, but when enjoyed with your valentine, on Valentine’s Day, well, that’s just an entirely different level of special!
This coffee cocktail recipe takes the caramelized sweetness of a classic creme brulee and infuses it with another timeless treat, an Irish coffee.
Smooth Irish whiskey, bold and decadent coffee, rich, silky cream, velvety vanilla, and sinfully sweet sugar…it’s truly the chef’s kiss of Irish coffees!
*For the true creme brulee touch, you will need a kitchen torch for this recipe, but if you don’t have one, you can certainly enjoy an ordinary touch of sweetness, sans the caramelization, in this drink. (It just won’t have that caramelized touch of a true creme brulee.)
Ingredients
- 4 ounces freshly brewed Lifeboost Irish Cream Coffee or Lifeboost Medium Roast Coffee
- 1 ½ ounces Irish Whiskey
- 1 teaspoon demerara sugar (or pure cane sugar, or brown sugar)
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ tablespoon cane sugar
Instructions
- Add heavy cream and vanilla to a chilled bowl and mix or whisk until heavily whipped.
- Brew coffee and add to an irish mug (a regular mug will work as well).
- Stir whiskey and demerara sugar into the coffee, then top with a desired amount of vanilla whipped cream.
- Add remaining sugar (1 tablespoon) to the center of the whipped cream on top of the cocktail, then quickly torch the sugar until it caramelizes. Be very careful to avoid “torching” the outer edges of the mug, so you don’t burn yourself when sipping.
- Make sure the outer edges of the mug aren’t too hot to sip and enjoy!
Check out Lifeboost Coffee Grata Medium Roast.
References:
- https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/documents/LetMeCallYouSweetheart.pdf
- https://preppykitchen.com/espresso-martini/
- https://creative-culinary.com/disaronno-velvet-espresso-martini-cocktail/
- https://drinksint.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/7993/Amaretto:_Regaining_romance_.html#
- https://www.thegraciouswife.com/red-velvet-coffee-creamer-recipe/#recipe
- https://damneasyrecipes.com/cream-cheese-coffee-foam/#recipe
- https://www.fifteenspatulas.com/strawberry-simple-syrup/
- https://craftandcocktails.co/2023/03/16/creme-brulee-irish-coffee/