While this isn’t a magical concoction to make your sweetheart fall for you in the first place, this love potion cocktail is the perfect drink to celebrate your love. This incredibly easy cocktail has just 3 ingredients and a lot of flexibility, so you can make the ultimate date night sip!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
The love potion cocktail is a vodka-based drink featuring berry flavors and of course a nice red color! It’s perfect for Valentine’s Day or date night, but honestly if you love berry flavored drinks you could enjoy it anytime.
With just a few ingredients (that are easily swappable for what you have on hand) this love potion drink is so simple to make. While a shaker is recommended, you can use a mason jar or just mix it if you don’t have one. You can also serve it up by the pitcher if you’re celebrating with a crowd!
I love to garnish mine with gummy candy hearts to really add to the season, but you can always swap in maraschino cherries or something similar if you’re not serving this for V-Day.
Quick + Easy Recipes
straight to your inbox
Love Potion Ingredients
- 2 ounces raspberry vodka
- 1 ounce peach schnapps
- 3 ounces red fruit juice (I use cranberry cherry)
- Ice cubes
Ingredient Tips and Substitutions
- Instead of raspberry vodka, you can use cherry or strawberry vodka, any red berry flavor vodka, or 1 ½ ounces of plain vodka with ½ ounce of Chambord (or another raspberry liqueur)
- If you don’t like vodka, you can substitute rum, tequila, or gin instead!
- The peach schnapps can be swapped for a few dashes of peach bitters, or omitted if preferred, or you can use another complimentary flavor such as raspberry
- Any red fruit juice works so use your favorite. I’m doing cranberry cherry, but you can use any red grapefruit juice, raspberry, cherry, pomegranate juice, or cranberry juice (or combination thereof)
- Variations: Add grenadine for additional sweetness or coloring, use ½ ounce lime juice or orange juice to add tartness, or try adding club soda, prosecco, or sparkling water for a fizzy variation! Edible glitter can be stirred in for an extra sparkle!
- Garnish options include gummy candy hearts, maraschino cherries, fresh strawberries cut into strawberry hearts, or a skewer of raspberries, blackberries, or a mix of red fruits
How to Make Love Potion Cocktail
- Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker (or similar) with a few ice cubes
- Shake until well mixed and chilled, approximately 30 seconds of active shaking
- Strain into a rocks glass (or glass of choice)
- Garnish if desired, and enjoy!
More Valentines Drinks
Recipe FAQs
What Is a Love Potion Cocktail?
A love potion cocktail is, at its core, just a mixture of vodka and red fruit juices, and garnished by festive heart-shaped foods.
There are lots of options that can be used for all ingredients. Often, other flavors such as peach or citrus are incorporated to add depth of flavor to the drink.
Can I Serve a Love Potion Cocktail For Other Occasions?
Absolutely! While the love potion cocktail is well-suited to Valentine’s Day due to the color and fruity flavor, you can change the ingredients. Add other juices and vodka flavors to create different colors and taste profiles.
Adjust the garnishes to compliment whatever season or occasion you are celebrating.
Can You Make a Non-Alcoholic Version?
Yes, you can create a non-alcoholic mocktail love potion by substituting the alcoholic components with mocktail alternatives. Ensure the replacement ingredients align with the desired flavor profile.
Sparkling water, apple, or raspberry juices are the perfect substitute for the vodka. They pair well with a variety of fruit juices so you can still achieve the red coloring. Omit the peach schnapps, or add peach or orange juice instead.
Recipe Pro Tips For The Best Love Potion
- If you don’t have a cocktail shaker, a mason jar with a lid is another great choice, or anything similar works. Alternatively, you can stir everything in the serving glass and then add a couple ice cubes (it just dilutes your drink slightly more than shaking)
- I consider this drink to be medium strength as written. Adjust the amount of juice (more or less) to create a weaker or stronger drink based on personal preferences
- To adjust the sweetness to your tastes, experiment with the quantities of sweet and tart ingredients (taste test and adjust as you go). Add grenadine or simple syrup for extra sweetness. For more tartness, try lime juice, orange juice, cranberry juice, or tart cherry juices.
Storage and Presentation Tips
- This recipe can be scaled for parties if desired. Mix all ingredients in a pitcher and store in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours in advance. Pour into individual glasses and garnish for serving
- If you are adding any carbonated elements (for a fizzy variation), do not add that to your pitcher mixture. Top individual glasses off with it just before serving, to preserve effervescence
- While garnishes are optional, consider adding a sugar rim for sweetness. Other good options include edible flowers, heart-shaped fruit slices, maraschino cherries, citrus peel twists, a skewer of fresh berries, heart shaped candies, or even edible glitter mixed in!
- Glassware. Any clear glassware is fine for this recipe! I’m using an 11-ounce rocks glass, but martini glasses and coupe glasses are other common choices. For larger glasses, you could double the recipe or top with sparkling water (or just don’t fill it all the way) – your choice!
More Berry Vodka Cocktails
Final Thoughts
This love potion cocktail is perfect for Valentine’s Day! With just 3 ingredients it takes just minutes to throw together for your date, or for the girls at your Galentine’s party.
With the base cocktail recipe of “fruit flavored vodka” and “red juice” there’s a ton of customization possible. You can use your favorite flavors, or just whatever you happen to have on hand so you don’t need to make a special trip to the liquor store.
It’s obviously perfect for Valentine’s due to the red color and fun flavor (without being cloyingly sweet), but you can feel free to enjoy it for any occasion. Just change up your garnishes and the juice if you like, and you’ve got a whole new drink to enjoy!
Easy Love Potion Cocktail (With Vodka)
Equipment
- Cocktail shaker (or similar)
- Rocks glass (or other clear glass)
Ingredients
- 2 ounces raspberry vodka
- 1 ounce peach schnapps
- 3 ounces red fruit juice (such as cranberry cherry)
- Ice cubes
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker (or similar) with a few ice cubes2 ounces raspberry vodka, 1 ounce peach schnapps, 3 ounces red fruit juice, Ice cubes
- Shake until well mixed and chilled (approximately 30 seconds of active shaking)
- Strain into a rocks glass (or glass of choice)
- Garnish if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
- Instead of raspberry vodka, you can use cherry or strawberry vodka, any red berry flavor vodka, or 1 ½ ounces of plain vodka with ½ ounce of Chambord (or another raspberry liqueur)
- You can substitute rum or gin instead of vodka
- The peach schnapps can be swapped for a few dashes of peach bitters, or omitted if preferred, or you can use another complimentary flavor such as raspberry
- Any red fruit juice works, so use your favorite. I used cranberry cherry, but you can use any red grapefruit, raspberry, cherry, pomegranate, or cranberry juice (or combination thereof)
- Variations: Add grenadine for additional sweetness or coloring, use ½ ounce lime juice or orange juice to add tartness, or try adding club soda or sparkling water for a fizzy variation! Edible glitter can be stirred in for an extra sparkle!
- Garnish options include gummy candy hearts, maraschino cherries, fresh strawberries cut into hearts, or a skewer of raspberries, blackberries, or a mix of red fruits
- I consider this drink to be medium strength as written. Adjust the amount of juice (more or less) to create a weaker or stronger drink based on personal preferences
- Exact nutritional values will vary based on brand and flavor of ingredients, size of glasses, and actual quantity consumed, so please consider this a guideline only
Nutrition
