Love Potion No. 2

Why we love this love potion cocktail

• It’s pretty. The ingredients in this cocktail create a gorgeous, vibrant pink drink that’s perfect for celebrating Valentine’s Day. It’s even garnished with a strawberry heart to level up the love.
• It’s versatile. This vodka-based drink is actually really versatile. You could easily swap out the vodka for a variety of spirits. It would be great with tequila, gin or even bourbon – making it perfect for really anyone.
• It’s complex. While the ingredients themselves are fairly simple, the combination of all three creates a subtle complexity. The balance between the floral hibiscus, sweet strawberry and slightly bitter grapefruit is just incredible.

Ingredients & substitutions

• Vodka – Feel free to swap for another spirit, but I used Tito’s to make this cocktail and it was great. The vodka is a perfect choice to let the flavors of this drink shine through.
• Strawberry puree – This is super simple to make. Simple blend strawberries and you’re done. I like to thaw a bag of frozen strawberries because it eliminates the need for cleaning and hulling the strawberries, but fresh will work just as well.
• Grapefruit juice – Normally, I say fresh squeezed is best, but I find bottle grapefruit juice to be great in cocktails. Just make sure it doesn’t have added sugars. If you have fresh ones to squeeze, definitely go for it.
• Hibiscus simple syrup – We love to make our own hibiscus syrup, it is super easy to follow this recipe to make your own too. This simple syrup add a sweet, floral flavor when added to cocktails, giving them a bit more depth and complexity.

How to make love potion no. 2

Make the strawberry puree. Place about 1 pound of [hulled] strawberries in a blender and process until smooth. Transfer to a mason jar or bottle and refrigerate until you’re ready to use it.

Make the hibiscus simple syrup. In a large saucepan, heat 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar until almost boiling. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Then add a hibiscus tea bag. Remove from heat and let the syrup steep for about 30 minutes.

Remove tea bag and transfer syrup to a jar or bottle. This should keep fresh for at least a week, but feel free to add 1 tablespoon of vodka to extend the syrup’s shelf life.

Shake up the cocktail. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add the cocktail ingredients. Cover and shake until cold. Strain into a chilled glass with crushed ice. I recommend using a hawthorne strainer rather than the top of your shaker for this one.

To make the garnish: slice a hulled strawberry in half from top to bottom. Then, use a pairing knife to carve inward, towards the top center to make a heart shape on the top.

More valentine inspired cocktails you will love

• Toblerone cocktail
• Pink squirrel
• Naked and famous
• Clover club cocktail

More vodka cocktail recipes you should try

• Cherry vodka sour
• Vodka sunrise
• Apple juice and vodka cocktail
• Basil grapefruit martini

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