Valentine’s Day is for beer lovers

Beer for Valentine’s Day is a perfect match.

Whether you’re toasting your love over a home-cooked meal or giving your Valentine a delicious gift, beer lovers will celebrate having their favorite beverage featured on February 14.

First, try a beer cocktail called Newly Minted. Celebrate a budding romance or kick off the night’s festivities with a newly minted mixed drink using one of the most iconic stouts in the world: Guinness.

It’s easy to make and only calls for a couple ingredients:

  • Pour 1 ounce of white Créme De Menth over a glass of ice.
  • Top it off with a bottle of Guinness Extra Stout or Guinness Draught.

The chocolate notes really complement the mint flavor in this simple and refreshing drink – and they complement everyone’s favorite: chocolates. It’s a perfect cocktail to toast a romantic evening in lieu of sweets or while enjoying a chocolate dessert!

Our second featured beverage is a classic Michelada. If you’re looking to heat things up on Valentine’s Day, you’ll definitely want to try this Mexican cerveza recipe.

  • First, mix salt and chili powder together. Rub a lime across the rim of the glass and then dip it in the chili salt. Fill the glass with ice.
  • Now, here’s where we spice things up for your Valentine. Add:
    • 3 ounces of tomato juice
    • 2 tablespoons of lime juice
    • 4 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
    • And 4 dashes of hot sauce
  • You can adjust the amount of any of these ingredients to suite your sweetheart’s taste. Then, fill the glass with a classic Mexican-style beer like Modelo Especial, Dos Equis Lager or Corona.
  • Stir, garnish with a lime and serve. If your Valentine loves spicy food, this is a sure-fire way to his or her heart!

The last sweet treat on our Feb. 14 menu is a Highland Black Mocha Stout. If your Valentine loves beer, but you prefer sweets, it can still add flavor to your dessert. We recommend making Chocolate Stout Cupcakes, which use a dark stout beer like this in the batter to add depth of flavor.

Here’s a recipe for classic Chocolate Stout Cupcakes. You can use any type of stout beer, such as Highland Black Mocha Stout. It features a malty body with big, roasted chocolate flavor. You can add one bottle to your chocolate cupcake recipe and it will add rich chocolate and coffee notes to your sweet treat. 

Highland Black Mocha Stout also is great after dinner – it’s like a dessert in a bottle. Or it also pairs well with chocolate and other romantic desserts like ice cream, mocha brownies and cheesecake.

There are so many delicious beer, cider and nonalcoholic products that you can pair with food and add to special cocktails to make your Valentine’s Day fun and memorable. But, most importantly, we remind everyone that the best recipe for a great holiday is to drink responsibly and designate a sober driver.

Happy Valentine’s Day! And to see these beer cocktail recipes in action, check out the video below from WBIR-TV Channel 10.