I Tried Rachael Ray’s Valentine’s Day Cocktail, and I’ll Be Making It All February Long

When it comes to Valentine’s Day, I’m more about creating special moments at home vs. jockeying for a table at sardine-packed restaurants. Picking up a nice bottle of wine, planning a special Valentine’s Day menu (fried chicken and champagne is our go-to) and making something chocolaty for dessert usually suffice. But there’s always room for something new to keep things interesting.

This year, I’m kicking off the night with a round of Rachael Ray’s Love Gun cocktails. This beautifully colored, effervescent take on a Negroni has everything I love: gin, fresh citrus, Aperol and bubbles. Rachael’s husband, John Cusimano, created the pretty-in-pink drink for her back in 2018 (and they were adorable about it), but now they’ve switched to using her own Staple Gin. The gin is a collab between Rachael and Do Good Spirits based in the New York Catskills.

Thanks to extra virgin olive oil (EVOO!) and castelvetrano olives, plus typical botanicals like coriander, orris root, bitter orange peel, bergamot and juniper, this gin is herbal, earthy and slightly savory. Its complexity makes it a gin-lover’s gin, and its bold flavor is a perfect match for the citrusy, colorful Love Gun. But honestly, it makes a fantastic classic martini too.

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Staple Gin

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How to Make Rachael Ray’s Valentine’s Cocktail

Chill a couple of coupe or martini glasses. You can do this by setting them in the freezer or by filling them with ice and water. If you choose the latter, dump out the ice before filling them with the cocktail.

Ingredients

• 1 sprig tarragon
• 1/4 cup Staple Gin
• 2 tablespoons fresh blood orange juice, plus 1 orange peel twist
• 2 tablespoons Aperol
• 1 tablespoon simple syrup
• 2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
• 4 tablespoons pink champagne

Directions

Muddle the tarragon at the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add the remaining ingredients except for the champagne, fill with ice and shake well. Double-strain into a chilled coupe or a martini glass. Top with champagne and garnish with a twist of blood orange.

Here’s What I Thought

Goodness, that color! It’s deeply hued and just gorgeous, thanks to the blood orange and Aperol. I love using fresh blood oranges this time of year for salads, baked goods, everything, and that little bit of juice brings so much life to this cocktail. Aperol adds sweetness and a hint of bitterness for balance, and using bitters like Peychaud’s is so integral to a good cocktail. The sweet licorice flavor of tarragon is subtle, but you can leave it out if you’re really not into it. I made the drink both ways, and it’s still good without it. The bubbles mellow the drink a bit and also make it more fun.

I know it will be an excellent way to kick off Valentine’s Day, but I’d serve the Love Gun for any date night, get-together with friends or batch it for a celebration.

Staple Gin is available for nationwide shipping via staplegin.com.

Related:

• Rachael Ray’s Garbage Bowl Is Back in the Spotlight—and It’s Still Brilliant
• Best Valentine’s Day Desserts
• The Romantic Valentine’s Day Dessert Ina Garten Makes for Jeffrey