The Beacon tested out the pinkest mixed drinks we could find — cocktails and mocktails — so that everyone can enjoy a sweet treat.
College-student tested and approved, these drinks are easy to make and only require a few simple ingredients. Rated from worst to best, here are the concoctions we put to the test.
Strawberries and Cream Cocktail: 3/10
The strawberries and cream cocktail was gorgeous but unfortunately didn’t taste as good as it looked. This simple cocktail was made with heavy cream, vodka and grenadine for color.
The drawback of this drink is that the vodka doesn’t blend well with the cream. Substitute a cream-based liquor for better flavor. It also didn’t include any actual strawberries, but muddling some in would definitely improve the drink’s substance.
Tropical Mocktail: 7/10
However, this mocktail was a tad too sweet. We would recommend a spritz of lime or adding ginger ale to the mix to balance out the flavors.
Strawberry Paloma Cocktail: 8/10
Hailing from Mexico, this classic cocktail has a fresh and unique taste that wasn’t overly sweet. Grapefruit juice, strawberries, lime, agave and tequila rounded out our last drink. The finishing touch was a lime and Tajin rim.
This drink could’ve been a tad sweeter, but we didn’t have agave, which probably would’ve fixed the issue.
Raspberry Tea Mocktail: 9/10
Our favorite drink of the night, the raspberry tea mocktail surprised everyone. The mocktail was a mixture of Razzleberry Peace Tea and Sprite, but the muddled raspberries in lime juice added the extra pizazz.
To elevate this drink to a 10/10, we recommend adding vodka.
Armed with these recipes, you can sweeten up any Valentine’s Day festivity (and you don’t need alcohol to enjoy it). We wish you the best of luck, The Beacon sends their love. <3
Chiara Profenna is the DEI editor of The Beacon. She can be reached at profenna23@up.edu.
