Valentine's Day 2020: Gin, rum, vodka and other spirits perfect for thoughtful gifts

6 February 2020, 17:38 | Updated: 7 February 2020, 15:04

By Emma Gritt

@emmagritt

With the special day falling on a Friday this year, you can indulge in a few drinks and not worry too much about the morning after...

You and your other half might be made for each other, like biscuits and tea… or gin?

Celebrate your perfect pairing with Cartwright & Butler’s Darjeeling-infused parlour gin, priced £43 from their website.

The gin blends eleven botanicals including juniper, coriander, angelica, cassia, oris root, and lemon peel – and comes in a beautiful tin.

If your amor is someone who will always opt for a shabby chic treasure over a piece of flatpack furniture, the brown paper wrapping of Bathtub Gin is sure to delight.

Inside, you’ll find a very floral gin packed with fresh botanical flavours - the result of a special one week distilling that gives this gin a heady cardamom and juniper taste. It’s priced at £31 at Master of Malt right now.

If your dream Valentine's weekend would see you jet off somewhere exotic, then Nordés Atlantic Galician Gin - an intriguing Spanish gin made with an Albariño-grape-based spirit - will help you pretend you're taking in the buzzy atmosphere of Barcelona, or Madrid.

This heady bottle boasts gastronomic notes of eucalyptus, laurel and mint and delicate flavours of white fruit, and is £35 from Amazon.

Another fruity choice is Warner's Raspberry Gin. Made with hedgerow fruits, one third of this bottle is fresh raspberries, blackberries and the family-run distillery hand-picked hedgerow elderflower. Available from Tesco for £28.

Read more: The best wine, Champagne and Prosecco to give as gifts for Valentine's Day

If you're torn between Prosecco and spirits, ASDA's Cherry Blossom and Lychee Valentine’s Day Gin Liqueur is crafted using the natural flavours of cherry blossom and lychee. They say it's lovely as it is, or poured in a glass of fizz. It's available until the end of March, priced £10.

When it comes to tequila, you'll struggle to find anything smoother than Patrón Silver - it's a favourite of tequila connoisseurs worldwide. Available from The Whiskey Exchange, priced £40.95.

Opt for something different with a bottle of Lanique, Spirit of Rose. Made from Attar of Rose, a substance created by thousands of hand-picked, steam-distilled rose petals which, gram for gram, is more valuable than gold.

With aromas of delicate rose, raspberry and soft hints of lime, and a taste of sweet rose, fresh raspberry and cherry, you can grab a bottle for £29.95. Mix with tonic or soda for a refreshing and light spritz.

Another lighter option come from Bacardi, whose new raspberry flavoured rum is gorgeous paired with lemonade for a refreshing spritz. It's £17 at ASDA.

With strawberry, juniper and selected herbs, the millennial pink i heart Pink Gin is a fabulous choice for the Instagram-savvy gin fan. It's available exclusively in store at Nisa, priced £17.

Another gorgeous coloured gin has come straight from the Cabinet of Curiosities at the Hendrick’s Gin Palace Distillery in Girvan, Scotland.

Hendrick’s Midsummer Solstice Gin is a deeply floral take on Hendrick’s distinctive house blend, and is gorgeous served as a spritz with cucumber and orange. It's only available for a short time from Waitrose and other retailers, priced £35.

If your other half is a Ryan Reynolds fan, then they'll be really impressed with a bottle of his Aviation American Gin – available at ASDA, priced £35

Despite its ongoing popularity, there are other options than gin out there!

Don Papa is the first premium small batch rum from The Philippines, and is distilled and aged on the lush and exotic island of Sugarlandia. It's made from some of the sweetest sugar cane in the world - it's a real treat.

It's currently £32 a bottle at Sainsbury's.

If you're looking for something personalised, CIROC vodka have garnered with GETINKD to offer the chance to add a special message to a bottle of their red berry flavoured spirit - which is already a very romantic shade of red!

Customise your G&T with Bombay Sapphire's new pack of four beautifully crafted rose, hibiscus, strawberry and raspberry gin liqueurs - add a splash to a G&T for a tantilising twist on a classic.

Available online now from Ocado, priced £12.

If you're looking for a gift set, then Drinks by the Dram’s ‘I Love You’ tasting set lets you create the perfect gift for your other half, beloved family member or friend.

Their tasting sets include gin, whisky and rum, and can be made in to the perfect Valentine's token by adding on the ‘I Love You’ gifting sleeve. Prices start from £17.95.