Cuffing Season Cocktail Recipes To Make For Your Next Date Night In

Date nights out are indulgent and exciting, but they’re also loud, crowded and expensive. Not always the best for setting the mood! And with cuffing season upon us, I’m looking to channel my inner mixologist and find a way to host my own at-home happy hour for my partner and I. Don’t get me wrong, I love getting all dolled up to go stand at the bar as much as the next girl, but who’s to say getting buzzed on my own couch isn’t just as fun? Especially with my partner by my side! Luckily, these cuffing season cocktails make staying in a more enticing option.

We could just call them cold-weather cocktails, but I swear they both taste better when you’re drinking them during date night. Just ask Reyka brand ambassador Trevor Schneider, who came up with the idea for two incredible drinks meant to be sipped side-by-side, hence the cuffing season theme. The two beverages that make up the Cuffing Cocktail, Falling For You and Better Together, will be available at select NYC bars this fall—but Schneider has the scoop on how to make them at home for your next date night in.

For full-on cold weather vibes that feel more crisp than cozy, the Falling For You should be your drink of choice. “I wanted to create a cocktail that reminded me of this time of year: clean, crisp, Fall-o-ween,” shares Schneider. “Falling For You is a light and refreshing cocktail to get you prepared for the seasonal changes. This cocktail represents the ideal first date scenario.”

Courtesy of Reyka.

For something a little more classic, the Better Together is another delicious option. “Better Together encourages you to hold on to that last nice warm day until Spring returns,” says Schneider. “The tasting profile on this one is light and refreshing but with a little more attitude. This is the date scenario that doesn’t take themselves too seriously.”

To make either cocktail will only require four to five ingredients, the star of the show for each being Reyka vodka, one of my personal favorites. If you and your boo are looking to stay in and roleplay as mixologists (Hey, crazier scenarios have happened!), read on for the secret formulas you need to ensure a delicious cuffing season.

Falling For You 

• 1.5 parts Reyka Vodka
• 1.5 parts Cloudy Apple juice
• .25 parts lemon juice
• .5 parts maple syrup

Better Together

• 2 parts Reyka Vodka
• .75 parts fresh lemon
• .5 parts Triple Sec
• .5 parts simple syrup
• 4 raspberry muddled