Fresh-squeezed lemonade has always been one of my favorite drinks - in my mind, nothing quite says summer like an ice cold glass of it. And even though it's not quite summer, it's starting to feel an awful lot like it around here (it's supposed to be nearly 90 degrees this weekend!)
Anyway, I needed to use up the last of some strawberries, and thought strawberry lemonade would be the perfect way to do that. Then I figured, why not add some booze and make a cocktail out of it? Well, I have to say it was a good choice - this strawberry lemonade is delicious sans alcohol, but it's pretty killer with a shot of vodka thrown in :)
I used meyer lemons for the lemonade, so if you can get your hands on some, you're in for a treat. If not, regular lemons also work, you probably just have to add a bit more sugar since they're more tart. Anyway, I think I've found my new summer drink!
- 1 1/2 cups fresh-squeezed lemon juice (I needed 5 meyer lemons)
- 1/2 cup sugar (or more, if you prefer a sweeter lemonade)
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled & halved
- 3 cups cold water
- vodka
- fresh mint, for garnish
Add the sugar to the fresh lemon juice & stir until dissolved. Taste to see if it's sweet enough, and add more sugar if it's not. Note: if you're using regular lemons, not meyer lemons, this is when you may decide to add more sugar.
In a blender, puree the halved strawberries with 1/2 cup of the water until smooth. Pour the puree into the lemonade pitcher, through a fine mesh sieve - this will catch all of the strawberry seeds & large pieces of pulp! Note: you may have to use the back of a spoon to help force the juice through the sieve.
Stir the lemonade & strawberry juice layers together, and add the remaining cold water. If you want a sparkling lemonade drink, you can always sub sparkling water, club soda, or citrus soda in for a portion of the water - it's delicious this way, too!
When ready to serve, fill a glass with ice, pour in a shot of vodka, and fill with the strawberry lemonade. Give it a stir, and garnish with a sprig of mint! Enjoy!
Happy Happy Friday!