Celebrate Summer with These 14 Sweet Strawberry Cocktail Recipes
Celebrate the start of summer—and end of the heat wave—with these sweet and refreshing strawberry cocktail recipes. [...] Read More... The post Celebrate Summer with These 14 Sweet Strawberry Cocktail Recipes appeared first on Wine Enthusiast.
Long sunny days aside, one of the best parts of summer is the bounty of seasonal produce that fills farmers’ market stands and grocery store shelves. Throughout much of the United States, berries are at their peak of sweetness right now.
To take advantage of the current harvest and warmer months—now that this heat wave has subsided—we’ve decided to round up our favorite strawberry cocktail recipes. From classic daiquiris and margaritas to wholly unique blends that honor summer holidays and more, here are 14 sweet strawberry-filled cocktails to shake up straight away.
Strawberry Balsamic Vodka Cocktail
Strawberries and balsamic vinegar go great together in salad or dessert—the vinegar’s acidity is widely known to make the sweetness of ripe strawberries sing. The classic combination plays well in this strawberry balsamic vodka cocktail, too.
The Summer Fling
Kind of like a strawberry-filled riff on frosé, the frozen Summer Fling leans on medium-sweet Riesling (like Auslese, Spätlese or “late harvest”) to stand up to the bold, juicy flavors of strawberry and lime.
Easy Strawberry Margarita
This easy strawberry margarita is as simple to make as the name suggests, but with flavors that are more complex than one would expect. Cilantro adds a garden-fresh twist, while cinnamon and bitters balance out the sweetness with a hint of spice and a cool ombré effect.
Strawberry Fields
Inspired by the beloved Beatles, Strawberry Fields is an ode to the season’s quintessential farmers’ market fruit in this herbal, tart and sweet sparkler. It combines strawberry and basil with vodka, lemon, rhubarb bitters and effervescent Prosecco.
Strawberry Daiquiri
In this straightforward strawberry daiquiri recipe, fresh lime juice adds zest and offsets the sweetness of the strawberries and simple syrup. Dark rum adds layers of creamy caramel and citrus notes.
Lava Flow
The tiki-inspired Lava Flow is essentially a blended piña colada enhanced with a streak of strawberry purée, meant to evoke a flow of red-hot lava. The creamy mix also features light rum, cream of coconut, banana and melted vanilla ice cream.
Half-Cocked Cocktail
The bourbon-based Half-Cocked cocktail shakes up OJ and simple syrup liqueur with fresh strawberry purée for a complex, sweet and spiced summery mix. It’s served in a Creole Shrub-rinsed martini glass with a pink Himalayan sea salted strawberry garnish.
Strawberry Punch
This Strawberry Punch makes great use of sweet, fresh-picked berries. Built in a large pitcher, it combines puréed berries passed through a sieve with Riesling and lemon juice, topped with some bubbles and a strawberry garnish.
Strawberry Basil Caipirinha
Brazilian cachaça mingles with lime, fresh berries and basil in the made-for-summer strawberry basil caipirinha. It stays true to the OG but with the added kick of seasonal produce.
Strawberry Moon
Inspired by the full Strawberry Moon in June—during the height of the season—this berry-filled beverage combines fresh fruit with white rum or mezcal, Grand Marnier, lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white whipped in a dry-shaker to create a creamy, seasonal treat.
Strawberry Daiquiri
This modern take on the strawberry daiquiri takes the classic to a whole new level. It gets its nuanced lift from bitter Fernet and earthy mezcal.
The Midnight Sun Dance
Though inspired by the Arctic Circle at the height of summer, the celebratory Midnight Sun Dance this seasonally-appropriate drink gets its vivid hue and bright flavor strawberry preserves. The sweet blend is balanced with vermouth, Sherry, aged rum and dry sparkling wine.
Red Is a Flavor
Deniseea Head of Chicken & Champagne created her signature Red Is a Flavor to celebrate the “love, dominance and passion” Black Americans have demonstrated throughout history for Juneteenth. The batched drink features white wine (or red, if you prefer), Cognac, blend of red fruits and—you guessed it—strawberry.
The E.P.C.
The E.P.C., which stands for Equal Parts Cocktail, is another great batch cocktail that leans on seasonal flavors via house-made strawberry syrup. It’s combined with white rum, Aperol, lime juice and pineapple juice to create a compelling, well-balanced cocktail for a crowd.
More Cocktail Coverage
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- Here’s how to make a Crisp Martini, the viral cocktail of the summer.
- The classic gin gimlet is endlessly adaptable. Here are 9 of our favorite gimlet variations.
- Just in time for summer: 7 refreshing gin and tonic recipes for every kind of drinker.
- These dill-forward cocktails are for all the pickle lovers out there.
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The post Celebrate Summer with These 14 Sweet Strawberry Cocktail Recipes appeared first on Wine Enthusiast.
