A group of girls and I participate in a cooking club where we get together monthly for a themed feast. Everyone brings a dish that matches the theme, and some turn out better than others 🙂 Some examples of themes: Mexican, Mediterranean, Family Favorite, Farmers Market, etc. Needless to say, the nights are full of good food, good friends, and lots of wine. A few months ago we decided to switch it up a little and book a chef through Kitchit to come cook for us instead! The theme of the dinner was picnic – salad with beets, strawberries, and goat cheese; pork ribs with panzanella; and a cheesecake dessert. I decided to try my hand at making a cocktail that matched the theme and came up with this strawberry-lemonade type beverage that was a big hit.It’s more fruity and fresh than it is sweet which I prefer. Not only was it totally fruity and delicious but it was also stunning. Make sure to serve it in a pitcher for maximum wow factor.

What you’ll need:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 bunch mint, leaves and stalks separated
• 2 tablespoons + 1 cup water (divided)
• 1 pint strawberries, hulled and cut in half
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
• 2 cups vodka
• club soda

Directions:

• First get the mint simple syrup started. Combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the mint stalks and simmer until the sugar is totally dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool (if you have time put the whole mixture including the mint stalks in the fridge for a few hours).
• Meanwhile make the strawberry puree. Blend the strawberries with the 2 tablespoons of water in a blender or food processor. The puree should be very smooth so add more water if needed (you definitely don’t want it too watery).
• Once the simple syrup has cooled down combine it with the lemon juice and voila! Minty lemonade!
• In a large pitcher combine the strawberry puree, lemonade, mint leaves, and vodka with ice. Stir well! Pour into individual glasses and top with soda water for a little fizz.

TIPS:

• I literally looked up so many recipes for strawberry lemonade drinks before coming up with this one. All of them had different ratios of fruit to sugar to booze and it made me realize that everyone has unique tastes. This is how I like it – less sweet, more fruit, lots of vodka. I suggest before mixing it all together to play around with the ratios first. Make a drink with a little of the puree, lemonade, and vodka until you decide how much of each you want in your final pitcher.
• For extra visual stimulation add sliced lemons and strawberries. Always important to see what you’re about to consume. We taste with our eyes first after all!

I apologize for the not very pretty picture. We got excited and drank half the pitcher before I got a chance to snap a shot 🙂