Strawberry Blonde Drink Recipe
Written by Kick back with our simple Strawberry Blonde drink recipe! With vodka, juicy strawberries, lemon juice, rich sugar syrup and a dash of soda water, this cocktail is the perfect way to welcome the spring season.
Prep time: 1 minute
Mixing time: 1 minute
Servings: 1
Calories: 179
Ingredients
- 2 oz Vodka
- 1½ oz fresh lemon juice
- ¾ oz rich sugar syrup
- 2 fresh strawberries - cut in half
- 2-3 oz soda water - preferably chilled to top up
- 1 extra strawberry - for garnish, optional
- Ice cubes
Equipment
- Collins or Highball Glass
- Cocktail Shaker
- Measuring Jigger
- Muddler
- Cocktail Strainer
- Fine strainer
Instructions
- Prep Glass: Fill a Collins or Highball glass with ice cubes. Give it a stir to chill it and set it aside.
- Muddle Strawberries: In your shaker, put 2 fresh strawberries halved in two and ¾ oz rich sugar syrup. Muddle well to extract the juice and flavor from the strawberries.
- Add Lemon Juice: Add 1½ oz fresh lemon juice.
- Add Vodka: Measure and pour 2 oz Vodka into the shaker as well.
- Shake: Fill the shaker with ice, close it, and give it a good shake (10-15 seconds).
- Strain: Discard the ice in the Collins glass and refill it with fresh, new ice cubes. Then, using both the cocktail strainer and the fine strainer, strain the shaken drink into the ice-filled glass.
- Top with Soda: Add more ice if necessary and top off with approx. 2-3 oz soda water, adjusting to taste and the size of the glass.
- Stir: Using a bar spoon or long stirrer, stir gently to combine.
- Garnish: Garnish with a fresh strawberry on the rim of the glass and serve immediately.
Notes
Substitutes:
- Vodka: If you don't have vodka, you can use gin for a more botanical flavor or white rum for a sweeter profile.
- Fresh Strawberries: If fresh strawberries aren't available, frozen ones work just as well. You could also try other berries like raspberries or blackberries for a different twist. Another option would be to use strawberry syrup, but in that case, you would have to adjust the rich syrup quantity accordingly (otherwise you may end up with a drink that’s too sweet).
- Fresh lemon Juice: You can use bottled lemon juice in a pinch, but the flavor will be less bright and fresh. Another option is to use fresh lime juice for a slightly different citrus kick.
- Rich Sugar Syrup: You can easily make your own rich sugar syrup at home by mixing together 2 parts sugar and 1 part hot water. Stir well to dissolve and let it cool down before using it. In the refrigerator, this homemade rich syrup will last for about a month. Honey syrup (2 parts honey to 1 part warm water) or agave nectar can be used as natural sweeteners if you prefer not to use sugar syrup.
- Soda Water: Any kind of sparkling water can be used to prepare this drink.
Making a Pitcher of Strawberry Blonde Drink:
- Scale: To make a pitcher that serves 8, multiply all the ingredients by 8. That would be 16 oz of vodka, 12 oz of lemon juice, 6 oz of rich sugar syrup, and 16 fresh strawberries (plus a few extras for garnishing).
- Mix: Muddle the strawberries and drop them in a large pitcher. Add the sugar syrup, muddle a bit more to combine and extract all the flavor from the fruits, and add the fresh lemon juice and vodka. Add ice and stir well.
- Serve: Strain to remove the ice and the strawberry bits, pour into ice-filled highball or Collins glasses, and top up each glass with soda water (approx. 2 oz per drink). Garnish with fresh strawberries and serve immediately. If you have some leftovers, be sure to keep them in the fridge (make sure no ice cubes are left inside) in an airtight container.
Making it Non-Alcoholic:
- Vodka Substitute: Use a non-alcoholic spirit such as a gin substitute; these are available and reasonably mimic vodka's clean taste. You can also leave out the vodka completely and simply top up your drink with lemonade or ginger ale instead of soda water for an added layer of flavor.
- Proceed As Usual: Use this non-alcoholic substitute instead of the regular vodka, follow the original steps, and enjoy a non-alcoholic version.