Sparkling Strawberry Citrus Drink (Printable Version)

A vibrant, refreshing blend of strawberries, citrus, and sparkling water for a bright, flavorful drink.

# What You'll Need:

→ Fruit

01 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
02 - 2 thin slices lemon, plus extra for garnish
03 - 2 thin slices cucumber, optional for extra freshness

→ Syrup

04 - 2 tablespoons honey or agave syrup

→ Juice

05 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

→ Sparkling

06 - 1.5 cups chilled sparkling water

→ Garnish

07 - Fresh mint leaves
08 - Ice cubes

# How to Make It:

01 - In a cocktail shaker or sturdy glass, muddle the strawberries, lemon slices, and cucumber slices with the honey or agave syrup until the strawberries are well crushed and release their juices.
02 - Pour the freshly squeezed lemon juice into the shaker and fill with ice cubes.
03 - Shake or stir vigorously to combine all ingredients and thoroughly chill the mixture.
04 - Strain the mixture evenly into two glasses filled with fresh ice.
05 - Top each glass with sparkling water and gently stir to combine.
06 - Garnish with mint leaves and lemon slices. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like you've been to a fancy brunch, but takes barely ten minutes and costs almost nothing.
  • The tartness from fresh lemon and natural sweetness from strawberries means you don't need alcohol or excessive sugar to feel celebratory.
  • There's something deeply satisfying about muddling fruit with your own hands and watching the color bloom into the glass.
02 -
  • Muddle gently or you'll end up with bitter lemon pith and crushed ice clouding your beautiful drink. Press and twist, don't hammer.
  • If your strawberries are more tart than sweet, taste before you serve and consider adding a touch more honey. Every batch of fruit is slightly different, and that's where tasting and adjusting makes you a better maker of drinks.
03 -
  • Use a wooden muddler or the back of a wooden spoon rather than metal, which can bruise the fruit more aggressively and release unwanted bitterness from the lemon.
  • If you're making this during strawberry season and the berries are intensely fragrant, you need even less honey because the fruit itself carries so much flavor.
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