Strawberry Vodka Cocktail

A simple strawberry vodka cocktail can give you a great new way to enjoy a favorite drink. It is a drink that combines strawberry puree, vodka, and citrus juice. This is a more alcoholic version of the strawberry daiquiri, a simple, fruity cocktail.

Table of Content

• Why make this cocktail?
• Ingredients and substitutes
• Strawberry vodka cocktail
• Tips for success
• More cocktail recipes
• Frequently asked questions
• You may also like
• Printable Recipe
• Join the conversation

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Ah, the classic strawberry cocktail. One of the most popular drinks at happy hour, and also one of the most misunderstood. Here’s how to make the best strawberry cocktail possible.

Why make this cocktail?

• It's easy and fun. It really takes just minutes to make your own drink from scratch.
• Most of the ingredients are easy to find or pantry staples.
• I've used my blender to make the strawberry puree ahead of time so there is no need for a cocktail shaker but feel free to simply muddle the strawberries and shake them with the other ingredients instead.
• Of course, I've used fresh fruit to make the strawberry puree as they are in season now but you can also use frozen any time of the year
• And it's a crowd-pleaser. You can make one drink for yourself or a large pitcher for a crowd.
• This drink needs only 4 ingredients and no special equipment so it is a great cocktail to take with you on picnics! Just add a splash of sparkling water before serving and strawberry slices for garnish.
• By the way, if you want a berry flavor this drink is also amazing with other berries such as raspberry, blackberry, or blueberry puree.

Ingredients and substitutes

• Strawberries - you can use fresh, frozen, or canned strawberries to make this drink. I like to pass the puree through a sieve to remove all the seeds as this gives a lovely color and you don't have all those black specks in the drink.
• Vodka - strawberries, and vodka is a classic combination but you can also use white rum or gin with this strawberry puree.
• Lemon juice - strawberries are naturally sweet so the lemon juice or lime juice helps balance the sweet with sour.
• Liquid- I like to add a fizzy liquid such as 7 Up or Sprite to top my drink. This adds a nice lemony sweetness. You can also use sparkling water or club soda. Sometimes I like to switch it to tonic water or ginger ale, but you can also simply use lemonade.
• Ice cubes - ice cubes make any drink better but I personally prefer cold rather than icy drinks so I usually make sure all my ingredients are cold. Of course, go ahead and use as much ice as you like.
• Optional ingredients
  • Simple syrup or sugar - I think strawberries are naturally sweet so there is no need for added sugar but if you have very tart strawberries you can add 1 to 2 tablespoon of simple syrup or 1 teaspoon of sugar to the drink. You can also make a strawberry syrup by adding sugar to the strawberry puree.
  • Herbs - strawberries combine well with mint as well as basil. Today, I have not used any but you can add 4 mint leaves and a basil leaf for garnish.

Strawberry vodka cocktail

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Pitcher (6 drinks)

• To a blender, add the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, and a few mint leaves. Blend until smooth. Pour into a large pitcher and add the vodka. Stir well to combine. Keep chilled until ready to use.
  Pro tip - you can prepare this base a few hours ahead of time and leave it in the refrigerator to chill.
• When ready to serve, top the pitcher with 7 Up, Sprite, sparkling water, or club soda. Pour into cocktail glasses with ice cubes. Garnish with a lemon slice, more mint leaves, and fresh strawberries.
  Pro tip - for those who do not want the mashed fruit you can strain it out.

Single drink with puree

• Add strawberry puree, lemon juice, simple syrup, and vodka into a cocktail glass.
• Top with 7 Up, sprite, club soda, or sparkling water. Garnish with a lemon slice, strawberry, and mint or fresh basil leaf.

Single drink with fresh fruit

• Add the strawberries, lemon juice, and sugar to a cocktail shaker and muddle them with a wooden muddler.
  Pro tip - bashing with the muddle will remove all the strawberry juice the sugar will dissolve in the lemon juice. If you don't have a muddle you can use the end of a wooden spoon.
• Add the vodka and stir well. Then, strain into a tall glass filled with ice cubes and top with 7 Up, sprite, club soda, or sparkling water. Garnish with a strawberry, a lemon slice, and a mint leaf.
  Pro tip - straining will leave the mashed strawberry fruit behind but you can also just pour it all into the glass and enjoy the whole fruit!
• Cheers!

Tips for success

• Adjust the sweetness to your own preference. Some like sweet cocktails but then there are those who hate them too sweet.  
• Taste the strawberries to check if they are sweet or tart. Adjust the sugar or lemon slices accordingly. 
• You can add honey, agave, or artificial sweeteners instead of sugar to make it sugar-free.
• Sugar is also present in a sprite, 7-up, tonic water which adds sweetness too.
• Mint is a great flavor to add but can be omitted completely. Basil is commonly used with strawberries too. 
• You can use store-bought strawberry crush/ crushed but you will need to omit or adjust the sugar. Most often these come already sweetened. 

Frequently asked questions

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Printable Recipe