Sparkling Strawberry Citrus Drink (Printable)

A vibrant blend of fresh strawberries, citrus, and sparkling water for a refreshing, easy-to-make beverage.

# 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

# Directions:

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 juicy.
02 - Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice and fill the shaker with ice.
03 - Shake or stir well to combine 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 celebration without a single drop of alcohol, so literally everyone at the table can enjoy it together.
  • You can make it in under ten minutes with ingredients most kitchens already have on hand, which means spontaneous entertaining actually works.
  • Fresh strawberries do most of the flavor work, so even if you're not a confident bartender, this comes out tasting intentional and impressive.
02 -
  • Over-muddling turns strawberry seeds bitter, so stop when the fruit is broken down but before you're aggressively pulverizing; a gentle but firm hand is the difference between refreshing and rough.
  • If you use warm or room-temperature sparkling water, the ice melts faster and you end up with a watered-down drink instead of something crisp.
03 -
  • Slightly under-ripe strawberries hold their shape better during muddling and give you more control over texture and presentation.
  • The mint leaf should be rubbed between your palms right before it hits the glass so the oils release and announce themselves with every sip.
Return