Fruity and refreshing, just what’s needed as the sun sinks below the horizon
Serves 6
175g caster sugar
Small handful mint leaves, washed
400g strawberries, hulled and
quartered
200ml freshly squeezed lemon
juice (4-5 lemons)
Ice
Small measure of gin or vodka
per person (optional)
Strawberries, lemon slices and
mint leaves, to garnish
1 Gently bring the sugar, 1 litre of water and the mint leaves to a boil in a saucepan, stirring until the sugar has fully dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mint to infuse and the sugar syrup to cool.
2 Meanwhile, purée the strawberries in a blender and, if you’d prefern a smooth purée, strain it through a fine sieve to remove any seeds.
3 Combine the strawberry purée and sugar syrup in a large jug, add the lemon juice, and stir to combine.
4 To serve, pop a couple of ice cubes in each glass and pour the fruity cocktail over – you can also add gin or vodka for an alcoholic version. Garnish with strawberries, lemon slices and/or mint leaves.
Bartender’s note: This also works well with watermelon flesh or peaches.
This tipple is just one of the ideas from our August issue’s ‘Gathering’ feature, which this month is a picnic on the beach at sundown. The recipes are by Catherine Frawley and the photography is by Lisa James.
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