Strawberries go into a pan with mint and a little sweetener, just long enough to collapse and release their juice. Strain it, cool it, pour it over ice and top with sparkling water. The gentle heat is what carries the mint through the whole drink, and it keeps the colour a clear, deep rose. Pour 30ml of gin or vodka into each glass, and you have a cocktail. Get your strawberries and mint from Queen Victoria Market, delivered to your door or via Click & Collect!
Serves 4. Making a jug for a crowd? Just double it.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (about 300g) strawberries, hulled, plus 4 extra to garnish
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves, lightly packed, plus extra to garnish
- 4 teaspoons brown sugar or maple syrup (optional)
- About 950ml sparkling water, chilled
- Ice
- 120ml gin or vodka (optional, for a cocktail)
Method
- Put the strawberries, mint leaves and sweetener, if using, in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the berries soften and start to slump.
- Mash the berries with a fork to release the juice, then cook a few minutes more. Keep the heat low. You want the mint to steep rather than stew, and a hard boil will dull both the colour and the flavour.
- Strain the mixture through a fine sieve or muslin into a bowl, pressing gently on the solids. Hold onto the pulp for yoghurt or smoothies rather than binning it.
- Let the syrup cool. Pouring it warm over ice will melt it straight away and water the drink down.
- Fill four glasses with ice and divide the strawberry mint syrup between them.
- If you’re making it a cocktail, add 30ml of gin or vodka to each glass now and stir, so it mixes through the syrup before the bubbles go in.
- Top each glass with chilled sparkling water and stir once, gently. Over-stirring knocks the fizz out.
- Garnish with a strawberry and a sprig of mint, and serve straight away.
Adapted from Fork in the Road
