The Strawberry Cooler

Greetings, Thirsty Ones. Tonight's cocktail was inspired by the motherlode of strawberries that have been making their way out of our garden into my kitchen this summer. They were, at first, puzzlingly lack lustre, but then my mother-in-law advised us that we were picking just a bit too soon. Wham! Now we have the most amazing, delicious, gorgeous berries that you could imagine. If you only know strawberries from the ones you buy at the supermarket, you don't know strawberries. Stop by our house and treat yourself to the real deal.

I'd like to say that tonight's mixture was as good as the strawberries themselves, but alas, it was not. I chose a vodka cocktail from Imbibe Magazine and I chose it because it has strawberries and because it was easy to make. It was a Vodka based drink and I thought since we hadn't done one, I ought to.  Vodka was my go to drink for many years, but I'm not going to lie. I've moved on. Sorry Vodka. I've discovered more exciting spirits. It isn't that we won't have occasional flings, but I can't remain committed like I once was. 

So, I'll share with you the original recipe of the cocktail from Imbibe, although I really don't think it is worth the work to make it. It is called the Strawberry Cooler.  I should have known it might be disappointing when I saw there were no bitters in the mix. I took a couple of liberties, which I shall note. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing unpleasant about this cocktail. It's just not demanding enough for my palate.  It doesn't have the depth to carry on a good conversation with my taste buds. What can I say? I'm a girl who needs that to stay interested.  It's weirdly reminiscent of those kind of drinks you order when you're renting a beach house for the summer with three of your work friends from General Foods in Delaware and you're 23 and still drinking Miller Lite. That said, this version is a step or two better than that because of the fresh ingredients.

It's pretty, but looks aren't everything.

The Strawberry Cooler

2 ounces vodka

3/4 ounces Dolin Blanc vermouth 
         (I used Martini & Rossi dry. So sue me.)

1.5 ounces fresh strawberry puree *

3/4 ounces fresh Meyer lemon juice (I used regular)

3/4 ounces rich simple syrup (I used cranberry syrup**)

1 dash rose water (really? who has that in their pantry?)

1. 5 ounces seltzer

Lemon and mint to garnish.

Combine all ingredients except seller in a mixing glass and stir to incorporate. Add seltzer and pour into an ice-filled Collins glass. Garnish.

*throw some strawberries in a blender and mash 'em up. If you have a Vitamix, don't bother to strain. If you don't, you might want to strain out the larger particles.

** Cranberry Syrup (also used in the delicious Cranberry Crush)


1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 cup cranberries (frozen or fresh)
1 cinnamon stick (I think this could be omitted with no impact)

In a small saucepan, bring sugar, water, cranberries, and cinnamon stick to a simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar and pressing the cranberries with the back of a wooden spoon to release to help break them down. At the first crack of a boil, remove from the heat. Once cooled, pour the syrup through a strainer, discard the solids (they do taste pretty good, though) and store in a glass jar. The syrup will keep in the refrigerator for up to a month.

Until next time, Cheers!