Strawberry Fields Cocktail

We eagerly await fresh berry season all year long. There's an inexplicable joy about picking strawberries or blackberries, fresh from the vine and still warmed from the Southern sun, and popping them right into our mouths—the explosion of sweet juice takes us right back to childhood. What better way to recreate that nostalgic feeling (in a celebratory, adults-only fashion) than with an inspired cocktail?

Our Strawberry Fields Cocktail spikes a classic combination of gin and tonic with fresh strawberry syrup, creating a signature cocktail meant for springtime. This drink is dangerously refreshing—the combination of sweet strawberry, balanced with the lime juice and the tonic water, make this a wonderful, easy-sipping cocktail. Since this big-batch drink is lower in alcohol for the serving size, it makes a nice, light cocktail perfect for brunch or a lazy afternoon.

The color is a beautiful rosy pink, which looks great with the fresh berry and lime wheel garnish. Effervescent, sweet, sour, and herbal from the gin, this drink screams spring party. It's also easy for guests to make their own, so you can spend your time playing host. Your guests can tailor it to their own tastes—add more simple syrup if you want it a little sweeter, more lime if you like a little more tartness, and of course, more gin if you want it stronger.

Vodka, gin, and tequila will all want to be best friends with this Strawberry Syrup. It will also be a great homemade soft drink syrup to top off seltzer water. Add a little booze of your choice and make a granita out of it for dessert or a palate cleanser. We could go on and on…