
Holidays always mess with me. I’ve been a day behind with my mental calendar and about two days behind with work, but it’s all good because it’s summer, one day away from the weekend and I’m sharing a recipe for Homemade Strawberry Lemonade with a little boozy kick.
Since it’s incredibly hot outside, I’ve been looking for ways to chill out and create some refreshing adult beverages for our friends. I’ve been quite successful if I do say so myself.
If you know me at all, you know that I don’t drink much and that I’m pretty much the definition of, for lack of a better word – a lightweight. But I’m also addicted to those cute miniature bottles of liqueur that are readily available at my favorite market. It’s sort of a collection habit that I have. I’m always finding ways to mix them into ganache and buttercream.
A couple of weeks ago, I got a little carried away at Costco and came home with an ample supply of lemons and strawberries that started to turn on me the minute I set them onto the counter.
Luckily Brian had made plans for his work buddies to stop by for an evening of fishing, so I decided to whip up of batch Strawberry Lemonade to help them deal with 90 degree heat. And as a little bonus I added in some vodka which paired perfectly with the sweet and sour flavor of the Strawberry Lemonade.
If you aren’t much of drinker, no worries, this Homemade Strawberry Lemonade is perfectly refreshing and delicious sans the vodka. And you can totally get creative and experiment with different fruit. I’ve made this recipe using raspberries and imagine that it would be pretty awesome with blueberries as well! So have fun and stay cool!
Looking for more adult beverage creations?
Frozen Cherry Mojitos from My Baking Addiction
Ginger Ale for Summer Evenings from Food for My Family
Frozen Coconut Limeade from She Wears Many Hats
Sparkling Acres Cocktail from Bluebonnets and Brownies
Hard Cherry Lemonade Sorbet from My Kitchen Addiction
Homemade Strawberry Lemonade
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup of water
1 pint fresh strawberries
1 cup fresh lemon juice (this equaled close to 8 of my lemons)
4-6 cups cold water (this will vary depending on your taste)1 cup vodka, optional
Directions:
1. Make a simple syrup by combining the sugar with 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Place over medium heat and heat until the sugar in completely dissolved; swirl the pan occasionally. Let cool.
2. Once the simple syrup has cooled, puree strawberries in a blender with ½ cup water.
3. In a large pitcher, combine strawberry puree, simple syrup and lemon juice. If using the vodka, add it to the pitcher and stir to combine.
4. Add 4-6 cups of cold water. The amount of water you use will depend on your taste, so add as little or as much as you want to achieve your perfect sweet/tart balance.
5. Serve over ice. If desired, garnish with fresh strawberries and lemon slices.
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{ 51 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ll take this now. Extra vodka, please!
This looks delish! The heat has put a frown on my face for days now…I think this spirited Strawberry Lemonade just might bring me out of my funk! YUM!
Yummy…almost makes me wish I wasn’t preggo! Guess I’ll have to make sans vodka!
Its yummy without the Vodka…..even with my 14 year old son making it!!!! Very refreshing
It does look so inviting and refreshing! I love your glasses! I bet the fish stories got bigger and bigger with each glass served
Strawberry lemonade also works really, really well with rum.
Lately I’ve been mixing Italian Lemon soda with raspberry vodka and just loving hard lemonades, so I can’t wait to try this lemonade!
Strawberry lemonade aside, I ordered Weck jars the other day, and now it looks like I’m going to need to order more so I have enough to drink out of, too. Gorgeous!
Saw this recipe on another blog a few months ago. Been making it ever since. It’s a hit! Everyone loves this recipe.
I LOVE strawberry lemonade!! Of course, it never occurred to me to make it myself, but you’ve changed all that. Thank you, Jamie!
We used to get this great strawberry lemonade at the farmer’s market when we would go, but it didn’t have vodka in it! I can use a nice glass of this right about now, it’s been so hot lately.
I am a total lightweight. I feel drunk just ready the line “one cup vodka”!
Beautiful! The photos – incredible! It sounds SO delicious and refreshing!
My favorite summer time drink.
I love those little bottles, too! Last time I stopped in at the liquor store for coconut rum, the cashier handed me a large bottle and I had to tell him I just needed a tiny one for a recipe I was trying out. He gave me a sly smile and said, “Mmmhm… I know that recipe.”. Hehe!
I’m definitely making this lemonade for my next girls night – it’ll be perfect sans vodka for the Mommies-to-be in the crowd, and a nice little treat for those of us who can enjoy a cocktail. Thanks!
This is such a refreshing looking drink! Yum!
Oooh! I LOVE strawberry lemonade. Yours looks great!
Grabbing my shoes. I’ll be over in a sec. Bringing my own straw.
What a perfect, refreshing treat! I might have to make some this weekend to beat the heat.
The perfect weekend drink! Stay cool and enjoy your weekend.
p.s. Think it would be good with limes instead of lemons?
A keeper. I’ll simply replace the sugar (syrup) with agave or pineapple juice.
This would be really great with sparkling wine, too. Yummy!
Love it, with the vodka, of course.
We’re loving strawberry lemonade around here, too! Super refreshing and perfect for summer.
Fantastic recipe… I LOVE these flavor combinations!
This looks so incredibly refreshing! Wish I had a tall glass of this right now.
Yum! Just made this! Love strawberry lemonade in the summer. Thanks for the recipe!
Rebecca-
So glad you enjoyed the lemonade and thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment about it!
-Jamie
Thanks for sharing – it looks delicious!
I’m having the girls over for cocktails tomorrow and even though the weather over here in England is terrible, this looks like just what we need to make the most of our delicious strawberries! I’m thinking about adding gin instead of vodka – do you think this would work?
Hollie-
I am not much of a gin drinker, so I cannot attest to how this would taste. Sorry I am not much of a help!
-Jamie
OMG.. I was craving a good strawberry lemonade with this weird warmer weather we’ve got this winter and I found this site, I tried this yesterday and OMG It’s Amazing and was exactly what I wanted! The only think I did different is I used lemon juice from a bottle instead of squeezing the lemons. I’ve made this twice now in the past two days b/c hubby and the kids loved it. THANKS!!!
I also used lemon juice for this recipe and loved it. I can only imagine how the fresh lemons will taste.
Latifah-
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for stopping by and providing your feedback – have a great day!
-Jamie
This was fantastic! I added Perrier Lemon Mineral water and it was great.
Did you strain the pureed strawberries?
Moe-
I didn’t, you definitely can! Have a great day!
-Jamie
I made this last night for our Mother’s Day bbq and everyone, picky kids included, loved it!
This looks so refreshing! I love how the jars set off the lemonade perfectly! Now I need to wrestle up some cute jars as well. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Amazing. Great Fathers Day drink to make for your husband or father after a good hard days work in the yard.(;
Looks great!
How much is 1 pint of strawberries?
Sasha-
One pint is about 12 large strawberries or 24-ish medium berries, or 1 1/2 cups sliced. Hope this helps!
-Jamie
I have been obsessed with fresh squeezed lemonade lately – I will have to give this a try for a change of pace
I love this recipe! I have made this twice now, for when we host families. I love having a special drink that is alcohol-free, great for the kids and the adults too!
Thank you!
Barbara-
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment on your experience. Have a great day.
-Jamie
Just made this with Splenda and it is Amazing.
Joey-
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the lemonade, thanks for sharing your experience with the recipe!
-Jamie
Mmmmmmmmmmmm………………It looks soooooooooooooo good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.!!!!!!!
Hubby absolutely loved loved and then loved it. I will definitely be making this for my sister bachelorette party minus the alcohol. Thanks a bunch…
Yummm This Is Great
Fantastic recipe! I made this for my daughter’s 5th birthday party today ( minus the vodka lol) and it was a hit. I also added the juice from a couple of oranges. Yummy!