Well, hello there fellow wine lovers! I’m here today suggesting that you take the time to fully embrace the final days of summer by loading up on fresh produce from the garden, time outside, and by serving up a few of these Strawberry Lemon Smash Cocktails on the porch at happy hour. This summer sipper is the perfect ratio of tart and sweet with freshly squeezed lemon juice and luscious berries all topped off with California sparkling wine to give it that irresistible fizz factor! The jasmine blossoms garnishing this drink are totally optional, but I highly recommend them because the fragrance of the flowers really bring out the flavors in the cocktail.
It’s September which means it’s time to celebrate California wine month with a FREE gift for you!
A few months ago, Todd and I worked with our friend KC, the GFree Foodie, to create and photograph 5 fabulous cocktails inspired by California wines and fresh summer produce! The results of our labor, including this Strawberry Lemon Smash Cocktail, are featured in the FREE Fresh + Delicious California Wine Cocktails eCookbook, which you can download here!
While this Strawberry Lemon Smash cocktail was hands down my favorite of the entire project, ALL of the cocktails were delicious and pretty easy to make, so I knew I had to share them here with you!
Raspberry Frosé || This cocktail feels (and tastes) like a bright pink celebration of summer. Whip it up in an ice cream machine or a blender, just make sure you allow plenty of time for freezing. The sweetness of this cocktail will vary based on the wine you choose and the natural sugar in the fruit.
Cucumber Herb Spritzer || A cool, refreshing white wine cocktail for fans of spa water, but for adults only, of course. Best served at the end of the day, the start of a weekend, or with a bowl of fresh guacamole (made with California avocados!)
Fresh Berry Muscato Mule || This tasty Californian take on the Moscow Mule is loaded with berry goodness. You can choose any berries you like. If you’re hosting a get-together, muddle a big bowl of berries in advance and stow them in the fridge for up to 1 day. Since Muscat wine varies in sweetness, the wine you choose will dictate how sweet the finished mules are.
SoCal Citrus Sangria recipe || Spanish missionaries are believed to have first planted citrus trees in the Golden State over 250 years ago. The first commercial citrus groves appeared in Southern California decades later, with the introduction of the navel orange and railroads spurring California’s “second Gold Rush” of agriculture. The groves have now spread throughout the San Joaquin Valley, with California growers supplying over 80% of the fresh citrus fruit in the U.S.
All of the recipes for these cocktails, or maybe I should call them winetails, are featured in the FREE Fresh + Delicious California Wine Cocktails eCookbook, which you can download here!
If you’ve tried Strawberry Lemon Smash Cocktail recipe I would be so grateful if you would rate the recipe and let me know what you think in the comments below, I just love hearing from you and your reviews and comments really help others that visit This Mess is Ours!
PrintStrawberry Lemon Smash Cocktail
Don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know what you think about this Strawberry Lemon Smash Cocktail in the comments below, I just love hearing from you and your reviews/comments really help other people that visit This Mess is Ours!
Download your FREE copy of Fresh + Delicious California Wine Cocktails eCookbook, here. which you can download here!
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Total Time: 5 min
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Category: Cocktails
- Method: Muddled & Stirred
- Cuisine: Cocktails
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
4–5 fresh strawberries, divided
2 lemon wedges
2 ounces lemon simple syrup, recipe follows
California sparkling wine
ice
optional garnishes: strawberry slices, lemon wheels, and jasmine blossoms
Instructions
Squeeze the lemon juice from the lemon wedges into the bottom of a stemless wineglass, mason jar, or tumbler.
Add the diced strawberries to the lemon juice and muddle (crush) them thoroughly.
Pour in the simple syrup, and stir to combine.
Add ice to the glass, then fill with sparkling wine. Stir to combine then garnish with strawberry slices, lemon wheels, and jasmine blossoms if desired.
Notes
Fresh lemon simple syrup:
It’s easy to make your own simple syrup – just combine equal parts sugar and filtered water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the liquid is clear. Then increase the heat to a heavy simmer and cook for two to three minutes, remove from the heat and allow to cool. Flavor your syrup with lemon by adding a few lemon wheels, seeds removed, while the syrup is cooking. Strain them out once the syrup has cooled.
Keywords: strawberry, lemon, sparkling wine, winetails, cocktails, easy cocktails,
Interested in MORE cocktail recipes that use wine instead of liquor? We have you covered…
Farmers Market Wine Cocktail || This cocktail that is featured on the GFree Foodie site is essentially a next-level savory sangria. It’s like a combination of the best parts of your summer garden and relaxing on the patio on a warm summer evening. But with Pinot Noir.
Mandarin Basil Sparkler Winetail || Mandarin oranges, basil, ginger, and local honey make a sensational simple syrup for this simple winetail that is made with California wine instead of liquor!
Raspberry Port Sparkler || This should be your Instagram-worthy holiday sipper, because this cocktail looks just as good as it tastes! If you don’t have fresh berries, frozen ones will work here, too. This recipe is from the California Wines Cocktails for the Holidays eBook we created last year! This eCookbook is FREE to download and loaded with 7 wine based cocktails for the holiday season! Download your FREE copy here!
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