Cocktail Friday: Strawberry Sour
It has been raining cats and dogs here in Colorado for the past few days. Actually, for the past few weeks we have been getting buckets and buckets of rain. Most Coloradans are not used to this kind of weather and, from what I gather, are not loving it. For me, after living in Minnesota for most of my life followed by Tokyo, Japan, rain is somewhat comforting. I've enjoyed every rain drop and that's the truth. Still, having the occasional sunny evening to sit outside is a wonderful thing. Particularly if this Strawberry Sour is in hand.
This cocktail was actually supposed to be a rhubarb sour from Ashley Rodriguez's book Date Night In. However, for some strange reason I don't quite understand, I could not find rhubarb to save my life. So, I decided to improvise and give the cocktail a try with fresh strawberries instead. I made a simple syrup that became sweet ruby red amazingness and built the cocktail from there. Some gin, lemon juice, and a lemon garnish were added to the syrup and it all came together in a gorgeous, vibrantly colored cocktail that my husband and I absolutely loved. It tastes like strawberry jam but less sweet. You know, like when you eat strawberry jam directly from the jar?
Wait...TMI?
So back to Ashley's book, Date Night In. This was our first date in quite some time and it was desperately needed. We got the boys in bed by 8pm, then I put the finishing touches on dinner while we sipped our cocktails. We enjoyed our meal at a leisurely pace while having adult conversations with NO INTERRUPTIONS. It was a strange feeling. At first, I think we legitimately had no idea how to talk to each other. But we were quickly inspired to talk about things the way we used to when we were younger and more rested and full of fresh ideas and thoughts. I give almost all the credit for our date night success to the amazing food (a vibrant, seasonal salad, herb roasted chicken, roasted carrots, and homemade aioli? yes!) and this pretty cocktail. You can't go wrong with a combination like that. The beautiful sunset and fire in the chiminea helped as well.
Unsolicited advice for the day: you need this book. You may not know it now, but you do. You need it.
Brad and I are so excited about this book and it's thoughtful menus that we have decided to schedule our date nights every two weeks so we can experience it all, start to finish. If the rest of the recipes are as amazing as the first few, we are in for a delicious date night future!
Strawberry Sour
Inspired/adapted from the Rhubarb Sour found in Date Night In by Ashley Rodriguez
Makes 2 cocktails
- 3 oz gin
- 2 1/2 oz strawberry simple syrup
- 1 oz lemon juice
- lemon slices for garnish
Combine the gin, syrup and juice in a shaker filled with ice. Shake for 30 seconds and pour into 2 coupe glasses. Garnish with the lemon slices and enjoy!
Strawberry Simple Syrup
1 lb strawberries, cored and quartered
4 cups water
1 cup sugar
Combine the strawberries and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain the berries over a large bowl and discard the berries, reserving the liquid. Return the liquid to the heat and add the sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced slightly and syrupy. Cool and store in an air tight container.
