Strawberry Lemonade Sparkling Drink (Printer View)

A fresh, bubbly blend of strawberries and lemon with sparkling water for a light, festive summer drink.

# What you'll need:

→ Fruit

01 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
02 - 1 lemon, sliced for garnish

→ Juices

03 - 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

→ Sweetener

04 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar or 3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup

→ Liquids

05 - 2 cups cold sparkling water
06 - 1/2 cup cold water

→ Ice

07 - 1 cup ice cubes

# Method:

01 - Combine strawberries, lemon juice, sugar or honey, and cold water in blender. Process until smooth.
02 - Pour blended mixture through fine mesh sieve into large pitcher to remove seeds and pulp.
03 - Add ice to pitcher and pour in sparkling water. Stir gently to combine.
04 - Taste mixture and adjust sweetness by adding more sugar or honey as needed.
05 - Pour into glasses filled with additional ice. Garnish with lemon slices and whole strawberries if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like summer in a glass without requiring you to actually leave the kitchen.
  • The whole thing comes together in about ten minutes, making it perfect for unexpected guests or sudden heat waves.
  • Fresh strawberries mean you're getting real fruit nutrition, not artificial flavor trying to masquerade as something it isn't.
02 -
  • If you skip the sieve, those tiny strawberry seeds will get stuck between your teeth for hours afterward—I learned this the uncomfortable way at a work lunch.
  • Don't blend the strawberries too far in advance; they start losing their brightness if they sit around oxidizing, which I discovered after blending everything thirty minutes before guests arrived.
03 -
  • Chill your pitcher and glasses ahead of time if you're serving multiple people; warm glassware melts the ice too quickly.
  • Make the strawberry puree base in the morning, strain it, and keep it in the fridge until you're ready to add sparkling water—the flavors actually deepen as they sit.
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