Okay, so I’ve been seeing these gorgeous strawberry lemon drop martinis all over Instagram lately, and I had to try making one myself. I mean, pink drinks are just so darn pretty, right? And who doesn’t love a good cocktail on a Friday night? Here’s how my little experiment went down.
Gathering the Goods
First things first, I needed to get my ingredients together. I already had some vodka, thankfully, but I needed to swing by the store for the rest. Here’s what I grabbed:
- Fresh strawberries, obviously. I got a big container because I figured I’d probably mess up a few times, haha.
- Lemons. I made sure to pick the juicy-looking ones.
- Simple syrup. You can make your own, but I’m lazy, so I just bought a bottle.
- Sugar for the rim. I wanted that fancy, sparkly look.
- Ice. Lots and lots of ice.
Getting My Prep On
Before the actual mixing, I did a little prep work. I started by slicing up some strawberries. I cut some into halves for muddling, and then a few into cute little slices for garnish. I also juiced a couple of lemons. I don’t have a fancy juicer, so I just used a fork and some good old-fashioned elbow grease. It was a bit of a workout, not gonna lie!
Muddle, Muddle, Toil and Trouble…
Next came the fun part (or so I thought!). I put a few strawberry halves into my cocktail shaker and used a muddler (basically a fancy smasher-thing) to crush them up real good. The goal is to release all that yummy strawberry juice. This took a little more effort than I expected, but I got there eventually.
Shake It Like a Polaroid Picture
After the muddling, I added in the vodka (about two shots, because, why not?), the lemon juice (about one shot’s worth), and the simple syrup (half a shot – I didn’t want it too sweet). Then, I threw in a handful of ice and put the lid on the shaker. And then…I shook. I shook that thing like my life depended on it. I probably looked ridiculous, but hey, it’s all part of the process, right?
The Finishing Touches
I put sugar into a plate, wet the rim of martini glass with a lemon slice, and gently press it into a plate of sugar to coat the edge. It looked so professional! I carefully strained the pink concoction from the shaker into my beautifully rimmed glass. And then, for the final flourish, I added a little strawberry slice to the rim.
Ta-Da! (And a Few Hiccups)
Okay, so my first attempt wasn’t perfect. I think I might have gone a little overboard with the lemon juice, it was a tad too sour. But hey, that’s what second tries are for! I adjusted the amounts a bit, added a touch more simple syrup, and the second one was much better. It was sweet, tart, and oh-so-pretty. Definitely Instagram-worthy, even if I do say so myself. Overall, it was a fun, if slightly messy, experience. I’d totally recommend giving it a shot. Just be prepared for a little trial and error, and maybe have a backup bottle of wine on hand, just in case! Cheers!
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