This light and refreshing cocktail is a favorite of our friends Brittany P and Isabelle K. This is one of the great cocktail creations by the bartenders at Radnor Hunt last summer. It was such a hit that they wisely made sure it returned this summer much to Brittany and Isabelle’s delight. I did my best to recreate it based on the list of ingredients.
The star is fresh strawberry purée, which gives the drink both its pretty color and summery flavor. I made mine in a small Cuisinart using the grind rather than chop setting. As the names suggest, chop left me with chopped strawberries, while grind produced a lovely smooth purée. A blender or Vitamix works well, too, particularly if you’re making a larger quantity.
If your strawberries aren’t especially sweet, add a little sugar to the purée. A squeeze of lemon juice adds some brightness. Fresh strawberries (these came from Yeager’s Farm in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania) are my preference, but thawed frozen strawberries work, too. The purée can be made a day or two in advance.
For the cocktail, strawberry purée is joined by vodka, elderflower liqueur (such as St. Germain) and fresh lemon juice. After shaking, double strain the mixture—first through the cocktail shaker and then through a small sieve. I found it less messy to strain everything into a measuring cup and then pour it into a wine glass.
Add ice and top with a few ounces of Prosecco, Cava, Crémant or your favorite sparkling wine. Garnish with a strawberry slice, mint sprig or lemon—whatever looks good and is close at hand.
Isabelle joined us for dinner recently, along with our eldest niece, Mia K., who was visiting for the weekend, giving me the perfect opportunity to test my version on someone very familiar with the Radnor Hunt cocktail. Isabelle declared mine a bit more strawberry-forward than their version. I call that useful research. Feel free to reduce the strawberry purée if you prefer a more subtle flavor.
For a crowd, mix everything except the sparkling wine in a pitcher (skipping the shaker step) ahead of time. Pour over ice, top with bubbles and you’re ready for cocktails outside or an al fresco meal.
Summer flavors and bubbles in a glass—what more could you want?
Summer Bubbles
Ingredients
Purée
- 1 cup fresh strawberries hulled (see Notes)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sugar optional, depending on sweetness
Cocktail
- 1-1/2 ounces vodka
- 3/4 ounce elderflower liqueur such as St. Germain
- 1 ounce fresh strawberry purée
- 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
- 2 to 3 ounces chilled sparkling wine such as Prosecco, Cava or Crémant
- Garnish with a mint sprig strawberry and/or lemon slice
Instructions
Make Purée:
- Add strawberries, lemon juice and sugar (if using) to a Cuisinart (small is fine), blender or Vitamix. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to use. It can be prepared two days in advance. Makes enough for 5 to 6 cocktails.
Make Cocktail:
- Add vodka, elderflower liqueur, strawberry purée and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker. Add ice. Shake for 15 to 20 seconds.
- Pour through a small sieve (double straining) into a measuring cup. (This makes for a cleaner presentation.)
- Pour into a wine glass filled with ice and top with sparkling wine.
- Garnish with a mint sprig, strawberry and/or lemon slice.
Notes
- You can use frozen strawberries, just thaw them first.
- For a crowd, mix everything except the sparkling wine in a pitcher (skipping the shaker step) ahead of time. Pour over ice, top with bubbles and you’re ready for cocktails.
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