Spiked Strawberry Lemonade Cocktail

Sweet, refreshing, and just enough “spike” to hit the spot. Spiked Strawberry Lemonade is my all-time favorite summer cocktail!

This post is sponsored by Ibotta. All opinions are 100% my own. 

In the summer, my backyard patio is my safe haven. I love sipping on delicious cocktails out there. Spiked Strawberry Lemonade is probably my favorite one to mix up. Followed very closely by Watermelon Sangria.

It’s super easy to make, full of fresh fruit (plus a hint of mint!), and SO refreshing. This Spiked Strawberry Lemonade recipe is the perfect combination of sweet and tart. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

SPIKED STRAWBERRY LEMONADE
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For my kids, the highlight of the summer is when the ice cream truck makes its way through the neighborhood. That tell-tale tune starts out as a distant jingle. Then, as it gets closer I know my boys will come yelling “MOM, MOM! It’s here!!!” (followed quickly by… “can we have $5?”)

For ME, I get that same level of excitement when I make a new fruity cocktail recipe to sip on. (Why someone hasn’t created an adult version of the ice cream truck that delivers pina coladas, margaritas, and spiked strawberry lemonade is beyond me. Us grown-ups need some poolside treats too!)

Anyway, we’ve had some beautiful spring days lately out here in the pacific northwest. I’m talking perfect temperature, warm breeze, top 10 weather day kinda days. These days have been getting me super excited for summer so, I just had to break out some of my summer cocktail recipes. Spiked homemade strawberry lemonade was #1 on my list.

So, I hopped on my Ibotta app to see what awesome cash back offers I could get when I purchased my ingredients for this yummy cocktail. Because hey, who doesn’t love free money?? You guys already know how much I love Ibotta, I’ve been using it for years. For this recipe alone I earned over $3 in cash back!

If you don’t know about Ibotta already, prepare to have your mind blown. They pay you CASH simply for buying what you would normally be purchasing anyway. And the cool thing is, it works for buying groceries in store AND for your other purchases online.

 You can pre-plan your shopping trip in the app and buy things that you know are current offers. Or you can scan your receipt after you shop and let Ibotta find the deals for you. It’s super easy, and we all know I love easy.

Ahhh, I can see myself now – sitting on my patio. Sipping a Spiked Strawberry Lemonade. Swiping through my Ibotta app… dreaming of all the ways I’ll be spending my cash back.

All offers were valid as of publish date. Don’t forget to check your app for details as offers change frequently and may not be available in all areas.

Ingredients for Strawberry Lemonade with Vodka

• Sugar
• Water – some for the simple syrup and more for the lemonade
• Fresh strawberries – if strawberries are not in season, you can use frozen strawberries that have been thawed
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice – bottled is okay too, but fresh tastes SO much better!
• Good vodka
• Mint leaves

One of our favorite family activities during the summer is strawberry picking. That way we know we’re getting only the best berries. And it’s a way to get the kids out of the house for a few hours!! I know I’ll for SURE be taking a few trips to the strawberry patch this year to get strawberries for Spiked Strawberry Lemonades!

How to Make Spiked Strawberry Lemonade

1. Start by combining 1 cup of sugar with 1 cup of water in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Bring the sugar/water mixture to boil and then reduce to simmer until all the sugar dissolves. You don’t want it to be grainy! Be sure to stir it a couple of times to help the sugar dissolve. This usually takes about 5 minutes.
3. After the sugar had dissolved, you’ll remove the saucepan from the hot burner and allow the simple syrup to cool to room temperature. This should take about 30 minutes. You can make your simple syrup up to a month in advance. Just keep it in an airtight container in the fridge.
   *Sometimes, I’ll make a double batch of simple syrup just to have on hand in case I get a craving for Frozen Margaritas!
4. Next, blend the strawberries and mint leaves together in a blender or a food processor. (If you don’t want seeds in your cocktail, you can strain the strawberry puree through a fine-mesh strainer.)
5. Combine all of the simple syrup, the strawberry-mint puree, lemon juice, 4 cups of water, and vodka into a large pitcher (mine is 2.5-quarts) and give everything a quick stir.
6. To serve your cocktail, fill some rock glasses with ice and then pour in your drink.

Now, if I’m feeling super fancy, I’ll finish off my glasses with a lemon wedge, strawberry slice, or mint leaf. Or a combination of the three.

There’s nothing better than sitting poolside or in a backyard lounge chair sipping on a fancy cocktail!

Looking for some more yummy summer drinks? Try these other Real Housemoms drinks!

• Peach Lemonade Sangria
• Mexican Sunset 
• Tropical Moscato Sangria
• Frozen Margarita
• Pineapple Rum Punch
• more DRINK recipes…

*This post originally posted on 09/07/2012.