I feel like if I can make it then you can make it, too! So here is one of my recent event's most popular beverage and how I made it. This drink was actually made as a mocktail so if you want a tasty beverage without the buzz, exclude the rum. It's delicious either way!
INGREDIENTS
Fresh Strawberries
Fresh Mint
Fresh Lime
Rum
Lemon/Lime Soda
Lime Simple Syrup
Ice
Clean and cut off the green on your strawberry then drop at the bottom of cup with a couple leaves of mint.
Muddle strawberry and mint together
Add rum and swirl to mix (exclude to make it sober)
Add to halfway full point of cup of homemade lime simple syrup
Pour over ice in a cup of same size
Fill remainder with soda
Give it a stir
Garnish with slice of strawberry and mint, dehydrated strawberry, or lime slice
TIPS
I found this really cool strawberry slicer tool that you just stick the whole strawberry (minus the green) and close and it makes perfect slices. I use that to cut the strawberry before I muddle and make life easier. But if you don't have this cool tool then you can slice it with a knife.
To muddle...that is the question. It really means "to make muddy". For this recipe, you want all the juices of the strawberry and the mint to break and release it's juices to blend into the drink. Add a slice of lime here if you need more tartness.
Remember that simple syrup is half water and half sugar. To make it lime, just add lime juice until you like the flavor. This can also double as a base for limeade.
Don't over fill the ice cup otherwise you'll not be able to mix it properly.