This all started with Indian food, strangely enough. The night before our recent trip to San Diego we were out running errands and needed good takeout food something fierce. We pulled into the nearest strip mall where there was a small, plain sign that said something about vegetarian Indian food. That was all we needed to see.
Once our order was placed, we walked out to see what else this little line of stores had to offer. Wouldn’t you know it – a few doors down there was an Indian market. Yes please!
I stocked up on random goodies like cardamom pods, tamarind chutney, and something I had (for some unknown reason) never purchased before: rose water.
Combine this new and exciting purchase with a sudden explosion in the presence of strawberries, and I knew it was time for a super refreshing drink.
I get the feeling this is something I’m going to be doing a lot of as the weather warms up. Not the exploding, but the making of fruity, fizzy drinks.
Are you ready for your 10 second lesson in fruity, fizzy drink making? Brace yourself.
Cook some chopped up fruit with water, sugar, lemon zest, and rose water. Strain and cool. Pour into huge glasses full of ice, then top off with sparkling water.
BOOM. That’s it. You’re done.
Or… you could forget the ice and replace the sparkling water with champagne. Or prosecco?
I’ll have to get back to you on that last one. For your safety though, Josh and I polished off a bottle of champagne on Sunday just to make sure that substitution is a good idea. Turns out it is. We’re looking out for you. 🙂
Strawberry Rose Water Fizz
The strawberry syrup can be made ahead and stored in a covered container for a few days in the fridge.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs strawberries, hulled & quartered
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon rose water
- zest of 1 lemon
- sparkling water, champagne or prosecco, for serving
- lots of ice, for serving
Method
- For the strawberry syrup: Combine the strawberries, water, sugar, rose water, and lemon zest in a medium pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Puree the strawberry mixture in a blender. In batches, pour into a fine mesh strainer set over a large bowl, scraping the strainer with a rubber spatula to keep the liquid moving. Place the strained syrup into the fridge for a couple hours, until chilled.
- For non-alcoholic drinks: Fill a large glass with ice. Fill a little less than halfway with syrup (around half a cup). Top off with sparkling water, stir and serve.
- For alcoholic drinks: Pour a tablespoon or so of syrup into a champagne flute. Fill (slowly!!) with champagne or prosecco, stir and serve.
Yields
About 5 cups of syrup, which will make 10-12 non-alcoholic or enough alcoholic drinks for a huge crowd
