Is There a Cure for Spring Fever? How About a Flirty Little Cocktail to Celebrate the Vernal Equinox…

The Strawberry Flirt – A Spring-Fling Cocktail to Celebrate the Vernal Equinox

Spring is a flirtatious season. A coquettish, unpredictable lover. We long for her, but she makes us wait. She takes her time, dropping hints; kissing flower buds with her pouty lips and sending promises on winged messengers. When she finally arrives she often comes on strong, and then she suddenly disappears, giving us the cold shoulder for weeks. In spite of her youth, she is practiced in the art of seduction. But we love her anyway. In fact, we love her all the more I think, because of her indecisive ways.

Flirtation can be fun -in fact I rather like it- especially in the garden. So to celebrate the arrival of Spring today, I have chosen a decidedly insouciant cocktail; using fresh herbs from my windowsill garden. A hint of sophisticated mint, a kiss of strawberry sweetness clipped by lime, a rumor of racy hearted rum, and a bit of champagne-bubble charm: This Strawberry Flirt is all about anticipating the delightful season to come.

Oh Spring, how you give me FEVER. So, go ahead – put your Peggy Lee on the play list and kick back in the warm sunshine. Welcome the first day of Spring with a tasty Strawberry Flirt. But for heaven’s sake, do try to be casual about it -don’t be too eager to please- or she will up and change her mind again!

The Strawberry Flirt – A Spring-Fling Cocktail

( Inspiration: Salvatore Calabrese and Maria Hunt )

Ingredients (makes one cocktail):

5    Organic Strawberries (fresh, small berries tend to have best flavor)

10  Organic Peppermint Leaves

1    Ounce lime syrup*

1    Ounce white Puerto Rican rum**

Dry Prosecco, sparkling wine or champagne**

Directions:

Wash strawberries, remove stems and slice. Place in a chilled, round wine glass or goblet or with 10 mint leaves and muddle. Add 1 ounce of homemade lime syrup, (see recipe below), and 1 ounce of white rum. Mix. Fill the glass to near full with cracked, (but not crushed), ice. Add Prosecco to top-off the glass and gently stir. Garnish with a wedge of strawberry and/or a sprig of fresh mint.

*Lime syrup (will keep in a refrigerator for several weeks in a sealed bottle)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Directions:

Combine both ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool.

** A non-alcoholic version of this drink can be easily made by substituting sparkling water in place of the wine. Artificial rum flavoring made also be added if you so desire.

The Strawberry Flirt

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For more delightful springtime libations, check out these lovely books:

Denise Gee’s Southern Cocktails

Maria Hunt’s – The Bubbly Bar

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