Strawberry Fields Recipe

If using fresh strawberry purée

Hull strawberries and place in a blender or food processor. Add 0.5 oz of simple syrup and blend on high until smooth, about 20–30 seconds. Taste and add more syrup (up to the extra 0.5 oz) if berries are still tart. Strain through a fine strainer into a small container to remove seeds and hold for the cocktail.

Chill a martini or coupe glass by placing it in the freezer for 5–10 minutes or filling with ice water while you prepare the cocktail.

Add 2 oz Tito's Vodka, 1 oz fresh strawberry purée (or store-bought), 1 oz cranberry juice, 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice, and 0.5 oz simple syrup to a cocktail shaker.

Fill the shaker with ice (about 5–7 medium cubes). Secure the lid and shake vigorously for 12–18 seconds until the shaker is very cold and the exterior is frosty. This both chills and properly dilutes the cocktail.

Remove the ice or water from your chilled glass. Double-strain the cocktail into the chilled martini/coupe glass using a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer to catch strawberry seeds and ice shards for a silky texture.

Garnish with a lemon slice on the rim or floated on top. Optionally, thread a thin strawberry slice on the rim for extra visual appeal.

Serve immediately.

To make a smoother purée with less seeds, allow blended strawberries to sit for 5 minutes and then press through the strainer with the back of a spoon.

Adjust sweetness to taste: if berries are very sweet, reduce simple syrup to 0.25 oz; if very tart, increase to 0.75–1 oz.

For a fizzy variation, top the strained cocktail with a splash (0.5 oz) of club soda instead of garnishing.