Strawberry Fields Recipe

Place hulled strawberries, granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons cold water into a blender or food processor.

Blend on high until smooth, about 20–30 seconds. Stop and scrape down the sides once to ensure even pureeing.

Taste the puree. If it needs more brightness, add up to 1/2 tablespoon additional lemon juice. If too thick, add up to 1 tablespoon cold water and pulse to combine.

For a silky texture, strain the puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard seeds and solids left in the sieve. This yields a smooth puree suitable for cocktails.

Cover and refrigerate the puree if not using immediately. Puree will keep 48 hours chilled.

Fill a Collins glass or highball with about 1 cup of cracked or cubed ice.

Spoon or pour 3 tablespoons of the chilled strawberry puree over the ice.

Add 1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice on top of the puree to add brightness and balance sweetness.

Gently stir once or twice with a bar spoon to lift a bit of the puree into the ice without fully mixing—this creates pretty streaks of color while keeping some fresh puree at the bottom.

Top the glass with 120 ml (about 4 fl oz) chilled ginger beer, pouring slowly to preserve carbonation.

Give a gentle final stir just to integrate the ginger beer with the puree and lemon juice.

Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint and a lemon wheel on the rim, if desired.

Serve immediately with a straw or stirrer so the drinker can re-mix to taste.