Near Miss Recipe

Make puree and mix juices

If using fresh strawberries, hull and blend enough to make 1/2 cup puree. In a pitcher, combine the fresh orange juice, fresh lemon juice, strawberry puree, and simple syrup. Stir thoroughly until the syrup is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth.

Taste the base and adjust sweetness with more simple syrup (1/2 tablespoon at a time) or brightness with a teaspoon of lemon if needed.

Chill the white grape (or apple) juice and sparkling water. Just before serving, pour the chilled grape juice into the pitcher with the citrus-berry base and gently stir to combine. Add the sparkling water last and fold gently to preserve bubbles.

Fill 4 tall glasses with about 3/4 cup of ice each (divide 3 cups of ice across glasses). Place a lemon or orange slice on the rim of each glass.

To create the blue sea: in a small cup, mix the blue food coloring into a tablespoon of water (or a teaspoon if your coloring is concentrated) and stir until evenly tinted. Add about 1/2 teaspoon of the diluted blue coloring to each glass over the ice, letting it sink a little into the drink to create a layered look. Adjust amount to get a light blue tint — a little goes a long way.

Pour the prepared citrus-berry sparkling mixture into each glass, filling to about 90% full and allowing the blue to swirl gently rather than fully mixing.

For the 'near miss' (shark attack) effect: using a teaspoon, gently drizzle about 1/2 teaspoon of grenadine into the center of each glass so it sinks in a thin red streak toward the bottom without quickly mixing. The red streak will look like a 'bite' that missed the swimmers.

Serve immediately with a straw and a small spoon so kids can stir if they want the colors to fully blend. Wipe any drips from rims and enjoy.