Strawberry Lychee Recipe

Make the strawberry purée (if not using pre-made)

Place 2 of the hulled fresh strawberries into a blender or small food processor. Add 0.5 oz of the simple syrup if you want a smoother, sweeter purée. Blend until smooth, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl to remove seeds. Yield about 1 oz.

In a cocktail shaker, add the vodka (3 oz), lychee liqueur (1 oz), the fresh strawberry purée (1 oz), freshly squeezed lime juice (0.5 oz), and simple syrup (0.25 oz).

Add a generous handful of ice to the shaker (enough to chill well). Secure the lid and shake vigorously for 12–15 seconds until the outside of the shaker is frosty and the mixture is well chilled.

While shaking, prepare the lychee: reserve one drained lychee for garnish. Roughly chop the remaining drained lychee and add it to the shaker for a brief second shake if you want more lychee texture and aroma (optional). If you do add chopped lychee to the shaker, give it one short additional shake to integrate (5 seconds) and then double-strain to remove solids.

If you prefer a muddled fresh-fruit version instead of purée, muddle the 1 remaining hulled strawberry with the chopped lychee and simple syrup in the shaker before adding spirits; then proceed to add ice, vodka, lychee liqueur, and lime, and shake as above.

Fill a chilled coupe or large martini glass with crushed ice or, if you prefer, use a rocks glass with fresh ice. If you used fruit solids in the shaker, double-strain the cocktail through a fine-mesh sieve into the prepared glass to remove bits of fruit and ice shards.

Top the drink with 1 oz of chilled soda water for a lighter, slightly effervescent drink, or omit and use 1 oz sparkling wine for a celebratory touch. Stir gently once to combine if topped.

Garnish by sliding a fresh strawberry slice onto the rim, dropping the reserved whole lychee into the drink (or skewering both the strawberry slice and lychee on a cocktail pick), and add a small mint sprig for aroma if desired.

Serve immediately.