Wdbc Hard Seltzer Recipe

Clean and chop

Rinse the strawberries and peach. Hull the strawberries. Peel, pit, and chop the peach into roughly 1-inch pieces.

Blend

Place the strawberries and peach pieces in a blender or food processor. Add the lemon juice, white grape juice (if using), and 2 tablespoons of the simple syrup. Blend on high until very smooth, about 30–45 seconds.

Strain (optional)

For a smooth hard seltzer with minimal pulp, press the purée through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl using the back of a spoon. Discard or reserve the solids for another use. You should have roughly 3/4 to 1 cup of strained purée.

Mix base and purée

In a large chilled pitcher, combine the chilled carbonated water and chilled plain seltzer. Gently stir once to integrate. Add the strained fruit purée. Stir gently 4–6 times to combine — avoid vigorous stirring to preserve carbonation.

Adjust sweetness & alcohol

Taste the mixture. If you want a sweeter drink, dissolve the remaining 2 tablespoons of simple syrup into a small amount (1–2 tablespoons) of warm water, cool, then stir into the pitcher. If you prefer a boozier seltzer, gently stir in the neutral vodka or grain spirit; start with 1/4 cup, taste, and add up to the listed 1/2 cup total to reach desired strength. The white grape juice provides subtle body if not adding more spirit.

Chill briefly

Place the pitcher in the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes or serve immediately over ice. If refrigerated, stir gently once more before serving to reincorporate any settled purée.

Fill each serving glass halfway with ice (about 1/4 cup per 12-oz serving). Pour the strawberry peach seltzer into glasses, leaving a little headspace to avoid overflow. Garnish each glass with a mint sprig and a strawberry slice and peach slice perched on the rim or floated on top.

Optional: For a sparkling presentation, lightly muddle a small mint sprig in the bottom of each glass before adding ice and seltzer to release aroma without adding bitterness.

Serve immediately while fizzy. Store any unused seltzer in a sealed bottle in the refrigerator and consume within 24–48 hours for best carbonation and fresh fruit flavor.