Wdbc Hard Seltzer Strawberry Peach Recipe

Make base and dissolve sugar

In a large pitcher or mixing container, combine the filtered water (6 cups) and the fine granulated sugar (1/2 cup). Whisk until sugar is completely dissolved. Chill briefly if not already cold.

Add alcohol and acids

Stir in the neutral grain alcohol (1.5 cups), citric acid (1 tsp), and a pinch of sea salt. Mix thoroughly to incorporate. Taste and adjust acidity with up to an additional 1/2 tsp citric acid if you prefer a brighter finish.

Prepare fruit

Place hulled strawberries (1.5 cups) and peeled, pitted chopped peaches (1.5 cups) into a blender or food processor. Add fresh lemon juice (1 Tbsp) and simple syrup or agave (2 Tbsp).

Blend

Puree the fruit mixture until very smooth, about 30–45 seconds. If you prefer a clearer seltzer with less pulp, pass the purée through a fine mesh sieve, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. You should yield roughly 1 to 1 1/4 cups of purée/liquid.

Combine purée with base

Stir the strained purée into the prepared hard seltzer base until fully incorporated. Taste and adjust sweetness with additional simple syrup (a teaspoon at a time) or acidity with small increments of lemon juice or citric acid, keeping gluten-free ingredients only.

Chill and carbonate

Place the combined seltzer mixture in the refrigerator until thoroughly chilled (at least 1 hour). When ready to serve, gently stir in chilled club soda or seltzer (4 cups) to add light carbonation. Do not vigorously shake — preserve the bubbles.

Serve

Fill four serving glasses with ice if desired (about 1/2 cup ice per glass). Divide the hard seltzer mixture evenly among the glasses (about 12 oz / 355 ml total per serving). Garnish each glass with a fresh strawberry slice and a thin peach slice. Serve immediately.

Make-ahead & bottle option

If you want bottles (higher carbonation) instead of adding club soda at serving: combine base and purée, leaving out club soda, and chill. Bottle into sanitized PET soda bottles leaving headspace, add priming sugar (optional) and refrigerate to carbonate in the fridge for 24–48 hours. Check pressure carefully. This method requires experience to avoid overcarbonation.