Strawberry Letter 22

• Pour white rum, strawberry puree, root liqueur, lime juice and simple syrup into cocktail shaker, stirring to combine. If you are going to carbonate the drink, cap your shaker and place in the refrigerator. The liquids should be chilled before adding to the Twist ‘n Sparkle. Once chilled, pour the liquids in to the Twist ‘n Sparkle and carbonate. Transfer the carbonated cocktail to a short glass filled with ice and garnish with a lime wedge.
• If you don’t want to carbonate this drink, add ice to your shaker, cap and shake until thoroughly chilled. Strain into a short glass filled with ice and garnish with a lime wedge.

To make strawberry puree:

• Give 1 pound (ish) of strawberries a good rinse. Do not dry. Hull and half the strawberries. Quarter any extra large strawberries. Add strawberries to a large skillet and warm over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until strawberries start to soften and release juices. Remove from heat and transfer to a small food processor. Add a dab of water and process until smooth. Pour mixture through a fine mesh basket strainer into a clean bowl (you can use a spatula here to help press the liquids through strainer). Discard the solids. Let cool before using.

To make simple syrup:

• Warm equal parts white sugar and water over medium heat (I usually do 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water), stirring until sugar is completely dissolved. Bring mixture to a boil, bubble for 1 minute, then remove from heat. Let cool before using.