We have a dry cocktail hour a couple times a week, no particular reason – but I find weight fluctuations after imbibing are driving me crazy (although not enough to be a teetotaler).

So after an unfortunate experiment with faked, non-alcoholic gins, I’ve moved to try to find an enjoyable cocktail/mocktail made with real ingredients. Tonight’s experiment comes from plantbasedjess.com and it was a refreshing alternative on a hot August afternoon. My one suggestion is that unless the strawberries are from the height of strawberry season, you should consider the suggestion of adding some sweetener. In this case I added about a teaspoon of maple syrup and that made all the difference.

Salud!

Virgin Strawberry Mojito Mocktail

Ingredients

• ½ cup fresh strawberries (2-4) – sliced
• 10-12 fresh mint leaves
• 1 lime – juiced
• ½ tbsp sweetener to taste – optional (I say go for it unless it’s June in New England)
• ice cubes – for serving
• soda water or seltzer – I used about 1 – 1 ½ cup

Method

• In a glass (at least 16 oz), add the strawberries, mint, lime juice and sweetener, if using.
• Using a muddler, crush the ingredients to help them release their juice and oil (avoid crushing the mint too small so it is more pleasant to drink).
• Then, fill the glass with ice cubes and top with seltzer. Stir and enjoy!