Strawberry Limeade

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With summer right around the corner now is the time to be thinking about great refreshments to make to stay cool. Since strawberries and limes make a good combination why not incorporate it into a wonderful drink. It is real easy to turn this recipe into a daiquiri just by adding a little rum to the mix. If you want this drink all year round you can just add frozen berries if there are no fresh berries available.

Ingredients
6-10 fresh or frozen thawed strawberries
2 ounces simple syrup (directions to make will follow)
3 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
8-10 ounces chilled club soda or water

Directions
1. If you have fresh strawberries, cut them in quarters. Place the berries in a cocktail shaker or large glass and smash them a bit with a muddler, a pestle or just the back of a spoon. You don't have to worry about getting them pureed; you just want them to release some juice.

2. Add the simple syrup and lime juice and a few ice cubes. If you're using a cocktail
shaker, shake for 30 seconds or so. If you're using a glass, stir vigorously.

3. Using a small, medium-fine strainer, strain the strawberry lime liquid evenly into two glasses (about 9 ounces; highball glasses are a good choice). Use the muddler or spoon to press down on the solids in the strainer to get all the liquid out.

4. Fill the glasses about a third full with ice cubes and pour the club soda or water over. Gently but thoroughly stir to combine. Adjust with more simple syrup or lime juice if necessary. Garnish with a wedge of lime or a strawberry split halfway (if you're using fresh berries).

Simple Syrup

Just combine equal parts (by volume) of granulated sugar and water. Shake or stir to dissolve the sugar. If the water is warm or hot, the sugar will dissolve more easily, but you'll want to chill the syrup (at least to room temperature) before using. You can keep the extra simple syrup in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.

You can replace the strawberries with raspberries and the lime juice with lemon for an equally refreshing drink.