Strawberry Whiskey Lemonade

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This easy and refreshing strawberry whiskey lemonade is perfect for summertime or a holiday party with friends! All you need is our homemade strawberry simple syrup, some freshly squeezed lemon juice, and whiskey of choice. (Recipe for 21+. Please drink responsibly)

Mason jars filled with strawberry whiskey lemonade in front of a silver cocktail shaker.

This strawberry whiskey lemonade is a new twist on our popular Blackberry Whiskey Lemonade recipe. It's light and refreshing, with a homemade strawberry simple syrup, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, and a generous dose of rich, smokey whiskey.

The finished cocktail has just enough strawberry flavor to be interesting without being too heavy, which makes it perfect for summertime. And what's even better, you can have these drinks ready to go in just half an hour or so.

Silver cocktail shaker pouring cocktail into mason jar with a blue straw.

How To Make This Strawberry Whiskey Lemonade

To make the strawberry syrup in a small saucepan, stir together the strawberries, sugar, and water.
Bring the mixture to a low simmer and cook, stirring occasionally until strawberries have softened and sugar has dissolved.
Strain the cold syrup into a bowl to remove the strawberries and set simple syrup aside.
Combine the syrup with the whiskey and lemon juice. Add ice and shake to combine!

Fresh strawberries in a saucepan with sugar.

Save The Leftover Berries For Smoothies And Jam

Once you strain all the juice out of the strawberries, you can freeze those and add them to smoothies or make a simple strawberry jam.

Additions And Substitutions

Use frozen strawberries, if fresh strawberries are not in season. To make the syrup, mix the frozen strawberries with the sugar and water, then simmer for 8-10 minutes. Frozen strawberries would need a few extra minutes of simmering to get to the right consistency.
Use different berries of choice. Substitute the strawberries for other berries like blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, or even peaches. Or use a combination of berries and make this Tripple Berry Margaritas.
Add fresh basil or thyme. Optionally, you can add fresh basil or thyme to the shaker to give these cocktails an earthy twist.
Swap the whiskey for vodka, or gin. While we love the depth of flavor that whiskey brings to this lemonade, we also love this recipe with different liquors such as vodka, gin, tequila, rum, or bourbon. If you are a bourbon lover you can make this Raspberry Basil bourbon Spritzers. Just substitute your favorite liquor for the whiskey and you are all set!
Adjust the sweetness to your taste. You can add an extra drizzle of the simple syrup if you like to have your cocktails more on the sweet side. If you like a more tart cocktail, add some extra lemon juice. Everyone’s taste buds are different, so feel free to play around with the ratios until you have a balance you love

Two mason jars of strawberry cocktail, next to fresh strawberries, a lemon, and several cocktail tools.

A Few Strawberry Whiskey Lemonade FAQs

Can I make this whiskey lemonade ahead of time?

You can make the simple strawberry syrup in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for easy drink assembly when you're ready to serve! And if you plan on hosting larger parties, mix the simple syrup and lemon juice in a pitcher. Then, serve on the bar with ice, sliced lemons, and an assortment of spirits for your guests to mix their cocktail of choice.

What to use the leftover strawberry syrup for?

This strawberry simple syrup makes plenty of syrup for these drinks. The leftover syrup will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month. You can use the leftovers for additional cocktails, add the syrup in fruit salad dressings, or use it as a sweetener in smoothies.

Can I make this cocktail without a cocktail shaker?

The short answer is yes! You can use anything with a tight lid, to replace the shaker. Another option would be to use a cup filled with ice, add simple syrup, whiskey, and lemon juice, stir with a spoon, and strain into your cup over fresh ice.

Cocktail in a mason jar with a blue striped straw, topped with whole strawberries and a slice of lemon.

MORE REFRESHING DRINKS TO TRY:

Strawberry Whiskey Lemonade

★★★★★ 5 from 4 reviews

Author: Jessie
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: Makes 4 Cocktails 1x
Category: Cocktails
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

Easy and refreshing strawberry whiskey lemonade with quick strawberry simple syrup, whiskey of choice and lemon juice!

Ingredients

Scale

FOR THE STRAWBERRY SYRUP:

1 cup sliced strawberries
½ cup sugar
¼ cup water

TO ASSEMBLE THE COCKTAILS:

⅓ cup strawberry syrup (see above)
⅔ cup whiskey
⅔ cup lemon juice
(optional) fresh strawberries and lemon slices, for garnish

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Instructions

FOR THE STRAWBERRY SYRUP:

Stir together strawberries, sugar, and water in a small saucepan over low heat.
Bring strawberry mixture to a low simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until strawberries have softened and sugar has dissolved, about 15 minutes. Remove saucepan from the heat and let it cool for 10-15 minutes.
Strain syrup into a bowl or measuring cup through a mesh strainer to remove the strawberry pieces. Save strawberries for smoothies or jam later in the week!

TO ASSEMBLE THE COCKTAILS:

In a large shaker, combine strawberry syrup, whiskey, and lemon juice. Add a handful of ice and shake to combine.
Pour whiskey lemonade over ice into drinking glasses. Garnish with fresh strawberries and lemon slices (optional) and serve immediately.

Notes

Top each drink with a splash of tonic water or club soda if you'd like to stretch the drinks a bit or lighten them up.

The simple syrup in this recipe makes plenty of syrup for these drinks. If you have extra strawberry syrup, use it for additional cocktails or in smoothies and salad dressings. Leftover syrup will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a week or so.

If fresh strawberries aren't in season, frozen strawberries are fine to use in this recipe.

Add some fresh basil or thyme to the shaker to give these cocktails an earthy twist.

I don't like especially sweet drinks, so this is a fairly tart cocktail. If you'd like to make it a little sweeter, add an extra drizzle of the simple syrup! Want an even brighter note of lemon? Add some extra lemon juice. Everyone's taste buds are different, so feel free to play around with the ratios until you have a balance you love.

If your cocktail shaker is on the smaller side, you may want to mix these cocktails in two batches.

Please drink responsibly.