Lemonade in most places comes from a bag of powder. Ours starts with whole lemons and ripe strawberries.
Strawberries get hulled, halved, and macerated for an hour with a small amount of sugar and a tiny pinch of salt. The maceration draws out the strawberry's juice and makes a thin syrup. We muddle the macerated berries lightly in the glass — not pulverised, just bruised.
Fresh lemon juice goes in. Simple syrup to taste. Mint leaves, slapped between hands to release the oils. Ice. Finished with sparkling water (we use Topo Chico when we can) so the drink fizzes and stays bright instead of going flat.
$6. Vegetarian. The right drink for a Sunday on the patio.
