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This Strawberry Mocktail Spritzer is made with ginger and fennel for a unique and delicious flavor profile. It’s so good whether you just want to top with sparkling water, or spike it with your favorite vodka.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
For those on a migraine diet (or pregnant!) a good mocktail is pretty difficult to come by. My bartender friend Karen Tartt created this recipe and named it “Fiona Dreams in Pink” to give a little nod to our dizzy mascot from the Vestibular Disorder Association, Fiona the flamingo. It was a hit at my cookbook launch party.
- Perfect for summer cookouts, baby showers, or as a non-alcoholic party option.
- Lower sugar! You control the syrup amount so you can add as little or as much as you’d like, but it’s not overly sweet.
- The leftover fruit and ginger mix makes a great jam so there’s no waste.
- It’s unique! Literally every strawberry mocktail recipe is the same thing – limes, mint, yadda yadda. This one is different and delicious!
Ingredients
Just a few simple ingredients make this mocktail:
- Strawberries – I recommend fresh, but you can use frozen in a pinch.
- Sugar – Regular white cane sugar will work for this recipe. Remember it seems like a lot, but you’re only using a small amount of syrup for each drink.
- Fresh Ginger – You can also use ginger juice, or just boil the large pieces with the strawberries for a light ginger flavor.
- Fennel Seeds – These add just a hint of anise flavor to the syrup. It’s not overpowering at all, just enough to make you wonder what that flavor is!
- Sparkling Water – Any plain sparkling water will work – Perrier, San Pellegrino, Topo Chico. I’m personally fond of Topo Chico since it’s extra bubbly.
How to Make Strawberry Simple Syrup
The base of this recipe is the strawberry syrup that has a little ginger and fennel, and then you top with sparkling water. Making the strawberry simple syrup is really easy – all you need is a pot, sugar, strawberries, fresh ginger, and fennel seeds.
- The strawberries get simmered with water and sugar, along with large pieces of ginger.
- Once the water reduces a bit, you’ll be left with a thick syrup that coats a spoon when you stir.
- Over a bowl, you’ll strain out the strawberries, ginger, and fennel seeds, which get added in the last few minutes.
- Simply combine the strawberry simple syrup with sparkling water, garnish, and serve!
Recipe Tips
- Use the leftover strawberries as a jam. Being the brave cook I am, I couldn’t help but taste the mashed up strawberries that were leftover – and they were delicious! I ended up saving the mash of my strawberries and putting it into a separate mason jar. It basically makes a chunky jam that you can spread on toast. Just pick out the ginger pieces.
- Karen’s original recipe uses fresh pressed ginger juice, but I don’t have a juicer at home. If you do, you can easily add that. However, I got great ginger flavor just simmering everything together.
- The simple syrup will keep for up to 1 week if your strawberries are fresh.
- You can also use frozen strawberries for this recipe
How to Turn This Into A Cocktail
If you’re looking to spike this strawberry mocktail there is a good option. Let’s say you’re a little further along in your migraine elimination diet or are starting to re-introduce foods. One of the most well-tolerated forms of alcohol for migraine tends to be quality vodka.
A few brands we have used for this recipe are Tito’s and Grey Goose.
More Mocktail Recipes
For other non-alcoholic drinks that are just as delicious, check out these recipes!
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 review in the recipe card! Don’t forget to tag me @thedizzycook on Facebook and Instagram, and follow along on Pinterest for more great recipes!
Strawberry Mocktail Spritzer
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Ginger Simple Syrup
- 2 pounds strawberries
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 inch piece of ginger cut into chunks
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 1/2 teaspoon citric acid (optional)
For the Mocktail/Cocktail
- 1 ounce strawberry ginger syrup
- Sparkling water to top off (Topo Chico is the best)
- 1.5 ounces vodka (Optional)
Instructions
- Clean and quarter strawberries, pulling aside about half a pound of the best looking berries for garnish. Bring strawberries, water, sugar, and ginger to boil in a medium saucepan. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring in the fennel seeds for the last 5 minutes
- When cool enough to handle, strain the strawberries and seeds out using the back a spoon in a wire mesh strainer or cheesecloth to squeeze the last of the juice and color out of the berries. (You can pick out the ginger chunks and use the rest for jam.)
- Combine the cooled syrup with citric acid (if you have it). Build ingredients over ice in a rocks glass or a coupe glass if you want to be fancy.
- Stir to combine ingredients and garnish with half strawberry and a flamingo pick on the rim of the glass.
Notes
- Serving information is for about 16oz or 2 cups, which would make roughly 16 cocktails. You can easily cut this recipe in half.
- Store the syrup in a mason jar in the fridge for up to a week.
- The citric acid just adds a touch of acid to the drink without using lemon, however, it’s great without it if you can’t find or don’t have it on hand.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made it for a Mother’s Day brunch and everyone loved it! I’ll be making it again for sure.
Thanks, Win!! This is a favorite of mine too!
SO GOOD OMG
This recipe was so easy and VERY delicious. My new favorite summer drink as a preggo lady