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Photo of a Berry Superstitious, strawberry, redcurrant, and vanilla cooler bordered with photos of strawberries and redcurrants.

Berry Superstitious: Strawberry, Redcurrant, and Vanilla Cooler

A rustic and juicy strawberry and redcurrant mocktail with a subtle vanilla sweetness.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cooling time 30 minutes
Servings: 1
Course: Drinks

Ingredients
  

  • 3 oz strawberries (approx. 5-8 strawberries, washed, hulled and roughly chopped)
  • ½ oz freshly squeezed lemon juice (approx. ½ lemon)
  • ½ oz redcurrant cordial (see below)
  • ⅛  - ¼ tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 2 oz soda water or sparkling water
  • Ice
For the redcurrant cordial
  • 4 tbsp caster sugar
  • 4 tbsp water
  • 7 oz redcurrants
For the garnish
  • 1 strawberry
  • Small cluster of redcurrants on their stem
  • Sprig of fresh mint

Equipment

  • Heavy-bottomed saucepan 
  • Wooden spoon
  • Fine-mesh sieve
  • Jigger or measuring spoons
  • Citrus juicer
  • Muddler
  • Cocktail spoon

Method
 

  1. First, start with the redcurrant cordial.
  2. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, add the sugar and water.
  3. Stir until the sugar has fully dissolved.
  4. Add the redcurrants and bring the mixture to a boil. 
    Note:  there is no need to remove the stalks as they will be filtered out later.
  5. Use a wooden spoon to crush the berries into the liquid.
  6. Once this mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
  7. Remove the saucepan from the heat and leave the berries to steep in the sugar juice until cool.
  8. Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any solids.  Reserve the juice.
  9. Next, assemble the mocktail.
  10. In a highball glass, use a muddler to crush the strawberries to a pulp.
  11. Add the lemon juice, redcurrant cordial, and vanilla bean paste.
  12. Fill the glass with ice, and top with soda water.
  13. Use a cocktail spoon to gently mix the ingredients together.
  14. Garnish with strawberry, redcurrants, and mint.