The weekend begins with a refreshing splash. I’m excited to be back in the kitchen with friends at Spindrift, crafting one of our favorite warm-weather drinks: Strawberry Lemonade. If you haven’t tried Spindrift’s Strawberry flavor yet, it’s a delightful, bright soda water infused with real fruit that works beautifully on its own, with a splash of vodka, or as the foundation for simple, elegant cocktails. This recipe elevates summer entertaining with a fun twist—lemon-honey ice cubes studded with fresh strawberries that add flavor and visual appeal as they melt into glasses of strawberry sparkling water.
The finished drink is bright, lightly sweet, and incredibly refreshing—ideal for backyard gatherings, poolside lounging, or casual weeknight sipping. We build layered flavor by freezing a mixture of lemon Spindrift, fresh lemon juice and a touch of honey into ice cube trays along with halved strawberries. When the cubes are added to glasses and topped with Strawberry Spindrift (and an optional shot of vodka), the result is a pretty, effervescent beverage that keeps its fruit-forward character as the cubes melt.
Strawberry Lemonade
- Author: nocrumbsleft
- Prep Time: 3 hours for cubes to freeze
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes active (plus freezing)
- Yield: 3 servings
- Category: Drinks
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered depending on size
2 cans Lemon Spindrift (or lemon-sparkling water of your choice)
3 cans Strawberry Spindrift (or strawberry-flavored sparkling water)
Vodka, optional (about 1 shot per serving)
Instructions
Combine the honey and fresh lemon juice in a medium bowl. Stir until the honey is fully dissolved. Add Lemon Spindrift and gently mix to combine. The lemon soda thins the honey mixture and adds light effervescence—this is what you’ll freeze into cubes.
Place halved strawberries, prettiest side facing down, into each compartment of an ice cube tray. Fill each compartment about three-quarters full with the lemon-honey-Spindrift mixture. Transfer the tray to the freezer and freeze until solid, about 3 hours.
When you’re ready to assemble drinks, add 2–3 frozen lemon-strawberry cubes to each glass (use more or fewer cubes depending on glass size). If you like an adult version, add one shot of vodka per glass.
Top each glass with Strawberry Spindrift, pouring slowly to maintain some effervescence. Give the drink a gentle stir if needed. As the lemon-strawberry cubes melt, they release bright lemon and strawberry flavors, subtly sweetened by the honey.
Garnish with a fresh strawberry or a thin lemon wheel, and serve immediately. These drinks are best enjoyed cold and fizzy.
Tips and variations: For a less-sweet version, reduce the honey or substitute a light simple syrup. To make a non-alcoholic pitcher, omit vodka and scale quantities for the number of guests—this recipe scales easily. Consider adding fresh mint, basil, or a thin slice of cucumber for an herbal note. If you prefer a smoother texture, pulse the strawberries briefly in a blender before freezing to create a more concentrated fruit cube. Store leftover frozen cubes in an airtight container to prevent freezer odors and use them within a month for best flavor.
Why this works: Freezing the lemon-honey mixture into individual cubes with a strawberry in each cube serves two purposes. First, the cubes slowly release concentrated citrus and fruit flavor as they melt, keeping the drink bright without watering it down too quickly. Second, the studded strawberries make each serving attractive and provide a natural garnish that complements the Strawberry Spindrift. This method is simple, visually appealing, and perfect for warm weather entertaining.