Around this time last year my daughter and I were just starting to talk about a trip to Paris. I wanted to come up with a cocktail that we could drink as we sat down to begin making specific plans. Her only requirements were that it should have strawberries and St. Germain in it. I had recently had an abominable Strawberry Daiquiri made from a mix and remembered thinking “there has to be a way to come up with a respectable version of this drink.” I thought about making a French 75 and adding strawberries to it, but I didn’t have any Champagne in the house and I couldn’t get that Daiquiri out of my head. So what I decided on was a sort of a blend between the two drinks with the addition of strawberries and St. Germain. The color remained true to what we typically see in a frozen Daiquiri made from a mix, but the taste was something altogether different.

Let’s Talk About Paris

2 oz white rum*
1/2 oz St. Germain
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 simple syrup**
1 ripe strawberry
Pinch of salt***

Gently muddle together the strawberries and the simple syrup in the bottom of a shaker tin. Add the remaining ingredients to the shaker and add 1 large and 2 small cubes of ice. (If you don’t have the large format cubes on hand then fill the shaker about 2/3 full with ice). Shake for about 15 seconds or until very cold. Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a strawberry slice. Enjoy!

*I used Petty’s Island Rum from our local Cooper River Distillers.

**Simple syrup is very easy to make at home. Combine equal amounts of regular sugar and water in a pot and heat until all the sugar is dissolved and the mixture turns completely clear. Store in a mason jar in the refrigerator for about a month.

***The salt helps to brighten the flavor of the citrus in much the same way that it does in cooking.

Cocktail coupe glass made by Schott Zwiesel.

Follow up with me tomorrow when we’ll take a look at the Whiskey Sour, a classic shaken drink!