Ingredients
- 2 ozAlcohol-Free Tequila
- 1¼ cupsFresh or frozen strawberries
- 2½ ozFresh lime juice
- ¼ cupSimple syrup
- For rimSalt or sugar
- GarnishLime wheel, whole strawberry
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How to Make It
- Rim your glass with salt or sugar using a lime wedge.
- Frozen version: blend the strawberries, alcohol-free tequila, lime juice, simple syrup, and a cup of ice until smooth.
- On the rocks: muddle the strawberries in a shaker, add remaining ingredients and ice, shake hard, and double strain over fresh ice.
- Pour into the rimmed glass.
- Garnish with a lime wheel and a strawberry on the rim.
Why This Works
Strawberries are sweet but also genuinely acidic, which makes them one of the best cocktail fruits — they don't just add flavor, they participate in the balance. That's why the recipe still carries a full measure of lime: the two acids layer rather than compete.
Frozen and rocks versions are different drinks. Blending aerates and dilutes as it purées, so the frozen version drinks lighter and softer; the shaken version is more concentrated and bright. Fresh, peak-season berries make the rocks version sing; frozen berries actually improve the blended one.
The Alcohol-Free Swap
Alcohol-free tequila keeps the strawberry honest — earthy agave under sweet fruit is what separates this from a smoothie.