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This spiked strawberry lemonade is the perfect cocktail for sipping on the patio! Made in a pitcher with homemade sparkling strawberry lemonade and bourbon (or vodka!), it’s refreshing, boozy, tart, and sweet. Make it for a BBQ, beach day, or summer dinner party!

Three glasses of spiked strawberry lemonade on a wood tray next to lemons, strawberries, and white blossoms with a white background.

When it comes to summer cocktails, I have a couple of stipulations. First, they must be good and boozy. And secondly, they can’t have more than a handful of ingredients. We’re going for effortless, easy-breezy here. I need something that I can mix up super quick for a dinner party like sour spaghett cocktails, berry rosé sangria, or this boozy lemonade!

Drinking this lemonade is genuinely like being a kid again, except now’s there’s bourbon. It’s nostalgic, tart, sweet, fizzy, and all around the epitome of a summer cocktail. Over the weekend, we drank this cocktail while floating the Truckee River and BBQing and it was truly a perfect summer situation.

I also became friends with a guy named Pirate Steve, but that’s a story for another day.

This is summer in a glass

The first time I met my husband’s family, his cousin made a huge pitcher of bourbon lemonade that almost made me die. It was so good. Inspired, I dug up my old lemonade recipe from culinary school and then added strawberries because everything is better with strawberries. Here’s why you’ll love it too!

  • The recipe is super easy to make. The hardest part is puréeing the strawberries, I promise.
  • We’re making this strawberry lemon cocktail in a pitcher or punch bowl, so it’s great for a crowd!
  • This drink is fruity, refreshing, and perfectly boozy. Nothing crazy but it gets the job done.
  • It’s truly the ultimate summer cocktail for BBQs, picnics, beach days, or bachelorette parties!

6 ingredients

A white bowl of strawberries, white bowl of sugar, bottle of bourbon, bottle of sparkling water, mint, and lemons on a white counter.
  • Strawberries – I prefer fresh strawberries but frozen will also work!
  • Lemons – grab a big bag of lemons so that you have enough juice to make the lemonade.
  • Sugar – we will use regular granulated sugar to make simple syrup and sweeten the drink.
  • Sparkling water – plain sparkling water or club soda adds a nice fizz.
  • Alcohol – I prefer bourbon but vodka is also delicious in this cocktail!
  • Fresh mint – for garnish. This is totally optional!

Let’s make this lemonade

Boil up the simple syrup

Three steps to making simple syrup. In photo one, hands pour sugar into a pot on a white stovetop next to lemons. In photo 2, the hands are pouring water into the pot. In photo 3, simple syrup bubbles in a silver pot.
Mix the sugar & water. Bring it to a boil for 1 minute.
  1. First, make the simple syrup. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved.
  2. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it bubble for about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat.
  3. Then, pour the simple syrup into a bowl and let it cool completely.

Prep the berries & lemons

Three steps to preparing vodka strawberry lemonade. In photo 1, hands slice strawberries on a wood cutting board next to lemons. In photo 2, a woman blends the strawberries in a blender. In photo 3, a citrus press juices lemons into a liquid measuring glass on a wood board.
Blend the strawberries & juice the lemons.
  1. While the simple syrup cools, roughly slice the strawberries.
  2. Place the strawberries in a blender and purée until smooth.
  3. Then, use a citrus press (or just your hands!) to juice the lemons.

For a smoother cocktail, strain the strawberry purée before you add it to the drink. Just pour the purée through a fine mesh sieve to remove any seeds and extra pulp. Gently push the juice through the sieve with a rubber spatula to get as much strawberry juice as possible.

Mix the cocktail

Three images making strawberry lemonade cocktail. In photo 1, hands pour lemon juice into a pitcher of strawberry puree on a white table next to lemons and white flowers. In photo 2, hands pour club soda into the pitcher. In photo 3, hands pour bourbon into the pitcher.
Mix the strawberry purée, lemon juice, simple syrup, water, & bourbon or vodka.
  1. Now it’s time to make the cocktail! Pour the strawberry purée into a large pitcher. Then, add the lemon juice.
  2. Next, add the simple syrup, sparkling water, and bourbon or vodka.
  3. Mix the cocktail gently with a large wooden spoon. Serve over ice and garnish with mint!

Add the sparkling water right before you serve this cocktail. Otherwise, it will lose its fizz if it sits too long!

Single cocktail

Don’t need 8 whole drinks? Totally fine, this strawberry lemonade cocktail is super easy to make as a single drink. All you need is a muddler or a wooden spoon with a thick handle. (Make sure to check out the recipe card for measurements!)

  1. Place a couple of chopped strawberries in a glass. Use a muddler or wooden spoon to smash the berries until they’re smooth.
  2. Then, fill the glass with ice. Add the lemon juice, simple syrup, sparkling water, and bourbon or vodka.
  3. Stir the drink well to combine. Garnish with mint and enjoy!
A hand pouring a pitcher of spiked strawberry lemonade into a glass on a wood tray next to another glass of lemonade. The wood try is on a white counter next to lemons, strawberries, and mint.

Make-ahead in a pitcher

You can definitely mix up a pitcher of this lemonade in advance if you want to save time before a party! Just combine the strawberry purée, lemon juice, simple syrup, and bourbon or vodka. Mix, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When you’re ready to serve, add the sparkling water, stir well, and serve over ice.

This lemonade really is best fresh because it has sparkling water which will lose its fizz after a day or so. If you want to be able to store leftovers, I would use still water instead of sparkling!

Flavor variations

What’s nice about this cocktail is that it’s super customizable. If you want to switch up the flavors, feel free to have fun with it. Here’s a few ideas!

  • Berries – you can also use blueberries or raspberries.
  • Citrus – instead of lemons, try using limes to make a limeade cocktail.
  • Water – for classic lemonade, use still water instead of sparkling.
Three glasses of strawberry lemonade cocktail next to lemons, strawberries, mint, white flowers, and a bottle of bourbon on a white background.

Recipe notes

  • You can use frozen strawberries instead of fresh! Just make sure to defrost the berries before you blend them up.
  • Always use fresh lemon juice. I find that the store-bought stuff is either too watered-down or way too acidic. Fresh lemon juice has the best flavor and tartness!
  • Add sliced strawberries and lemon slices to the pitcher for decoration. I also like to do this last-minute so they don’t get mushy.
  • Store-bought lemonade will work if you’re in a big hurry. Just combine store-bought lemonade, strawberry purée, and bourbon or vodka. It won’t taste quite as good as homemade but works in a pinch!

Non-alcoholic lemonade

If you want to make this recipe without alcohol, you totally can! When I’m throwing parties, I like to make a non-alcoholic batch for kids or friends who don’t drink. For regular sparkling strawberry lemonade, just leave out the alcohol altogether. No need to replace it with anything.

If I’m serving this to my friends who don’t drink alcohol, I just leave out the bourbon or vodka. Then, my cocktail-drinking friends can add whatever alcohol they want to their own drinks! This is also a great way to serve this lemonade at a baby-shower or kid-friendly party.

A glass of spiked strawberry lemonade next to two more glasses on a wood tray. The wood tray is on a white background next to lemon slices, sliced strawberries, and white flowers.

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Spiked Strawberry Lemonade (with Bourbon or Vodka!)

Yield: 8 cocktails
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
This spiked strawberry lemonade is one of my favorite cocktails for summer sipping! Made in a pitcher with homemade sparkling strawberry lemonade and bourbon (or vodka!), it's refreshing, boozy, tart, and sweet. It's perfect for BBQs, beach days, or summer dinner parties!
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Ingredients

Pitcher Cocktail

  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 pound fresh strawberries, hulled & roughly chopped
  • 1 1/4 cups fresh lemon juice
  • 4 cups sparkling water (cold)
  • 12 ounces bourbon or vodka
  • Fresh mint, lemon slices, and sliced strawberries, for garnish

Single Cocktail

  • 2 strawberries, hulled & roughly chopped
  • 1 1/4 ounces fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 ounces simple syrup
  • 1/2 cup sparkling water
  • 1 1/2 ounces bourbon or vodka
  • Fresh mint, lemon slices, and sliced strawberries, for garnish

Equipment

  • Large pitcher
  • Blender or food processor (optional)
  • Citrus press (optional)

Instructions 

Pitcher Cocktail

  • To make the simple syrup, combine the sugar with 1 cup of still water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves completely. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Then, remove the simple syrup from the heat and pour into a heat-proof bowl. Let it cool completely.
  • Meanwhile, add the strawberries to a blender or food processor and purée until the strawberries are very smooth. Alternatively, mash the strawberries with a muddler or wooden spoon until smooth.
  • To a large pitcher, add the strawberry purée, lemon juice, cooled simple syrup, sparkling water, and bourbon. Mix gently to combine.
  • Serve the lemonade over ice and garnish with lemon slices, sliced strawberries, and fresh mint. Enjoy!

Single Cocktail

  • Add the strawberries to a tall glass. Use a muddler or wooden spoon to mash the strawberries until they're smooth.
  • Fill the glass with ice and add the lemon juice, simple syrup, sparkling water, and bourbon or vodka.
  • Stir the cocktail gently to combine. Garnish with lemon slices, sliced strawberries, and fresh mint. Enjoy!

Notes

For a smoother drink, strain the strawberry purée through a fine mesh sieve. Gently push the purée through the sieve with a rubber spatula to get as much strawberry juice as possible.
If you prefer a less sweet cocktail, start by adding about 3/4 of the simple syrup. Sip and add more syrup to taste.
If you want a less tart cocktail, use 1 cup of fresh lemon juice. For a less boozy cocktail, start with 1 cup of bourbon or vodka and add more to taste.
Want a non-sparkling cocktail? Just use still water instead of sparkling. 
Cuisine: American
Course: Drinks
Author: Sara Lynn Hunt Broka
Serving: 1cocktail, Calories: 174kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 0.6g, Fat: 0.4g, Saturated Fat: 0.2g, Sodium: 32mg, Potassium: 128mg, Fiber: 1.3g, Sugar: 17.4g, Calcium: 17mg
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This recipe was originally posted on July 10, 2018.