You know I love a good cocktail. It’s Summer and it’s time for a great fruity drink that calls for sipping on the porch or by the pool. Summer is the best time to explore new drinks as the fruit is ripe and plentiful. If you are lucky enough to have a strawberry plant then you can pluck off a little white or pink flower from the plant and use as a garnish, or simply garnish with a ripe strawberry placed on the rim of the glass.

Strawberry Cassis Martini

yield: 2 servings

4 fresh strawberries, (preferably large size) washed and dried

4-6 ice cubes

4 oz. quality vodka

2 tsp. crème de cassis liquer

2 tsp. fresh lime juice

2 tsp. sugar (preferably superfine sugar)

Prepare 2 martini glasses or other decorative glasses by chilling in the fridge.  Muddle 2 strawberries in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add in the ice, vodka, crème de cassis, lime juice and sugar. Shake vigorously about 10-12 times. Prepare the rim of the glasses by rubbing with lime juice around the rim and dip each one into sugar. Strain and divide the contents into the two chilled glasses. Garnish each glass with a fresh strawberry on the rim by making a small slit into the berry with a sharp knife.