Spiked Strawberry Lemonade

As I mentioned before, my sister-in-law graduated!  That makes two high school graduates in our family this year and we're so proud of both girls!  Needless to say, this is a time for celebration!  Yesterday, we celebrated my sister-in-law's graduation at my in-laws' house.  It was a bbq/pool party and we had a great time.  My mother-in-law asked me to bring strawberry lemonade with alcohol for the crowd and I was more than happy to provide!  Here's the recipe:

Spiked Strawberry Lemonade
(makes approximately 2 gallons)
4 cups sugar
4 cups water
32 oz. lemon juice
4 lbs strawberries, hulled and sliced
5 cups vodka
1 gallon of water





1.  In a large saucepan, combine sugar and water.  Bring to a simmer and stir occasionally until sugar is dissolved.  Once sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and let cool.






2.  Puree strawberries.  I had to do it in batches since I had so many strawberries.  If you have a hard time getting them to blend smoothly, add a little water just to get it going.








3.  Pour strawberry puree through a sieve.  It will catch most of the seeds and the pulp.  A little getting through is ok.









4.  Combine sugar water (simple syrup), puree, lemon juice, and vodka.  Mix well.  Add the gallon of water a little at a time to acquire your preferred dilution.

5.  Serve chilled.  Enjoy responsibly!