So Traditionally, red drinks and red foods are a must at Juneteeth celebrations and barbecues, because red symbolizes resilience. Although I grew up in the Caribbean, I have family members in the South that celebrated Juneteenth and shared its history and Southern recipes with me. One of my favorite drinks is Juneteenth Strawberry Soda. I have substituted a few of their ingredients to better suit my taste.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE MY JUNETEENTH STRAWBERRY SODA:
Fresh Strawberries (1lb) I use sliced strawberries as a garnish for the drink. But my relatives use slice strawberries to make a quick and simple strawberry syrup. I’ll leave the recipe below.
Simply Lemonade with Strawberry Juice (4 cups): My relatives used a strawberry lemonade mix to create this drink, but I prefer Simply Lemonade instead.
Lemon-lime Soda (1 cup) : I add Sprite for a little bit of bubbly. If you choose to use the strawberry lemonade mix, you can use water, strawberry soda, lemon-lime soda, or if you want to cut down on calories, use tonic water, seltzer, sparkling. Whatever floats your boat!
Sprigs of Fresh Mint: There’s nothing like adding fresh mint! For one, it makes me feel fancy. It also brings a pop of color and also adds the refreshing kiss that mint brings to any drink.
Liqueur (1.5 cups): It also You can use your favorite strawberry liqueur or vodka. I’m more of a rum gal so I use my favorite Cruzan Estate White Light Rum or Cruzan Strawberry Rum if I have it in stock.