Strawberry Lemon Shake-Up

This Strawberry Lemon Shake-Up is a spin-off of my popular County Fair Lemon Shake-Up! It is easy to make and is every bit just as big of a hit!

Aren’t we lucky that this refreshing summer drink doesn’t have to be seasonal? I wonder what my grandparents would think that any month of the year in the middle of Indiana I can walk into a grocery store and find fresh lemons and fresh strawberries!

Strawberry Lemon Shake-Up

A Lemon Shake-Up is a midwest county fair, state fair, small-town festival staple, so why not just mix it up a bit with other fruit! According to Google they orginated in Indiana, which is kind of perfect since I love them so much and am a born and bred Hoosier!

Basically a lemon shake-up is an individual glass of fresh made lemonade, could it really get any better than that? My recipe here for a Strawberry Lemon Shake-Up adds that delicious strawberry flavor while still using some lemon, just not as much.

Gather Your Supplies and Ingredients

Supplies/Equipment

• 1-quart size jar with a lid or equal size glass with a tight sealing lid
• muddler or wooden spoon

Ingredients

•  quarter lemon
• 4-6 fresh strawberries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• ice
• water
• extra strawberry and a lemon wedge for garnish

How To Make A Strawberry Lemon Shake-Up

1. You will need a quart-size mason jar with lid or a glass with a tight sealing lid.
2. Add 1/4 cup of sugar to the jar or glass
3. Wash your lemon (we are using the rind and all for this recipe) and strawberries (remove the hulls). Then cut the lemon into quarters and the strawberries into smaller pieces then drop both in your jar or glass
4. Using a muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon – mash and stir the lemon into the sugar. This releases the oils in the rind and juicing the lemon and pulp
5. Fill the jar with ice, crushed ice if you are feeling extra boujee
6. Now fill your jar or glass with water. Be sure to leave an inch or so at the top for room to shake. Then place the lid on and shake well to combine and distribute the lemon sugar goodness. Be sure to shake till the sugar dissolves, usually 30-45 seconds
7. Remove the lid, garnish with a slice of lemon if you like. Add a straw and enjoy your County Fair Lemon Shake-Up
8. If you are of age you can always add a shot of your favorite liquor. Vodka is my personal favorite for this already flavorful drink

Tips, Tricks, Questions, and Comments

SUGAR!

A big part of a shake-up is the sugar. I use granulated white sugar because that’s how they make them at the fair. In all fairness, it does not dissolve entirely in the mixture and I’m more than okay with that! But if you aren’t you could always use a simple syrup in place of the granulated sugar! I would use a 1:1 ratio for this recipe!

If you would like to make this a bit more calorie friendly, use Splenda! Again it would be a 1:1 ratio and Splenda dissolves really well in cold beverages.

Fresh Strawberries VS. Frozen

I love the fact we can get fresh strawberries year around but they can get more expensive in the off-season and not be as ripe all the way through. Exchanging those fresh berries for frozen ones is an option. Again this would be a 1:1 ratio and you might have to muddle a little harder or allow those strawberries to thaw a bit.

Do you need the lemon?

This is a strawberry shake-up so technically you don’t have to use the lemon. But, because there is always a but, lemon always enhances and brightens other flavors. So while we are using lemon to brighten the strawberry flavor it will not overpower it by any means. Plus look at how beautiful a garnish it is on the side of the jar!

For A Crowd or a Party

These would be so fun for a party! They can be easily made by your guests or prep you mason jars ahead of time with the sugar and fruit! You could easily put out all the ingredients, like a shake-up bar. Then your friends add as much or as little fruit as they like to their jar, the same for the sugar. You could also prep the jars ahead of time with the measured sugar and fruit and your friends can muddle and add ice and water when they are ready!

Ummmm What’s a Muddler?

A muddler is a bartender’s tool, used like a pestle to mash—or muddle—fruits, herbs and spices in the bottom of a glass to release their flavor. I have one I bought off Amazon, they actually come in pretty handy but you don’t have to run out and buy one just for this drink. But don’t let it stop you from making this either! A lot of different things can be used as a muddler – the end of a wooden spoon, the end of a french rolling pen, a small dowel rod, and some bar spoons actually have an end that can be used.

To Rind Or Not To Rind

I’m all in on the rind of the lemon! The rind is the outer most thin layer of the lemon, the yellow part. It contains the oil for the bright flavor and smell of the fruit, and the muddling will bring that out and add flavor and aroma to your drink!