strawberry lemonade spritzer

directions

to make boozy lemonade

1. mix lemonade concentrate with water according to package instructions and place in a juice safe container for brewing (1+ gallon glass or plastic container)

2. open the sweetness calculator to determine how much cane sugar you should add and how much lemonade you should pour out - using the values from the sweetness calculator, pour out your lemonade, add sugar, seal the juice again, and shake to dissolved (it's okay if it all doesn't dissolve). Since this recipe includes strawberry simple syrup, be sure to select the sweetness preference one level below your ideal choice (example: if you want sweet wine, choose the semi-sweet preference on the calculator

3. open your brewsy bag and pour the contents in. seal your juice again and shake well

4. replace your juice cap with your air lock (see video here), add water to 'fill line', and leave in a dark and warm place (75-77 degree F) for three days. cover with towel if necessary for darkness and/or keeping warm. save the juice cap!

5. after 3 days, move to fridge for 48 hours. optional: remove the airlock and replace with the original cap, but *not* tightened onto the juice container. instead, leave it loosely on top.

6. after 48+ hours in the fridge, your yeast will have fallen to the bottom of your container. optionally, you can now carefully pour your wine off of the sediment into a secondary container for bottling. you may find that sediment will build up again, and your wine might need to be poured off ('racked') once more. note: this sediment is completely safe to drink if accidentally consumed. at this point the wine can sit in your fridge and continue to age and improve as is before the delicate flavor of the simple syrup is added.

to make simple syrup

1. clean and slice strawberries into bite size pieces

2. in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat combine slices strawberries, 1 cup of sugar, and 1 cup of water

3. bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes, until the liquid is deeply red and the strawberry are soft.

4. strain the strawberries out from the simple syrup, making sure not to press down on the strawberries. Otherwise your syrup will be cloudy

5. chill the strawberry simple syrup in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or until cold so that it incorporates nicely into the chilled wine

6. sweeten the boozy lemonade with your chilled simple syrup to taste. if there is left over simple syrup, store in fridge in a sealed container

finishing touches

1. when serving mix 3 parts boozy strawberry lemonade with 1 part sparkling water. garnish with a lemon slice or lemon peel twist and more sliced strawberries.

2. enjoy! note: leftover booze should be stored in the fridge and will continue to age. flavor may change and need to be adjusted to taste before next consumption.