Every spring, the Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City gives us a berry good reason to have strawberry shortcake for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The festival, which runs from February 27-March 9 in 2025, features carnival rides, fair foods, popular music acts (this year’s headliners include Reba McEntire, John Fogerty, Nelly, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Boyz II Men and more) and, of course, heaps of ripe, juicy strawberries.
Whether you’re gearing up for a day of fun in the sun at the Florida Strawberry Festival this year or just looking for a way to use your fresh Florida strawberry, these berrylicious cocktails are the sweetest way to celebrate Florida’s strawberry season. Keep reading for strawberry cocktails that are sure to be the pick of the season!
Our final strawberry cocktail calls for an extra step in the kitchen, but we promise it’s well worth it. Roasting strawberries for this strawberry margarita enhances the complex, smoky flavors in the base spirit: mezcal. If you love trying different margarita flavors and twists on the traditional recipe, this roasted strawberry marg is a must-sip.
The Recipe
2 ounces roasted strawberry purée*
1 ounce Cointreau Liqueur
1 ounce fresh lime juice
Roasted strawberry
*Roasted Strawberry Puree
For roasted strawberry purée: Remove strawberry tops, then broil in oven until charred. Let cool. Place in blender. Blend and fine strain into a separate container.
For cocktail: Add roasted strawberry puree, liqueur, lime juice and mezcal to a shaker with ice. Shake and fine strain into a glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wheel and roasted strawberry.
Strawberry and basil are the most iconic duo (only behind strawberry and shortcake, of course). Add an earthy, floral gin and top it with soda and you’ve got yourself a smashing strawberry season cocktail. Pun fully intended.
The Recipe
¼ cup sliced fresh strawberries
2 basil leaves
1 ounce Empress 1908 Gin
1 ounce fresh lime juice
¾ ounce simple syrup
Fresh strawberries
Chamomile flowers
Muddle sliced strawberries and basil together in a glass. Add gin, lime juice and simple syrup. Stir to combine. Top with crushed ice and soda water. Garnish with fresh strawberries and chamomile flowers.
If you’ve never had a cocktail with egg white, here’s your sign to give it a try. Just like whipping up egg whites when baking makes a fluffy, creamy meringue, adding an egg white to your cocktail adds a frothy, smooth texture when shaken. The silky texture balanced by the bright fruitiness of the strawberry puree and rich warmth of the bourbon makes this cocktail an instant classic for strawberry season.
The Recipe
1 ounce fresh strawberry purée*
¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
½ ounce simple syrup
1 egg white
Fresh strawberry
*Strawberry purée
3-4 strawberries
For strawberry purée: Blend 3-4 strawberries in blender until smooth, then strain to remove seeds. Keeps up to 2 days.
For cocktail: Combine bourbon, strawberry purée, lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white to a shaker with no ice. Dry shake to emulsify the egg white. Add ice to the shaker and shake again until chilled. Double strain into a glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a fresh strawberry.
We’re starting off with a bubbly, refreshing banger of a cocktail that’s bursting with ripe, juicy strawberries. The addition of Octopoda Prosecco gives this strawberry mint cocktail the perfect amount of sparkle.
The Recipe
5 fresh strawberries, sliced
3-4 fresh mint leaves
1 ½ ounces Column 5 Texas Vodka
1 ounce fresh lime juice
¾ ounce simple syrup
Mint sprig
Muddle strawberries and mint leaves in a cocktail shaker. Add vodka, lime juice, simple syrup and ice to the shaker. Shake and double strain into a glass filled with fresh ice. Top with Prosecco and gently stir. Garnish with a mint sprig.
A strawberry lemonade on a hot Florida day is more American than apple pie, and so is this strawberry lemonade cocktail made with Tito's, America’s favorite craft vodka. Bonus points if you serve it in the strawberry-top souvenir cup you got from the Strawberry Festival last year. You know, the one that keeps falling out of your cupboard when you open it? Yeah. That one.
The Recipe
1 ½ ounces Tito’s Handmade Vodka
4 ounces lemonade
5 fresh strawberries, sliced
Lightly muddle strawberries in a glass. Add vodka, lemonade and ice. Stir and garnish with a lemon wedge.
The Recipe
4-5 fresh strawberries
2 ounces Mi CAMPO Reposado Tequila
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
¾ ounce simple syrup
1 egg white
Fresh strawberry slice
Muddle the fresh strawberries in a shaker. Add tequila, lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white to the shaker with no ice. Dry shake to emulsify the egg white. Add ice to the shaker and shake again until chilled. Double strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a fresh strawberry slice.
A strawberry cocktail list wouldn’t be complete without a rum-based tiki drink with a medley of tropical flavors. This one has coconut rum (infused with real coconut water, no less) and Prosecco for an unexpectedly delightful blast of bubbles. If you’re craving a piña colada with a few twists, give this one a sip this strawberry festival season.
The Recipe
1 heavy bar spoon fresh strawberry purée*
1 ounce cream of coconut
2 ounces pineapple juice
3 ounces La Marca Prosecco DOC
Mint sprig
*Strawberry purée
1 cup diced fresh strawberries
1 tablespoon sugar
½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice
For strawberry purée: Add strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a blender. Blend until smooth. Keeps up to 3-5 days in an airtight container.
For cocktail: Add strawberry purée, rum, cream of coconut and pineapple juice to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a glass with fresh ice. Top with Prosecco. Garnish with a strawberry and sprig of mint.
A long festival day in the Florida sun might have you reaching for a spritz cocktail made with wine instead of spirits; if so, you’re in luck. This strawberry spritzer made with crisp, acidic sauvignon blanc and elderflower liqueur is the ideal spring spritz to sip on a hot day.
The Recipe
2 strawberries
1 ½ ounces Fiorente Elderflower Liqueur
Fresh strawberries
Edible flowers
Add strawberries and lemon wedges to a cocktail shaker and muddle. Add elderflower liqueur and ice to the shaker. Shake and strain mixture into 2 glasses filled with fresh ice. Add 5 ounces of sauvignon blanc to each glass. Top with a splash of sparkling water. Garnish with fresh strawberries and edible flowers.
The espresso martini has been running a victory lap on cocktail menus for a couple of years now, but we’re not done riffing off this caffeinated classic. Swap the vodka in the traditional recipe for blanco tequila and add muddled fresh strawberries for a delicious strawberry cocktail that honestly deserves its own festival.
The Recipe
2 fresh strawberries, hulled
1 ½ ounces Mijenta Blanco Tequila
1 ounce freshly brewed espresso, cooled
½ ounce Cayman Reef Kona Coffee Liqueur
½ ounce simple syrup
Fresh strawberry slice
3 coffee beans
In a shaker, muddle strawberries. Add tequila, espresso, coffee liqueur, simple syrup and ice to shaker. Shake and double strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a strawberry slice and coffee beans.
Is there already a strawberry basil smash on this list? Yes. Are we going to add another one because both recipes are absolutely delicious? Also yes.
Bourbon, citrus and basil are always a winning trio, but the salted strawberry honey syrup takes this cocktail to the next level. Make a little extra to add to pancakes, ice cream or even sandwiches for a little sweet and savory action.
The Recipe
¾ ounce salted strawberry honey syrup*
¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
3-4 basil leaves
Basil leaves
*Salted Strawberry Honey Syrup
½ cup strawberries, destemmed
½ cup water
1 cup honey
Salt
For salted strawberry honey syrup: Combine strawberries, water and honey in a saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add a pinch of salt. Cool to room temperature and strain into a separate container.
For cocktail: Add salted strawberry honey syrup, bourbon, lemon juice and basil leaves to a shaker with ice. Shake and double strain into a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with basil leaves.
It may be named the forbidden fruit, but nothing is off-limits in this tasty cocktail made with a woody, 8-year aged Panamanian rum. Garnish with just one of the suggested ingredients or go all out with all three. Strawberry season only comes once a year, right?
The Recipe
3-4 fresh strawberries, muddled
2 ounces Frigate Reserve 8 Year Rum
1 ounce fresh lime juice
½ ounce simple syrup
2 dashes aromatic bitters
Lime wheel
Mint sprig
Muddle strawberries in a shaker. Add rum, lime juice, simple syrup and bitters. Fill with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into an ice-filled glass. Top with soda water. Garnish with a strawberry slice and a mint sprig.
