This week’s Featured Cocktail is a Strawberry Mai Tai, something I whipped up during a recent trip to Vermont. June in Vermont is strawberry season, and there’s nothing like having a bunch of fresh-picked strawberries handy at cocktail hour. Making this drink is a little labor intensive but the fresh strawberry sweetness is a tasty twist on the traditional Mai Tai theme. These are great by the pitcher-full too, just use a blender to puree the fruit in advance……

STRAWBERRY MAI TAI

2 oz Gold Rum
½ oz Amaretto
1/3 oz Orange Curacao
½ oz lemon juice
½ oz simple syrup
2 medium sized strawberries (about 2 oz fruit), cleaned and diced

Place diced strawberries in a mixing glass, pour in the simple syrup, and muddle very well. Pour in all remaining ingredients, fill the glass with ice, and shake well. Pour the mixture into a 14 oz double old fashioned glass and serve garnished with a fresh slice of strawberry and a lime wheel.