A couple of weeks ago, I picked a flat of Hood strawberries. Hoods are sweet, delicate, and prone to going bad before you can process them all. So I utilized my usual strategy of drinking through my berry haul.
I’ve made a shrub, a liqueur, and some lacto-fermented pickles (with the white and pale pink berries), and all were good, but the liqueur was something special. I’d added a sprig of tarragon to steep along with the berries and vodka, and that lightly pungent, licorice-adjacent flavor gave the liqueur much-needed dimension. But that wasn’t enough for me, oh no—I had to go and pair it with Campari.
If you’ve ever had a shaken Campari before, you know that a bit of dilution and a lot of agitation can transform something sweet and viscous into an airy, guzzle-able libation. The same is true for Hood strawberry liqueur. Combine them and shake them together, and you get a fruity but complex beverage that’s the perfect end (or beginning) to a summertime supper.
This cocktail—which I have christened “The Campberry Cooler”—technically only requires two ingredients, but you do have to make the strawberry liqueur first. (Do not worry if you can’t find Hoods—just pick the sweetest strawberries available in your area.) Make the liqueur as described here, but mash a big sprig of tarragon in with strawberries before pouring the vodka on top. The process takes a couple of days, but it is very worth it. Once your liqueur is infused, filtered, and sweetened, you will need:
1 1/2 ounces Campari1 1/2 ounces Strawberry LiqueurAdd both liqueurs to a shaker with a big ol’ ice cube and shake as hard as you can for as long as you can. Strain into a coupe glass, or over crushed ice. Serve with a lemon wedge if you need a little hit of acid.
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