Drinking in the Feeling of Summer with the Volstead

Vodka is used the base of innumerable alcoholic drinks; everything from horrid shooters to some of the classiest and best cocktails around. This week I decided to focus on one of the best warm weather vodka cocktails there is; the Volstead. The Volstead is not a historic classic cocktail but rather a recent creation by modern mixologists that brings the best parts of summer and drinking into one elegant drinking experience.

To make the Volstead you will need:

• ¾ oz simple syrup
• ¾ oz vodka
• ¾ oz Elderflower Liqueur
• ¾ oz lemon juice
• 5 strawberries

As you chill the cocktail glass start by muddling 4 of the fresh strawberries in the bottom of your stainless steel shaker, be sure to cut the strawberries in half first and muddle completely. Follow up by the rest your ingredients; I find that for the Elderflower Liqueur St. Germain is the best but Bols is great alternative, for the Vodka use whatever is your favorite. Fill the rest of the shaker with ice and shake extremely well, shaking is better than stirring because it mixes the muddled strawberries much better. Strain in to your chilled cocktail glass and you have yourself the best and most refreshing vodka drink for summer there is.

The Volstead is perfectly refreshing with only a hint of sweetness provided by the simple syrup that creates the perfect stage for the fresh strawberry notes to dance on. The Elderflower Liqueur is uniquely its own adding fresh floral notes that remind me of the fields of wildflowers found in the mountains near my home. Be sure to experience summer to its fullest with a Volstead in hand.