EStrawberries should not live to see the end of the day they are picked. At least when they are fully mature on the bush, like those that are available in the region, for example in Kriftel, in direct sales at the edge of the field. If you still have strawberries left in the evening, you can experiment with them a bit, for example in combination with a spirit. A well-known classic is the “Frozen Daiquiri” with strawberries. A new variant comes from the Bushmills distillery in Northern Ireland for their whiskey.
For the long drink “The Last Straw . . . berry” you need 5 cl Irish whiskey, two large strawberries cut in half, four basil leaves, half a lime divided into three wedges, 1.5 cl simple syrup and some cider or apple cider. First put a strawberry with two basil leaves and the sugar syrup in a wide beaker and squeeze a lime wedge over it. Muddle thoroughly with a wooden pestle until you get a fruit puree without chunks.
Add ice cubes and then alternately add the two lime wedges pressed over the glass, the two remaining strawberry halves and more ice cubes. Pour the whiskey over it, top up with cider and finally stir gently. At the end, garnish the glass with the two remaining basil leaves – and you have a sweet and sour, aromatic drink that goes well with a warm summer evening and becomes significantly bitter if you use classic apple wine instead of cider.
Two regional ingredients can be used for the Irish-based long drink, because cider does not have to come from England either. The Heil wine press in the small Taunus village of Laubuseschbach near Weilmünster produces a mildly fruity variant of the slightly sparkling cider under the “Cooper’s” brand, which cuts a fine figure with whiskey and strawberries.