Strawberry ginger mocktail

This recipe is from a delightful source of tasty breakfasts. It's a mocktail designed to give some variety from mimosas and such. But it also worked really well at the end of a rather suddenly sweltering sort of day. Happy Fourth of July.

Berry refresher
Adapted from "James McNair's Breakfasts"

Ingredients
4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
2 cups fresh orange juice or apple juice
¼ cup fresh lemon or lime juice
Simple syrup or sugar to taste (I used ginger simple syrup)*
Fresh strawberries for garnish

Method
Puree strawberries in a blender. Add orange juice and lemon juice and mix well. Add sugar or simple syrup to taste. Strain and chill well or serve over crushed ice in a cocktail glass. Garnish rim with a strawberry.

Rating: It is indeed very refreshing. If you want this more smoothie-esque and healthful, you can skip the sugar altogether. I tried it that way first, and it is indeed refreshing, but a good splash of ginger simple syrup really brought it around to glass-licking good. Certainly something to consider offering at the next brunch opportunity.

* For ginger simple syrup, which I had leftover from this recipe:

Heat 1/8 cup water to a simmer. Add 1/8 cup sugar and ½-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced. Stir until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Remove ginger. Store in refrigerator.

And if you ever get a hold of this cookbook, I highly recommend the Dutch babies and blueberry cornmeal pancakes.