Strawberry Night

Strawberry Night is a shaken vodka cocktail made with Absolut Vanilia, passion fruit juice, passion fruit liqueur, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup. It is  shaken with ice and fine strained into a highball glass, garnished with a pineapple wedge, fresh strawberries and a whole vanilla pod.

Passion fruit and vanilla – that’s the heart of this drink. Fresh passion fruit juice brings a sharp, tropical tartness up front, deepened by the sweetness of passion fruit liqueur and gently balanced by the simple syrup. Absolut Vanilia runs through it all, its warm vanilla character softening the citrus edge and bringing everything into balance – a cocktail with layers worth exploring.

Not much is documented about the origins of Strawberry Night. What we do know is that it draws inspiration from the fresh fruit martini movement of the early 2000s – a wave of cocktails that brought tropical fruits into the glass in a way that hadn’t been done before.

Passion fruit, in particular, became one of the defining flavors of that era and Strawberry Night most likely emerged around the same time as the launch of Absolut Vanilia in 2003.

The ingredients list is longer than most but it is worth the effort.

• Make your own passion fruit juice
  Fresh passion fruit juice makes a noticeable difference to the final drink. Simply cut a few passion fruits in half, scoop out the pulp and blend with a small amount of water, then strain through a fine mesh sieve. Buy your passion fruits a couple of days ahead to let them ripen – they’ll be sweeter and more aromatic by the time you need them.
• Double strain
  Double straining is particularly important here – a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer will catch any passion fruit pulp or seeds you may have missed when making the juice, giving you a clean, smooth pour. Here’s how to double strain and why it matters.
• Chill your glass
  Place your highball glass in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before serving. A cold glass keeps the drink colder for longer and makes a noticeable difference to the overall experience.

• Try it with Absolut Passionfruit
  Swap Absolut Vanilia for Absolut Passionfruit and the passion fruit character becomes even more pronounced – a more intensely tropical version of the drink for those who can’t get enough of the fruit.
• Add prosecco
  Top the finished drink with a splash of prosecco for an effervescent, celebratory version.
• Try it with mango juice
  Swap the passion fruit juice for mango juice for a sweeter, more tropical variation of a Strawberry Night.

• Glassware
  Serve a Strawberry Night in a highball glass – it’s tall enough to show off the drink’s vibrant color and accommodate plenty of ice.
• Fresh strawberries
  Drop a few fresh strawberries directly into the glass – a nod to the drink’s name.
• Pineapple wedge or pineapple leaf
  A pineapple wedge on the rim reinforces the tropical character of the drink. Alternatively, a pineapple leaf or two works well too.
• Vanilla pod
  Place a whole vanilla pod in the glass – it reinforces the vanilla character of Absolut Vanilia…and it looks great.