Gold Coast Punch
Central Coast strawberries and citrus, poured big and topped with a little fizz. The no-proof cookout punch built to cool a hot afternoon and carry a crowd.
Some drinks are for sipping. This one is for a crowd standing around the fire. Gold Coast Punch is built on Central Coast strawberries and citrus, the two things this stretch of coast grows in piles, poured big and kept light so it works from the first plate to the last.
Tri tip off the red oak runs rich and smoky, and the midday sun does not help. The punch is the relief: cold, fruit-forward, a little fizz, not too sweet. It resets your mouth between bites without putting anyone under the table, which matters when the cooking runs all afternoon.
Make it by the gallon. Strawberries and citrus the night before, a splash of something bubbly right before you pour. It is the drink the kids and the designated drivers actually reach for, and it earns its spot next to the beer and the sangria. To spike it, add a shot of white rum or blanco tequila per glass.
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
- 1 cup fresh orange juice
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/3 cup honey or simple syrup, to taste
- 4 cups cold sparkling water or lemon-lime soda
- 1 orange, sliced, for the pitcher
- Fresh mint and ice, to serve
Instructions
- 1
Blend the strawberries with the orange and lemon juice until smooth, then strain into a large pitcher.
Straining keeps it pourable. Skip it if you like the punch thick and pulpy.
- 2
Stir in the honey or simple syrup. Taste and adjust: it should read fruit-forward, not sugary.
Sweeten light. The strawberries and the soda both bring sweetness, and a too-sweet punch stops cutting the heat.
- 3
Top with the sparkling water just before serving, add the orange slices and plenty of ice, and finish with mint.
Add the fizz last so it stays lively. Build the strawberry-citrus base ahead and the rest takes two minutes.