Juneteenth celebrates June 19, 1865, when Union General Gordon Granger read publicly that all former enslaved people were free. Celebrate with this signature drink! (The homemade strawberry syrup sounds amazing for any summer sweet, like on top of ice cream.)

Servings: 8-10

Ingredients:

• 1 liter strawberry soda or lemon-lime soda
• 1/2 cup store-bought or homemade strawberry syrup (see recipe just below in the Notes section)
• 1/2 cup  freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 pint of fresh strawberries, washed and sliced in half
• fresh sprigs of mint
• ice

Directions:

1. To a large pitcher, add strawberry soda and freshly squeezed lemon juice.
2. Stir in the homemade strawberry syrup (see recipe below), fresh strawberries, and fresh sprigs of mint.
3. Taste and adjust sweetness, and tartness, to your liking. You can add more or less strawberry simple syrup or lemon juice as you see fit.
4. Pour into glasses filled with ice.
5. Garnish with fresh strawberries and fresh sprigs of mint.
6. Serve.

Notes:

To make the homemade strawberry syrup, gather these ingredients:

• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 1 cup of water
• 1 cup of fresh strawberries cleaned with the stems removed and cut in quarters
• 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Once you have the ingredients ready, follow these directions to make the syrup:

1. Place a saucepan over med-high heat and add water, sugar, prepared strawberries, and lemon juice.
2. When the mixture begins to boil, use a fork or potato masher to mash the strawberries to release the juices.
3. Allow the mixture to boil for an additional minute and remove from heat.
4. Place a tight-fitting lid onto the saucepan and allow the strawberry syrup to steep for 10 minutes.
5. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain the syrup into a Mason jar. Store in the fridge for up to three days.

For an adult version, add 1 1/2 – 2 cups of vodka, strawberry-infused vodka, lemon or limón-infused vodka, white rum, gin, or strawberry liqueur.