Tink! Tink! Time: W's Strawberry Lineup

Introduction

Welcome to W's Tink! Tink! Time! It is a time to kick back (or amp up!) and celebrate the end of the week. Every week, we’ll bring you three exclusive cocktails to try, and to start things off, we're introducing the bold, zesty, strawberry vodka cocktails. Now, we’re no expert bartenders, flavorists, or master distillers... and frankly, we don’t care why a cocktail tastes good to us.

But here at W, we want you to always understand the why.

Let’s talk about strawberries first—sure, they’re made up of a mix of acids: Ascorbic, Citric, and Malic. Sounds pretty boring, right? But when you’re mixing up flavors for a killer cocktail, it’s actually pretty fascinating. In fact, most of the time, we’re not even aware we’re “flavor matching” when we grab the peanut butter and banana, cereal and milk, or in our case, orange juice and champagne. Our brains get tricked by pairing acidities in food and drink combos that actually elevate the combination beyond what the individual ingredients offer.

The easiest way to start is by matching acids. Strawberries have a high citric acid content, which brings out that fresh, fruity punch on your taste buds with the first bite. Vodka, on the other hand, has that smooth, almost bland background, but the acidity of tart drinks really brings it to life.

So, with all that in mind, meet our first three cocktails: Strawberry Espresso, Berry POPPIns, and Slim Sip.

Let the flavor pairing fun begin!

Syrup Base: Strawberry

• 1 cup fresh strawberries (hulled and chopped)

• 1 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 tsp organic lemon juice

Prep:

1. Mash strawberries and mix in bowl with water and sugar.

2. Heat for 10-15 minutes on medium (3-4 setting on burner), while mashing the strawberries, extracting the juices.

3. Strain out the juice into a container.

4. Add lemon juice

Drink One: Strawberry Espresso

• 1 oz Espresso (light vanilla roast) (freshly brewed or cold espresso concentrate)

• 1 oz Coffee liqueur (like Kahlúa or a similar brand)

• 1 oz Strawberry milk (lightly frothed)

• 1/2 oz Vodka (Tito's)

• 1/2 oz W's Syrup Base (adjust to taste depending on sweetness of the milk and liqueur)

• White chocolate (for the rim, melted)

• Strawberry garnish (for decoration)

  Prep:

  1. Place glasses in the freezer and begin melting the chocolate

  2. Wait 15 minutes and dip the rim of the glass in the melted chocolate.

  3. Froth the strawberry milk. Set to the side until it is used.

  4. Add the ingredients with a mixer in the above order.

  

Drink Two: Berry POPPIns

• 2 oz Titos

• 1/4 cup Poppi Strawberry Lemonade

• 1 cup Water

• 1/2 oz W's Syrup Base

• 4 Diced Strawberry (cut out if "wet food" grosses you out LOL)

• Lemon peel garnish (for decoration)

  
  

  

  
  

Drink Three: Slim Sip

• 2 cups fresh strawberries (hulled and sliced)

• 4 cups Sparkling Water (0 Calories)

• 2 oz Tito’s Handmade Vodka

• 1 oz W's Strawberry Syrup

• Ice 

• Fresh mint leaves 

• Lime wedges 

  

  
  

Experiment & Celebrate!

These cocktails are just the beginning—feel free to experiment with these recipes and make them your own during your Friday After Five celebrations! Mix up the ingredients, try different garnishes, or even swap in your favorite spirits. This is all about enjoying the process of crafting your perfect drink and celebrating the end of the week.

We Want to Hear From You!

Have fun with these recipes and share your own twists or experiences with us! Did you try a variation? Or maybe you paired your cocktails with a special snack or activity? We’d love to hear about it! Tag us or drop a comment to share your Tink! Tink! Time journey—let’s keep the celebration going! Cheers to flavor, fun, and the weekend ahead!