Beachy Berries

Photography by Ralph Palumbo

 
There’s nothing quite like the ripe, sweet strawberries of California. Each year our state harvests more of these plump red berries than any other place in the country. Though the fruits start appearing in January, April marks the peak of strawberry season, when you’ll find the sweetest, most flavorful offerings. K’ya Bistro at Laguna Beach’s Casa del Camino updates the classic Cuban cocktail with the luscious fruit to create a refreshing strawberry mojito. Flavored with fresh muddled mint leaves and tart lime juice, this mojito is best imbibed watching ocean waves lap onto a sandy shore, just like at the bistro’s rooftop bar. –Jenn Tanaka 

Strawberry Mojito
1½ oz. Bacardi rum
½ oz. simple syrup
4 lime wedges
3 mint leaves
3 fresh strawberries
Soda water
1 sugar cane, for garnish

1. Muddle three lime wedges, mint leaves and two strawberries in a martini shaker.
2. Add ice, rum and simple syrup.
3. Pour into a chilled glass with ice.
4. Top with soda water.
5. Garnish with a fresh strawberry, lime wedge and sugar cane.

1287 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach
:: kyabistro.com