German Strawberry Punch - Erdbeer Bowle

 A refreshing crowd-pleaser

​Our little California coastal town had a hot spell for several days. Usually when the  central valley heats up, we get fog and the sun often doesn't come out until noon. So, I enjoyed the heat and the sun and decided to make a refreshing German beverage called Erdbeer Bowle for my book club meeting. I had made this once before during one of my summer parties and it was an absolute hit. Everybody loved it. 
When I was recently in Germany, we celebrated May Day in our village with May wine (Mai Bowle). Read more about my trip on Wanderlust. May wine is an old, traditional  beverage brewed with Sweet Woodruff (Waldmeister). Another one of my favorites when in Germany is Berliner Weiße, beer mixed with Waldmeister syrup. It's absolutely delightful when sitting in an outdoor cafe on a hot day. Having never come across Sweet Woodruff here in the US, I made strawberry punch (Erdbeer Bowle) instead. It is also very refreshing and sets a festive mood for an enjoyable gathering. There were six in our book club and we drank it all! I had started with only one bottle of wine, but added another later. To keep it cold, I freeze a large block of ice. Be creative when choosing a container. I used a large flower vase. Enjoy!

This punch is refreshing, easy to drink , and everybody loves it

You can easily increase the yield by adding an additional bottle of wine for 16 servings, or double the amounts (use two bottles each of wine and sparkling wine) for 24 servings.  Adding Grand Marnier or orange flavored liqueur is a matter of taste.
 For an alcohol-free version substitute white grape juice or apple juice for the wine, and sparkling water for the sparkling wine. Adding  lemon verbena  or mint will also add some different flavors. Try making this punch with peaches or raspberries.​

Print Recipe

Ingredients:

2 or more pounds of strawberries

1 cup powdered sugar

6-8 pieces of lemon zest

2-3 Tbs. orange flavored liqueur (optional )

1-2 bottles of white wine 

1 bottle sparkling wine

Directions:

Two hours before the guests come wash the strawberries and pat them dry. Half the berries, place them in a large glass container. Sprinkle the powdered sugar over them. Add the lemon zest and pour a half of bottle of wine over them, stir. When the guests arrive add the remaining wine and the sparkling wine. If you use herbs add them as garnish.



Prost!
recipe by Sunnycovechef.com