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!

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