Strawberry Mint Italian Soda

Ingredients

• Ice cubes (as needed)
• Soda water (4 cups)
• Water (1/2 cup)
• Sugar (1/2 cup)
• Fresh mint leaves (1/4 cup)
• Fresh strawberries (1 cup, hulled and sliced)

Instructions

1. In a saucepan, combine the strawberries, mint leaves, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Let the syrup cool.
3. To serve, fill glasses with ice cubes. Pour about 1/4 cup of the strawberry mint syrup into each glass, then top with soda water. Stir to combine.
4. Garnish with additional strawberries and mint leaves, if desired.