In Praise of Fraise

You're walking through a field of grass dotted with wild strawberries. The ground is damp and uneven, a shifting carpet. You try not to tread on the treasured fruit, but every now and then you miscalculate, creating an invisible cloud of strawberry-scented air, and you thank the gods who grace us with gifts for our clumsiness. This liqueur is single-minded: It thinks of nothing but ripe strawberries, and in its simplistic innocence it sings sweetly.

• 2 pints strawberries, hulled and sliced, or 1 1/2 pounds frozen strawberries, thawed

• 1 1/2 cups Simple Syrup 

• 1 fifth (750 ml/3 1/4 cups) vodka (80-100 proof)

Muddle the strawberries and simple syrup with a wooden spoon in a half-gallon jar. Stir in the vodka.

Seal the jar and put it in a cool, dark cabinet until the liquid smells and tastes strongly of strawberries, about 7 days.

Strain the mixture with a mesh strainer into a clean quart jar. Do not push on the solids to extract more liquid.

Seal and store in a cool, dark cabinet. Use within 1 year.

Santé! Perfect for sipping on a summer day, for spiking a Cosmo, for dabbing behind each ear.