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Bring a playful twist to happy hour with this strawberry sour candy cocktail that balances tart, sweet and fruity notes. Pink cranberry juice pairs with strawberry rum and strawberry schnapps for a bold base, while lemon juice and grenadine add tang and color. A sour sugar rim made with citric acid makes every sip pop, and garnishing with strawberry sour candies gives it a cute edge. It’s a drink that looks fun, tastes vibrant and is quick to shake together.
This strawberry sour candy cocktail mixes cranberry juice, strawberry rum, schnapps and lemon juice, finished with a sour sugar rim for a sweet-tart drink.
Other sweet treats that you might enjoy are cherry cream puff pastries, mascarpone stuffed strawberries and strawberry shortcake in a mason jar.
Why You’ll Love It
Sweet and tart balance: Fruity flavors pair with a sour rim for contrast.
Fun presentation: The candy rim and garnish make it eye-catching.
Quick to make: Shake, strain and sip in just a few minutes.
Customizable: Adjust sweetness or tartness to suit your taste.
Strawberry Sour Candy Cocktail Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Granulated sugar: Forms the base of the tangy sour rim.
Citric acid: Creates a tart kick in the rim sugar that wakes up the taste buds.
Lemon wedge: Moistens the glass rim so the sugar sticks and adds fresh citrus flavor.
Pink cranberry juice: Provides a fruity, slightly tart backdrop and pink color.
Strawberry rum: Adds sweet strawberry flavor with a light tropical touch.
Sour strawberry schnapps: Boosts the fruity punch and adds a tart edge.
Lemon juice: Brings acidity and balances the sweetness.
Grenadine: Adds rich red color and a hint of pomegranate sweetness.
Sour strawberry candies: Optional garnish that reinforces the candy theme.
How to Make Strawberry Sour Candy Cocktails
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Make rim sugar: Mix sugar and citric acid on a plate.
Prepare glass: Swipe rim with lemon juice and dip into sour sugar.
Fill shaker: Add ice, cranberry juice, rum, schnapps, lemon juice and grenadine.
Shake well: Combine until chilled and frosty.
Serve: Strain into glasses and garnish with sour strawberry candy.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten-free option: All ingredients are naturally gluten-free, but check labels on schnapps and candies.
Different base: Swap rum for vodka if you prefer a cleaner finish.
Citrus swap: Use lime juice instead of lemon for a sharper sour note.
Mocktail version: Replace alcohol with strawberry soda or flavored seltzer.
Serving Suggestions
With a sweet treat: Try strawberry lemon cake mix cookies, heart-shaped donut holes or strawberry kiss cookies.
With a Valentine’s day dinner: Anything from this heart shaped pizza to heart shaped pork potstickers would be great with your strawberry cocktails.
How to Store Sour Candy Valentine Cocktails
Store: Leftovers will keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator. Don’t add more ice until serving it though.
Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing this drink.
Top Tips
Chill glasses: Keep glasses in the freezer before serving for extra refreshment.
Don’t skip the rim: The sour sugar adds a unique twist that ties the drink together.
Balance flavors: Taste before pouring, then adjust sweetness with grenadine or tartness with lemon.
Strawberry Sour Candy Cocktail FAQs
It’s best shaken fresh, but you can mix the liquids without ice and chill before serving.
You can use strawberry liqueur and add a little extra lemon juice for tartness.
It makes the rim sour. Without it, the rim will just be sweet.
Strawberry Sour Candy Cocktail Recipe
Strawberry Sour Candy Cocktail
Equipment
- Cocktail Glasses 8-Ounce
Ingredients
For the Sour Sugar Rims
- ⅛ Cup granulated sugar
- 1 Teaspoon citric acid, food-grade
- 1 Wedge lemon, or lime
For the Strawberry Sour Candy Cocktails
Instructions
Rim the Glasses
- On a shallow plate, mix together sugar and citric acid.
- Dip the rim of your glass into lemon juice or swipe a lemon wedge around the rim of your glass.
- Holding it at a 45-degree angle, dip the dampened rim of the glass into the prepared sour sugar, rotating it until the sugar covers the entire rim.
Prepare the Cocktails
- Fill a cocktail shaker about halfway with ice. Add pink cranberry juice, strawberry rum, strawberry pucker, lemon juice, and grenadine.
- Shake to combine until the shaker feels ice cold (about 10 seconds).
- Divide the shaken cocktail between two 8-ounce glasses.
- Garnish with strawberry sour candy, if liked.
Notes
Don’t skip the rim: The sour sugar adds a unique twist that ties the drink together.
Balance flavors: Taste before pouring, then adjust sweetness with grenadine or tartness with lemon.
Nutrition
If you want a cocktail for Valentine’s Day that’s equal parts fun and flavorful, strawberry sour candy cocktail is the one to make. With cranberry juice, rum, schnapps, lemon and grenadine, it hits the perfect balance of sweet and sour. The sour sugar rim makes it playful and unique, while the bright color keeps it festive. It’s a simple cocktail to shake up but delivers the kind of flavor and presentation that feels like a special occasion in a glass.
Other Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
t was so much fun to make, and everyone loved how tasty it was.
Saving this for V-day FOR SURE!!
This drink looks and sounds delicious. I would like to try this for my family.
Such a cute cocktail for a Valentines date night
What a delicious idea for Valentines Day and perfect way to celebrate!
I am saving this! Will be making this valentines