Garden Cocktails: Sweet Sage Blossom

I have four square foot gardens, one being a perennial herb garden. I grow chives, rosemary, lavender and sage. So far, these plants have all been hardy and hard to kill, which works well with my skills as a gardener (my green thumb is probably slightly brown). This is the fourth year for the sage plant and it recently blossomed beautifully. What could I make with the blossoms? My friend, Kate of Snowflake Kitchen, had the answer: simple syrup. (She's made many syrups that can be used for cocktails and more, so be sure to check out her blog.)

A Google search later, I found a post on a blog called Violently Domestic. Hunter’s post was perfect with its casual recipe, mixing the sage syrup with lemon juice and seltzer. After making the syrup, I had to create a cocktail to enjoy this golden, herby sweetness. The recipe below is what I had on hand. I find experimenting with what is in the fridge, bar and pantry, to be an excellent way to create a cocktail. Enjoy!

Sweet Sage Blossom

1/2 ounce sage blossom simple syrup (see note below)
1 1/2 ounces vodka
2 ounces cranberry juice

In a low ball glass filled with ice, add the ingredients, stir and enjoy!

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Note: For the sage simple syrup, I had two handfuls of sage blossoms. I made a simple syrup of 2 1/2 cups of water and 2 1/2 cups of sugar. I cooked these together until the sugar dissolved and added the sage blossoms to steep, keeping them in a strainer that could fit in the pot. I steeped for 3 hours, then put the syrup in a mason jar for storage.

Cyn Thomas is the illustrator, designer and pattern maker of RiverDog Prints. Her paper goods and gifts are guided by earth, animals, function, food and cocktails. You can also find Cyn canning in her kitchen, walking her dog, being outnumbered by her boys and husband or reading herself to sleep.
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