Sage Gimlet

The Sage Gimlet cocktail and Lemon and Sage - original watercolor by the Cocktail Artist
We originally posted this recipe using vodka, but recently decided that the cocktail needed a few adjustments. It was during this experimenting that we realized, given the herbal flavor that comes from muddling the sage leaves, gin is a better match for this cocktail. We also played with the ratio of the other ingredients to give the cocktail a distinct lemon and sage flavor without overwhelming the alcohol. Green Hat Gin - made right here in the District of Columbia by New Columbia Distillers works beautifully in this cocktail and keeps things nice and local for us.

The very local ingredient in this cocktail is the sage growing in our herb garden. Our sage typically makes it through most of the winter here in our mid-Atlantic climate. This bit of hearty herb got us thinking about the word "sage" - which derives from the Latin salvia, meaning  "healing plant". The other meaning of sage is "profoundly wise" - as derived from the Latin sapere.  

Given everything going on in the world these days, we could all use a bit of healing, some wisdom - and (of course) a drink! So at the end of a long week, perhaps a Sage Gimlet is exactly what those of us here in our Nation's Capital (and everyone else) really needs.

Cheers!

Lemon and Sage - original watercolor by The Cocktail Artist






















Sage Gimlet

6 Sage leaves (plus a sprig for garnish)
1 3/4 ounce Gin (New Columbia Distillers Green Hat Gin)
3/4 ounce St. Germain
3/4 ounce Fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 ounce Simple syrup
2 dashes of Lemon bitters

Place 6 sage leaves in bottom of cocktail shaker with the lemon juice and muddle until the leaves begin to break up. (We use a bar muddler, but you can use a wooden spoon if you don't have that tool on hand.)  Add ice, vodka. St. Germain, simple syrup, bitters and shake for 30 seconds.  Strain through a sieve (to keep the fragments of sage leaf out of the drink).  Garnish with a sprig of sage and a lemon twist.

The Sage Gimlet and Green Hat Gin

Lemon trees - a sketch from our recent trip to Spain

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