Friday, February 19, 2016

Desert Sage Martini


What... A... Week.
Yours?
To top it all off, hearing today that this winter is the WETTEST on record in Seattle makes me dream of summery climates.  Like Arizona...  like a desert with sage and cacti, and sunshine.  So I felt this cocktail was appropriate to post today.  Sunny, bright, delicious.
Kick off your weekend and make sure to put on sunny disposition. 

We had this at Tango restaurant on Capitol Hill in Seattle a couple weeks ago; great food, great drinks, this place focuses on tapas and other Spanish specialties.  This cocktail was unusual and delightful, served over ice with an orange twist, but strained and served straight up is great too! 

Sage simple syrup is easy to make, but you do need fresh sage to do it.  I think it makes the cocktail... just gives it a great flavor nuance. 

The original cocktail listed lemon juice, but I had some really great, tangy oranges, so I used orange juice instead as I like ginger and orange together.  You could do lemon, or even a bit of both.  
 
(that little jar on the left is filled with sage simple syrup)
Makes 1
Ingredients

1 jigger Bulletin Bourbon
1/2 jigger Ginger liqueur
1/2 jigger Sage simple syrup (5-6 fresh sage leaves, 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar)
1 jigger Lemon juice, or Orange juice
Dash of Orange bitters
Dash of Angostura bitters
Orange peel, twist 

First,

Make the sage simple syrup by adding the fresh sage into a saucepan with 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar.  Bring to a boil and then turn done to low and let simmer for 5 minutes.  Have a taste (careful, it's super hot!) and you should taste the earthy sage taste.  Never fear, this flavor is awesome when mixed with the rest of the ingredients. Remove from heat and let it cool for a couple of minutes.

Mix the ingredients as listed above(except the orange peel twist) in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.  Shake, shake, shake. Strain into a martini glass, twist the orange peel over the drink to release the oils, and serve at once. 

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