I went through a stage about a year ago when I was obsessed with tequila-based old fashioneds. I even posted two on the blog — the Añejo Old Fashioned and the Oaxaca Old Fashioned, which subs in some of the tequila with a splash of mezcal.
This year, I was left with a few sprigs of extra sage floating around in my vegetable drawer after Thanksgiving, and I remembered this staple of my cocktail repertoire last winter. A sage-infused simple syrup serves as the counterpart to smokey reposado tequila and a few dashes of orange bitters. The best part is the garnish, which is truly addictive — candied sage leaves. Make more than you think you’ll need because you’ll be snacking on them and adding them to desserts as well as garnishing this drink with them.
Once you get the candied sage leaves out of the way, it’s an easy but impressive autumn and winter cocktail. Find the recipe on Food52.
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