During the cold months, I tend to be drawn to warm sweaters, a fire in the woodstove and red wine. When the temperature increases, all that goes out the window. All of a sudden my capacity, patience and excitement for cocktails blossoms like the purple buds of lavender in the yard.
My sister is a cocktail professional living in the heart of bourbon country, so when I started putting together this cocktail, inspired by classics like the Negroni and boulevardier, I sent her the recipe and waited, knowing she would make it at the bar and send me her thoughts. With a few expert tweaks, the result is a cocktail that will undoubtedly be my go-to all summer long and is surprisingly versatile, as all staple recipes usually are.
Here, you can shake the bourbon, mezcal, sweet vermouth, Campari and lime juice over ice, pour it in a cocktail glass and serve it as is. Or, you can add sparkling water in almost any amount, from just a splash to a more generous pour, swapping out the cocktail glass for a rocks or collins glass, which transforms this into a lighter spritz version with all the same flavors.
When it comes to what liquors to choose, I would recommend choosing spirits you like, taking into account that mixing them into a cocktail will mask some of their individual subtleties. For instance, if you have a $70 bottle of bourbon or mezcal that is generally made for sipping and a midlevel $30 bottle, I would use the midlevel selection.
I often think the most important detail in cocktails, aside from the combination of flavors, is the quality of the mixers. In this case, the mixer is lime juice, so taking the time to squeeze fresh limes will be worth the minimal effort.
Cocktail glasses vary in size, so this recipe makes four 2-ounce cocktails before adding sparkling water. The fresh sage leaf releases a surprising amount of aromatics with a simple slap between your hands, which takes this slightly smoky, complex and easy-to-sip cocktail to the next level.
The Desert Sage Cocktail
Marianne Sundquist/For The New Mexican
The Desert Sage Cocktail
Yield: Around 4 cocktails, depending on the size of your cocktail glass; total time: 5 minutes
2 ounces bourbon
2 ounces mezcal
2 ounces sweet vermouth (I like to use Carpano Antica)
1 ounce Campari
1 ounce fresh lime juice
Sparkling water, for garnish (optional)
4 fresh sage leaves, for garnish
Preparation: Shake bourbon, mezcal, sweet vermouth, Campari and fresh lime juice with ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain between 4 cocktail glasses. Add a splash of soda to each glass. Garnish each glass with a sage leaf after slapping it in your hand to release some of the herbaceous oils. Serve immediately.
Marianne Sundquist is a chef, writer and co-founder of Stokli, celebrating nourishing goods from the high desert (stokli.com). Find her on Instagram @marianne__sundquist and email her at marianne@stokli.com.
The Santa Fe New Mexican observes its 175th anniversary with a series highlighting some of the major stories and figures that have appeared in the paper's pages through its history. The collection also includes archival photo galleries.
