I can label myself an accidental gardener with no judgment or regret. Every year, I plant and nurture what is in my yard and am always filled with wonder by what survives and what I can use for the family belly.

I have two 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. This is the second year for the sage plant and it blossomed beautifully a few weeks ago. What could I make with the blossoms? My friend, Kate of Snowflake Kitchen, had the answer: simple syrup. (She just made rhubarb syrup that can be used for cocktails, 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 in its casual recipe and 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 gin
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.