Sage Goldrush Cocktail

While looking for something new to serve at Christmas Eve, I came upon this article: The 8 Drinks That Made My Career: Jim Meehan. I picked the Goldrush to try out first (#6,7 and 8 are on my to-try list) as I was recently gifted a few bottles of honey. As holiday present a vendor sent four different honeys to my work. No one was keen on the sage honey besides me. Challenge accepted.

So what about an extra sage-y tasting sage honey Goldrush? I'm not the first to come up with this. There are a few modified Goldrush drinks out there already, even some with sage! That must mean it's good? To me this feels like a perfectly acceptable winter drink, honey, lemon, savory herbs. Apparently most think of it as a summer drink. So drink it all year!

You don't need sage honey for this drink. Actually if you have a fancy honey, set that aside for something else. This drink tastes just fine with an un-fancy honey. Other than honey you will need some fresh sage, lemon juice and the booze of course. I made mine with bourbon (what the traditional Goldrush calls for), but rye could work or even a lighter blended scotch.

SAGE HONEY SYRUP

Makes ~12 drinks

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup water

15 sage leaves

To make the honey sage syrup, combine equal parts honey and water. 

Add a few sage leaves depending on how herbal you'd like it. The sage taste won't be very strong, more of a hint.

Heat over low heat until honey is dissolved and sage starts to look curled and wilted. Around 20-30 minutes. Don't let it boil and turn into candy.

You can tell it's been long enough when the leaves curl up and look spent.

Strain the honey and discard the sage leaves.

SAGE GOLDRUSH

2 oz Bourbon

3/4 oz sage honey syrup

3/4 oz lemon juice

For the drink, combine 3/4 oz honey syrup, 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice, 2 oz bourbon over ice. I like a big ice cube for this drink. I have the sphere mold and king cube mold from Tovolo.

I don't have a 3/4 mark on my measuring cup, so I eyeball it.

Yankee doodle style haha