Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Cucumber & Sage Cocktail

Hot summer days scream for a delicious hand crafted cocktail, especially one made with fresh, in season ingredients and best quality spirits.  This recipe is one of my new favorites.
My herb garden is overflowing with sage. I planted a couple of 4-inch pots last year and the herb came back with a vengeance this summer.  I have been experimenting with recipes to use the wonderful bounty. My favorite is gnocchi or pasta in a butter and sage sauce. I often roast chicken stuffed with fresh sage leaves. Sage pairs wonderfully with pork...and apples in fall. Lovely with white beans and loads of olive oil...or fried sage leaves crumbled on roast vegetables. But today's star is a cocktail with the sage muddled with cucumber and then added to a mixture of tequila, Chambord, lemon juice and topped with Prosecco. Light, tangy, refreshing and really, really good!  Man, I love summer.

Cucumber & Sage Cocktail
(This was inspired by the Silver Sage Cocktail at Blue Mesa Grill)
makes 2
4 slices cucumber (about 1 inch thick)
5 sage leaves
2 oz tequila (use a really good one)
1 oz Chambord
juice from 1 lemon
1 tbsp agave nectar
2 cups ice
Prosecco
sage leaves for garnish
Add cucumber and sage to large cocktail shaker. Muddle to combine ingredients. Add tequila, Chambord, lemon juice, agave and ice. Shake vigorously. 
Strain in 2 champagne flutes or other tall glasses.  Top off with prosecco and a sage leaf garnish. Serve immediately.

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It is "Summer Cocktails" week at Food Network's #Summer Soiree roundup. Have a favorite summer cocktail recipe?  Share in the comments section and/or link to your blog if you have one. 

Feed Me Phoebe: Grilled Strawberry-Mint Bellinis
The Lemon Bowl: Raspberry-Ginger Bellini
Jeanette's Healthy Living: White Peach Sangria
The Heritage Cook: Refreshing Lime Coolers
The Cultural Dish: Pimm's Cup
Virtually Homemade: Frozen Lime Margaritas with a Sangria Swirl 
Weelicious: Strawberry Lemonade 
Big Girls, Small Kitchen: Strawberry Gimlets with Homemade Strawberry Vodka
Napa Farmhouse 1885: Cucumber and Sage Cocktail
Red or Green: Frozen Tri-Melon Cocktail
Dishing With Divya: Caipirinha
In Jennie's Kitchen: Cantaloupe Lillet Sparkler
Poet in the Pantry: Pirate's Booty Call
Elephants and the Coconut Trees: Watermelon Malibu Surf
Sweet Life Bake: Boozy Affogato
Devour: 5 Boozy Summer Coolers
Domesticate Me: Blueberry Mojito Royale
Haute Apple Pie: Classic Mojito
Daily*Dishin: Blackberry Rum Shrub
Taste With The Eyes: Korean Soju Kimbap Bloody Mary
FN Dish: Sip Your Way Through Summer (Recipes)
best,

I have started sharing my Taos experiences on my newest blog "California Girl in Taos". Please visit and let me know what you think.

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