A warming taste of fall in a glass. There are no gatherings right now, but if there were, this would be a hit. And since there aren’t, I guess you’ll just have to have both servings all to yourself. Whoops.
Sage plants are perennial, meaning they come back every spring, and it takes a lot to make them die. Mine started out as a very manageable few leaves and has turned into a massive shrub. She’s a big mean mama, and I have more sage than anyone really needs. Obviously I cut and dry a good bit of it to dry and store through the winter, but I’ve found myself not using all of it in one winter and having double next winter. The dried stuff is fabulous for Thanksgiving and lending a fall flavor to just about anything, but it was time to get creative. Enter the sage cocktail.
I’m keeping this one short and sweet, and just leaving you with the recipe, because I’ve got some sipping to so.
How to make this vegan Bourbon Sage Cocktail
First you’ll need simple syrup. I see so many bourbon cocktails with honey, but since this is a vegan blog, I opted for the bee-free sweetener. Of course you can buy simple syrup at the grocery or liquor stores, but it’s like seriously the easiest thing to make your own – plus save yourself some dollars and put it towards more bourbon, amirite?
If you opt to make your own simple syrup, you’ll need equal parts sugar and water. I’d do 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water, and literally just cook it for about 10 minutes on low-medium heat. Boil this down until it forms a clear, thick syrup, kind of like caramel without the color. When making your own simple syrup, I would add the sage leaves right to the boiling water so it absorbs that flavor fully.
If you’re using store bought simple syrup, crush sage leaves into simple syrup and leave for a few hours up to a few days to infuse if you like. You can also just muddle some sage leaves and add to the drink if that’s easier.
Add bourbon and simple syrup to a glass and shake or stir with ice. Garnish with peeled citrus or more sage leaves.

for More Information
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Check out my Pinterest page if you’re interested in more vegan dinner ideas and vegan protein swaps to make sure you’re getting the most out of your meal. I love seeing recreations of my dishes, so feel free to leave me a comment here if you make this, or share your photo on Facebook or Instagram and be sure to tag @chickpea_and_herb and hashtag #recipea so I can see it.

Bourbon Sage Cocktail
Ingredients
- 3 oz bourbon
- 3 tbsp simple syrup (with sage)
- 1 tsp crushed sage leaves
- optional garnishes: lemon peel, orange peel
Instructions
- Crush sage leaves into simple syrup and leave for a few hours up to a few days to infuse if you like. You can also opt to make your own simple syrup by boiling equal parts sugar and water with a few leaves of sage.
- Add bourbon and simple syrup to a glass and shake or stir with ice.
- Garnish with peeled citrus or more sage leaves.
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