Blackberry Sage Bourbon Cocktails

A perfect cocktail to mix with a cowboy romance, this blackberry and bourbon drink gets a major upgrade with the addition of sage syrup for an herbaceous note.

Blackberry Sage Bourbon Cocktails

There are some times when I’m reading a book and my brain just starts drifting to a recipe. Wouldn’t it be nice to be enjoying this book with a cocktail? Ooooh there are cowboys….what about a bourbon cocktail? Maybe a blueberry bourbon cocktail? No blackberry, even better. And by the time I’m done with chapter 1, I’ve written a recipe!

That’s how this delicious Blackberry Sage Bourbon Cocktail came to be. Something about reading about a ranch and horseback riding in Done and Dusted just made me want to complement the story with bourbon. I love a cowboy romance, and I love this cocktail. And I really liked Done and Dusted too (review coming later this week!!).

As you can probably tell from my other cocktail recipes, there’s nothing I like more in a cocktail than a bit of herb (rosemary and thyme come to mind). I always feel like an herb gives just the right unexpected note to a cocktail that makes your guest say–what is that? And then drink three more of them.

I haven’t made drinks with sage in the past as it has such a distinct taste to it. But sage also has a bit of a lemony note that I thought would pair so well with the blackberry and orange liqueur here. Using fresh blackberries rather than blackberry liqueur, to me, gives sort of fresh, spring vibes too. It makes me feel like I’m kicking back, getting ready to pull on my cowboy boots and visit the horse stables (I live in Los Angeles–the cowboy boots and horse stables are in my brain only).

So I think this combo of cocktail and cowboy romance novel are a perfect escape! They’re the kind of mini vacation with wish fulfillment that will have you saying yee-haw!

Here’s how I make the Blackberry Sage Bourbon Cocktails!!

How to make Blackberry Sage Bourbon Cocktails

Start your cocktails by making the sage syrup. A simple syrup is really that–just 1 part sugar and 1 part water, heated and dissolved together. You can change the flavor by adding other elements to your mixture, which is what we’re doing here with the sage.

Place about 5 sprigs of sage in the bottom of your saucepan. This equals about a cup of sage leaves, for reference. Add in a cup of granulated sugar and a cup of water and bring the mixture to a boil. While it’s heating up, stir it occasionally so that the sugar dissolves completely into the water. Once you bring it to a boil, turn off the heat and let the mixture cool. You can discard the sage once cooled, or let it steep a few hours, depending when you want to make your cocktails. Letting it steep will intensify the sage flavor, but it will be delicious either way.

Now it’s time to make the cocktails! Start with a cocktail shaker and add in the blackberries to the bottom of the shaker. Muddle the blackberries with either a muddler, if you’re fancy, or the back of a wooden spoon. Add in your liquids–cointreau, sage syrup, and bourbon. Put the top back on and shake!

Strain the drink over ice in two glasses. Or serve this in jam jars–so cute! Float a little sparkling water for some effervescence on top, and garnish with sage and blackberries. It’s cocktail time!!

I hope you enjoy these Blackberry Sage Bourbon Cocktails as much as I did! Pair them with a great cowboy romance and giddyup!