Taylor MacPherson’s Sage Advice Cocktail Recipe

Sage Advice

IT’S NOT OFTEN THAT A SUPER-COMPLEX AND HIGHLY ORIGINAL WHISKY COCKTAIL ALSO MANAGES TO BE A CROWD-PLEASER, but, somehow, Sage Advice pulls it off. This long drink is rich in fall flavours — cinnamon, clove, pear, and sage — and specifically designed to pair well with the sort of meaty appetizers Lot Six is known for. “I feel like I went to the flavour bible and this classic combination just worked right away,” says MacPherson. “It’s very fall-forward and has a lot of different notes, but it’s still really crushable.”

Taylor MacPherson

BAR MANAGER, LOT SIX BAR & RESTAURANT

HALIFAX

INGREDIENTS

• 2 oz Canadian whisky

• 3/4 oz lemon juice

• 1/2 oz cardoon or artichoke amaro (like Cardamaro or Cynar)

• 1/2 oz pear-and-pepper syrup*

• 1/4 oz ginger syrup**

• 1 egg white

• 1 pinch of salt

• 3 sage leaves

OPTIONAL GARNISH:

• 1 dehydrated-citrus wheel

• 3 sage leaves

METHOD

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with one cube of ice and shake vigorously until the egg white is emulsified for about 5 seconds. Add a scoop of ice and shake for 10 seconds. Double-strain into a tall glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish.

*Combine 11⁄2 tbsp peppercorns, 2 cloves, and a 5-cm (2-inch) piece of cinnamon bark in a saucepan on low heat. Toast until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 125 ml (1⁄2 cup) pear nectar and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 80 ml (1⁄3 cup) honey and stir until incorporated. Set aside to cool. Strain, bottle and refrigerate.

**Commercial ginger syrup is available at cocktail supply shops. To make your own, combine 125 ml (1⁄2 cup) ginger juice and 125 ml (1⁄2 cup) brown sugar in a saucepan on medium-low and stir until the sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool. Add 30 ml (1 fl oz) vodka, stir and transfer to a bottle. Will last three weeks minimum in the refrigerator.