Sage Liqueur

Many years ago I tried making wine. Rather than using grapes, I tried a variety of fruit wines. most of them were pretty bad. At one point, however, I tried making liqueurs. The first one was cherry, and it was great! This was followed by blueberry and a couple of others. About a month ago I started several different liqueurs, and the first one was ready today--Sage Liqueur.

Liqueur, brandy, schnapps--homemade drinks go by many names. At their core they are store-bought alcohol (of various varieties) infused with fruit, herbs, etc. I was a little worried because the first one finished was the Sage drink, and to be honest I was not quite sure what to expect from it. I was pleasantly surprised. Imagine a light, sweet taste somewhere between Galliano and Benedictine. In fact, after tasting it I realized how pervasive the sage aroma permeates many herbal drinks. It is not something I could drink every day, but then again neither are Galliano and Benedictine.

Important tip--While I firmly agree that you should never cook with alcohol that you would not enjoy drinking on its own, the ingredients in liqueurs do not follow this rule. Use the cheapest vodka, etc. you can find. You will be amazed at how the infusing process mellows even the most acrid of base liquors.

Sage Liqueur

12 fresh sage leaves
2 cloves
peel from 1/2 lemon, cut into strips
1 1/2 cups white wine (I used inexpensive unoaked chardonnay)
1 1/4 cups vodka
1 cup sugar

Mix ingredients together in a 1 quart container. Seal and leave for 6 weeks in a cool, dry, fairly dark place. After 6 weeks, strain and bottle.