Photo by Michael Piazza

Makes 1 cocktail

3 sage leaves
½ ounce lemon juice
½ ounce simple syrup
2 ounces Apple Vanilla Vodka (recipe below)
1 ounce Laird’s Applejack
½ ounce Domaine de Canton French Ginger Liqueur

Garnishes: small sage leaves, spiralized apple, cinnamon stick

Muddle 3 sage leaves with the lemon juice and simple syrup. Add the rest of the ingredients and ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into a double rocks glass with fresh ice. Garnish as desired.

For Apple Vanilla Vodka:
3 apples, chopped
3 vanilla beans, split and scraped
½ cup sugar, divided
1 liter Bully Boy Vodka  

Chop apples, toss with half of the sugar and leave to macerate for 10 minutes. Place the apple mixture in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle with remaining sugar, tossing to coat. Cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool. Pour vodka over the apples. Split and scrape vanilla beans into the vodka mixture while it’s still hot. Add the emptied pods to the mixture. Stir, and allow to cool. Leave in the refrigerator for 2 days, shaking once or twice per day. On day 3, strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a bottle.

This recipe appeared in the Winter 2019 issue as part of a larger story, “Bar Belles.”