Elixir of Sage
Season: Spring and summer. The healing, warming properties of sage have long been recognized, and one traditional way to imbibe them is by means of a liqueur, such as this one. The velvety, gray-green leaves are steeped in eau-de-vie and the resulting elixir should, I’m told, be drunk each day to ensure good health and a long life. I take just a capful (not a cupful) myself each morning and find it very restorative. Of course, this is not the only way to use this soothing herb liqueur–a glassful can be enjoyed as a comforting digestif, or a capful can be diluted with tonic water for an aromatic pick-me-up. Gather the sage on a warm, dry day. As an evergreen, this herb can be picked throughout the year, but it’s at its best during the spring and summer months.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 cups
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Shake the sage leaves well to remove any wildlife (those that don’t escape at this stage will become sublimely intoxicated). Pack the leaves into a large, wide-necked 2 1/2- to 3-cup jar. Fill the jar to the very top with eau-de-vie and seal with an airtight lid (if any leaves are uncovered, they will oxidize and the color of the liqueur will become dull brown). Give it a good shake and then place on a sunny windowsill to steep for about 1 month, remembering to give it a shake every now and then.
Step 2
When you’re ready to complete the elixir, make a sugar syrup by gently heating the sugar with 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of water until the sugar has dissolved. Allow this to cool.
Step 3
Strain the sage liquor through a sieve into a bowl. Stir in the sugar syrup. Decant into sterilized bottles (see p. 125), placing 2 or 3 of the soaked sage leaves in each bottle. Cork or cap with screw-caps. The elixir is ready to use immediately. Use within 1 year.
