This month, I was in a rut, trying to come up with a name for a new drink I'd created. I had leftover sage leaf from making stuffed Cornish game hens (they were a Christmas present from work, and I finally got around to making them as we participated in the great quarantine freezer clean-out), so of course I made a batch of sage simple syrup. After some testing (the applejack/sage syrup/lemon cocktail was not as much of a home run as I had hoped), I found an excellent application in an Old Fashioned riff with mezcal and orange bitters. But the drink needed a name.
I spent a good hour ruminating, and then sent off a text to friend of the blog Zack with a picture and a name - "Once Upon a Thyme in Oaxaca." It's a well worn pun, but whatever! The only problem, as Zack reminded me, was that I used sage instead of thyme in my syrup - I had brain-farted on my ingredients in the name of making a pun fit. I still needed a name.
I put on some music while I cleaned up the bar. The Gin Blossoms have been in heavy rotation ever since I found The Great Albums Podcast and listened to their review of New Miserable Experience. I've always loved the Blossoms (I've seen them live more than any other band except Carbon Leaf), and their new album (Mixed Reality) is excellent. But it was when I was listening to the anniversary re-issue of New Miserable Experience that the name came to me. The third track (and third single) off the album is called Mrs. Rita, named for a billboard psychic from the 900-number, Mrs. Cleo boom. She was prominent in the American Southwest, where Mexican food and the mezcal boom started. A "sage" from the southwest? I found my winner!
Of course, this naming convention sent me down a rabbit hole, and I had to text Brad. Instead of coming up with a top ten list of break-up songs, or side 1, track 1s, my new challenge was to make a 5 drink tasting menu using a single artist. Brad enjoys good whiskey and margaritas, but he's not a full-fledged bartender. So the concept didn't require fully formed drinks - just concepts to match the song names. Following the recipe, I'll give you my Gin Blossoms themed menu. I may try to build these other drinks out over the coming months, so keep an eye back on this space for the rest of my top 5 (or maybe 7, I couldn't pick between some songs).
For now, here is the recipe for the Mrs. Rita - a simple, smoky drink with a savory backbone that sipseasy over a big block of ice:
Ingredients: 2 oz mezcal (Del Maguey Vida if you have it) , 0.5 oz sage simple syrup (recipe follows), 3 dashes orange bitters (Regan's Orange Bitters No. 6 preferred), sage leaf to garnish.
Preparation: In a mixing glass, combine mezcal, sage syrup, and bitters. Add 5 medium-sized ice cubes, and stir for 10 seconds. Strain into an old fashioned glass. Using a bar spoon, slowly add one large ice cube, and garnish with a sage leaf on top of the ice cube.
Notes: To make the sage syrup, combine 0.5 cups of water and 0.5 cups of sugar in a sauce pot. Stir to combine, and bring to a gentle boil. Add 10 sage leaves, allow to boil for one minute, and then remove from heat. Allow to cool for 30 minutes, then strain off sage leaves and bottle for up to three weeks.
Gin Blossoms Tasting Menu:
Lost Horizons (dry Manhattan with absinthe rinse) - New Miserable Experience (track 1)
Hey Jealousy (chartreuse/Last Word riff) - New Miserable Experience (track 2)
Mrs. Rita (Mezcal Old Fashioned) - New Miserable Experience (track 3)
Pieces of the Night (cobbler) - New Miserable Experience (track 11)
Follow You Down (beer with shot chaser) - Congratulations, I'm Sorry (track 3)
Learning the Hard Way (whiskey/hard cider tall drink) - Major Lodge Victory (track 1)
Idiot Summer (lemonade sipper) - Rarity/Bonus Track
