Blackberry-Sage Fizz: A Great French Cocktail with Sage and Cognac

Jul 12

Jul 12 Blackberry-Sage Fizz: A Great French Cocktail with Sage and Cognac

The other day, a friend gave me an windfall of fresh herbs—so many that I couldn’t possibly use them all before they faded. So, since I’m in the midst of a “French Cocktails” series, I thought: Why not morph these beauties into cocktails while they’re at their peak … and also make some syrups that I can store in the fridge and use for later?

But as I started to develop the recipes, I had an intense feeling of déjà vu. Wait a minute, I thought. I’ve done this before.

Indeed! I suddenly remembered that I did a story on French herb cocktails for Country Gardens magazine about six or seven years ago.

So, I went to their Facebook page, searched for “cocktails,” and indeed, up came most of the ones I had developed.

Back then, I was on a Cognac kick (having recently toured the Cognac region of France to learn more about the spirit). So, I came up with the Black Raspberry-Sage Fizz, which combines black raspberry liqueur, Cognac, sage leaves, and Prosecco.

It’s a refreshingly fizzy way to enjoy brown liquor in cocktails. It’s great for those of us who love brown liquor, but can’t always think of a way to make it summery.

These days, since I’m playing around with Mathilde French Liqueurs, I’m substituting Mathilde Cassis Liqueur for the Chambord. Here’s the recipe, the way I make it today:

Black Raspberry-Sage Fizz Cocktail

Sage and cassis are a winning combination—the peppery herb balances the sweetness of the cassis liqueur.

For each cocktail:
2 medium-size sage leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
1 ounce cassis liqueur, such as Mathilde Cassis
1 ounce Cognac
2 to 3 ounces Prosecco
Blackberries and sage leaves, for garnish

Muddle the sage leaves and sugar in the bottom of a cocktail shaker until the sugar is dissolved. Add the cassis liqueur and Cognac; shake vigorously. Pour into a small, ice-filled cocktail glass. Top off with Prosecco. Garnish with a sage leaf sprig and blackberries speared on a cocktail pick.