This cocktail is an ode to late summer, a bittersweet kiss goodbye made with the last of the ripe wild berries and flowers around our mountainous home where fall comes far too soon. There are some more abstract ingredients you can’t find in a grocery store such as Yarrow flowers and Black Currants but as long as you have Blackberries at the very least you’ll do just fine crafting this wonderful sip.

Wild flowers and herbs make the most wonderful, unexpected garnishes for cocktails. Here we’ve used White Yarrow and chose to pair it with a good infused gin as they both have hints of spice and earth. We thought we would offer a few tips for adding wild flowers and herbs to your own drinks at home; as well as a recipe for one of our favorites.

-Invest in a good guide for your region. Being based in Colorado our guide of choice is Edible and Medicinal Plants of The Rockies by Linda Kershaw.

-Even the most unassuming, delicate flower can be poisonous so always do your research before picking.

-Don’t forage near roads, polluted waterways or industrial areas.

-When building a cocktail using a plant that is new to you spend some time getting to know it. How does it smell, taste and feel? Does it have hints of other flavors such as pear, lime, ginger? This is a great way to begin your recipe.

-Invest in a muddler and fine strainer.

-Simple syrups are a great way to incorporate plant essences into cocktails

-Always use plants when they are fresh, or dry them soon after picking to avoid the decay of their flavor and scent compounds. No one likes drinking musty plants.

– And don’t forget- Bitters always make every drink better. 🙂

Ingredients:

– 1 1/2 oz. Sage infused Gin (we used Hendricks gin and culinary sage infused for 2 days then strained)

– 1 oz. simple syrup

– handful of Blackberries, Black Currants and Yarrow Flowers

– 3 shakes DRAM Wild Mountain Sage Bitters

– squeeze of fresh Lemon or Orange juice to add a bit of acid

– any kind of edible flower for garnish

Directions:

Place the berries and Yarrow flowers into a cocktail mixing glass and muddle very very well with a muddler to macerate all of the berries. Pour the gin over the berries and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes to further draw out the juices from the fruit. Add ice, simple syrup, bitters and lemon or orange juice and shake very well. Fine strain into a cocktail glass, this may also be enjoyed over ice if you’d like!

Voila!