Our glassware cabinet is filled with mason jars and a few mismatched Ikea glasses that haven't broken yet. The great thing about mason jars is that they're virtually indestructible - if only I had a dollar for every time my slippery fingers dropped a glass in the sink. The paper-thin glasses holding this blood orange and sage sparkling soda are on the exact opposite end of the spectrum; dangerously lighter than disposable plastic crystal cut cups, they threaten to crumble if you grab just a little too firmly.
My non-rational side couldn't resist their delicacy, so I bought a pair and immediately filled them with something lovely before I had a chance to crush them with my superhuman grip.
Don't expect to see them again. There's a reason I can't have nice things.
As an inexplicably clumsy person, I'm breaking all the rules drinking something so crimson in such a fragile glass. Back in high school, I earned a reputation for spilling food and drinks all over my best friend's carpet. If it could stain, I'd instantly turn into a bumbling oaf. After one too many Hawaiian Punch puddles on her bedroom floor (and bed), her parents bought me a sippy cup and banned me from taking drinks out of the kitchen without it. And they weren't joking.
To this day, I drink water out of a lidded cup with a straw and still manage to spill it down my shirt.
While this vibrant red soda looks a whole lot like Hawaiian punch, I assure you it's way more grown up and ambrosial. This is no youthful sippy cup soda. This deserves a delicate cup (with a straw so I don't actually have to pick it up). It's bright and tart, with a bit of bubbly. The sage simple syrup softens each sip with an unexpected earthy sweetness. To finish it off, I candied the sage from the simple syrup as an aromatic garnish.
Dear Fruit, meet your new best friend Sage. (Scroll down for the recipe)
Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup granulated sugar, plus more for candied sage garnish (optional)
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup fresh sage
- 1 cup ice
- 1 cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice, from about 4-5 blood oranges
- 1 cup seltzer water
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a small pot, stir together the sugar and water. Heat over medium-high heat until the sugar just dissolves, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the fresh sage. Steep for 15-20 minutes.
- Strain the sage simple syrup into a small cup, reserving the sage to candy as a garnish (optional).
- (Optional). One piece at a time, dip a soaked leaf of sage in a small bowl of sugar, covering both sides of the leaf with sugar. Transfer to a plate to dry. (It takes a few hours to harden, so if you're hoping to have this as a garnish, prepare the sage simple syrup in advance).
- Divide the ice between two cups.
- Pour ½ cup of freshly squeezed blood orange juice into each glass.
- Pour 2-3 tablespoons of sage simple syrup into each glass (you can always add more, depending on how sweet you like it).
- Top off each glass with ½ cup of seltzer water.
- Garnish with candied sage and a blood orange slice.
Marlene @ Idle Hands Awake -
Oh WOW this drink looks absolutely incredible!! I would love to make it for a dinner party, do you think it would be easy to double/quadruple the recipe? By the way I was a terrible klutz in high school too -- not as much with breaking dishes but I TWICE walked into a MIRROR. Yikes.
Sarah Menanix -
Thank you so much! And also - I'm glad I'm not alone on the klutz front;)
This recipe would be super easy to double or quadruple and still turn out just as delicious! Best of luck!
Marlene @ Idle Hands Awake -
Awesome, thank you thank you! I'll let you know how it goes! :)
Eden Passante -
That color! It's so beautiful and I love the idea of mixing blood orange and sage! Sounds amazing!
Sarah Menanix -
Awww - thank you so much. Oh man - I'd be so honored if you had this on your baby shower menu! :)
Chris @ Shared Appetite -
Hahahaha, oh Ikea glasses. My collection is slowly dwindling as they chip, crack, and break. I totally laughed out loud at that. Asheley and I are having another couple over tomorrow for dinner and I'm totally making this. They are absolutely stunning!
Sarah Menanix -
So I read your comment. Then I stacked up two ikea glasses to carry them from the bedroom into the kitchen and one of them cracked seconds later. It's like they knew I was talking crap about them! Oh my gosh - please tell me if you end up making this and how you like it!!
Pang @circahappy -
Wow!!!! look at those photos, esp. the pouring motion!!!! I <3 <3 <3 them, Sarah.
This drink is perfect for me. I need to make it like RIGHT NOW.
Sarah Menanix -
Thanks Pang! I used the tips for focusing on the middle of the cup we learned from the pro the other day! I feel so lucky to have so many talented people (like you) inspiring me to keep trying to improve my photos!
Oana @Adore Foods -
Oh Sarah, you are just so funny! I think my daughter will be just like you :) This is one fabulously looking drink, I love its vibrant color. Cannot wait to try it!
Sarah Menanix -
Ha - aw thats sweet of you to say. My mom texted me tonight, "I hope you have a daughter JUST LIKE YOU" after I gave her a bit of sass;)
Maryanne @ the little epicurean -
Whoa. My mind is blown with the sage. These photos make me oh-so-happy. They're sooooo pretty! (P.S. I buy all my glasses and stemware from thrift shops so I'm not devastated when I accidentally break them.)
Sarah Menanix -
I've been snacking on candied sage all week! It confuses my tastebuds in such a good way. (You = so smart!)
Tessa | Salted Plains -
These photos are beautiful!! Yay for candied sage! The sage simple syrup sounds so good. I just recently invested in some decent looking don't-look-like-plastic plastic cups because I have broken wayy too many glasses. So far so good. ;)
Sarah Menanix -
Ah - where'd you get them?! I just broke another glass this morning, so I think it's time I go plastic;) Also - thank you!
Tessa | Salted Plains -
World Market! They have all different colors, too!
Jessica | A Happy Food Dance -
Saw these on Foodgawker and had to stop by and tell you how GORGEOUS they are! Love the candied sage too! I have a fiancé that is a notorious spiller so I'm not contemplated a sippy cup for him. Although, I don't think beer will taste too good out of it!
Sarah Menanix -
Thank you so much, Jessica! I bet you could find some pretty stylish adult sippy cups these days (the one they bought me was pink and had animals on it hahaha). Beer through a straw? HMMMM hahaha.
Ashley @ A Lady Goes West -
I don't think I've ever heard "ambrosial" used in that way, but I like it! Good work!
Sharon @ What The Fork Food Blog -
Gorgeous photos as always, Sarah! Looks like a glass of summer and I'm totally needing that right now! It's currently a balmy 34 degrees right now... which is actually "warm".
Sarah Menanix -
Eep! I'm sending warm thoughts your way!
Amy | Club Narwhal -
Oh, good grief, this is one gorgeous soda! The colors are so perfect and makes me believe that winter might truly, someday, end :)
Sarah Menanix -
Aww - maybe you need a trip to California to cure you of your winter blues?? ;) ;)
Liz @ Floating Kitchen -
This is sooooo beautiful. I can't take my eyes off your photos. The color is just stunning. And I can see how you couldn't resist those glasses.
Sarah Menanix -
Thank you so much, Liz! I searched for the most vibrant red blood oranges I could find.
Meg @ The Housewife in Training Files -
Blood orange deserves to be in everything and this drink is no exception. Stunning!!!
Christina @ The Beautiful Balance -
I joke all the time that nobody taught me how to eat a sandwich because when I try it is just alllll over me! This drink looks insanely refreshing. I love all things blood orange and the fact that you threw sage in the mix I mean hello new favorite combination!
Lynn | The Road to Honey -
Mmmm! This looks so refreshing. And the blood orange reminds me of a giant burst of sunshine powerful enough to melt this 18 inches of snow we just had (on top of the 3 feet from earlier in the week).
Sarah Menanix -
OH MY GOSH. Can you mail some of that snow over to California???
Sarah@Whole and Heavenly Oven -
This is seriously THE most gorgeous drink ever! I love love the color and the fact that it's booze-free, so I can drink it all day long! WIN.
Isadora @ she likes food -
My cabinet is also filled with a bunch of mason jars and mis-matched glasses! Unfortunately, my husband always seems to break my favorites! These blood oranges are gorgeous! I've never used them before but now I want to buy a dozen of them! This sparkling soda sounds awesome too :)
Sarah Menanix -
Ha - that's precisely the reason why my husband refused to wash these glasses when I brought them home;) Every time he breaks one of my beloved dishes, he feels SO TERRIBLE, so now he lets me wash all the ones I love.
Marissa | Pinch and Swirl -
What an incredibly refreshing drink! And I love that little sugared sage leaf. Gorgeous photos too + the gif!!
Nancy -
Oh my GOSH. The colours (and your gorgeous photography) in this post. I lovvvvvvvvvvve it.
Sarah Menanix -
You're so sweet, Nancy! Thank you so much! xo.
Amy @ Thoroughly Nourished Life -
I love this new use for sage! I'm guilty of resigning it to only savoury dishes, but I love this use in a drink.
While I'm getting better at not breaking glasses and dishes, I was notorious for knocking over my water glass at dinner every night. Even now when I eat pasta I end up flicking sauce all over what I am wearing, which is probably why I wear a lot of black and navy blue!
Sarah Menanix -
Ha - I love how we get reputations for our clumsiness! The sauce thing ALWAYS happens to me - I need to start wearing a bib;)
Alice @ Honestly Fitness -
Thank you for this recipe! I have always wanted to find a way to use sage in my cooking but haven't been able to yet (read: too lazy to find a good recipe and experiment haha). Your story about being clumsy is adorable yet hilarious!! I feel you though, whenever I have white clothes on I feel like it's fated that I will spill something on me (and it will probably be red, of course)!
Sarah Menanix -
Yes! My white pants are some of my favorites, but they're always smudged with food! ;) I hope you enjoy using sage in a sweet dish!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom -
These blood orange sparkling sodas are gorgeous!!! and the candied sage?! oh my gawd, I love these!!!
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter -
I am such a clumsy person which is why my husband insists that a lot of our dishware we buy is shatterproof haha. This is the prettiest drink ever! I love the gorgeous color from the blood oranges and it looks so so refreshing!
Sarah Menanix -
Haha - I brought home the glasses and my husband was like "I'm not washing those. I will not touch those fragile glasses!" (Thank you!)
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely -
I am super clumsy with drinkware too. I purposely bought double sets of all my glasses, because I knew I would break them. Now I'll just grab a replacement from the shed. I have the worst luck with wine glasses. I'm constantly snapping the stems. I've already broken 3 of my own set!
This might be the prettiest cocktail I have ever seen! I just love that blood red orange color. And that sparkling sage? Amazing!
Sarah Menanix -
That is the most genius idea ever! I actually considered that when I just bought a set of clearance dishes. I got home and thought, "why didn't I buy replacements for when I chip/break these?!"
mira -
I love blood orange soda and it is time to make it myself! Looks fantastic!
Tina @ Just Putzing Around the Kitchen -
Gorgeous and mouthwatering! I want. NOW!
A Taste Of Madness -
This drink is gorgeous! I could drink this all day!