COCKTAILS

 Hello ladies and gents this is the Viking telling you that today we are talking about

Drink Me, You Will

On a dark red black and black ground, a large coupe glass holds a pale green drink. On both sides of the glass are a basil leaf wrapped around a sage leaf, giving the appearance of Yoda’s ears. They’re held on by a long wooden pick.

Bartender Bryan Galligos made this emerald concoction at Bacchus Bar at the Kimpton Hotel Vintage in Portland, Oregon, in 2017 for a celebration of the release of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” Galligos uses a bright bunch of smashed basil to give this Yoda-inspired drink its requisite flush of green, reminiscent of the Jedi master’s signature skin tone. Sage simple syrup is a nod to Yoda’s wisdom, and a couple of those leaves make a nice, perky Yoda ear garnish.

Aside from the cutesy-but-earnest homage to the iconic space Muppet, the cocktail is a bright and flavorful drink in its own right. Made with Calvados—an apple brandy from Normandy in northern France—the Drink Me, You Will also contains fresh-squeezed apple cider (not hard cider or anything carbonated) to amplify the apple notes, making it an eminently quaffable concoction. While other apple brandies are distinct from Calvados, you can substitute something like an apple jack or eau-de-vie in a pinch.

Sage simple syrup serves as more than just an homage to the wise Jedi master: it also adds to the vivid green hue of the crushed basil and gives the drink an aromatic depth. If you have leftovers of it, the bright green syrup would work well in something like a Gimlet, adding even more verdancy and botanical notes. Galligos also notes it would work well in “a variation on an Old-Fashioned with a bold whiskey and some fun bitters,” as well as a Cobbler using an apple brandy.

A large part of the drink’s appeal comes from its appearance. Adding sage leaves clipped to the edge of the glass with the miniature clothespins that are popular in cocktail bars, or just a long pick, amplifies the drink’s similarity to Yoda. Wrap them each in a basil leaf first for an even more pronounced Yoda-like appearance.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 ounces Calvados
• 1 ounce apple cider
• 1/2 ounce sage simple syrup
• 1/2 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 6 basil leaves
• Garnish: sage leaves

Steps

1. Add the Calvados, apple cider, sage simple syrup, lemon juice and basil leaves to a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.
2. Double-strain into a Martini glass.
3. Garnish with 2 fresh sage leaves. If possible, clip to either side of the glass using miniature clothespins or a pick.

And as always have a chilled day from the Viking