The Aspen Cannonball Recipe

Prepare and infuse

Lightly bruise 6 fresh sage leaves by clapping them between your palms or gently crushing with the back of a spoon to release oils. Put the bruised sage leaves into a clean 375–500 ml (12 fl oz) bottle or jar and pour in 12 fl oz (about 355 ml) Tito's Vodka. Seal tightly.

Let the mixture steep at room temperature for 2–4 hours for a light infusion or up to 12 hours for a more pronounced sage flavor. Taste after 2 hours and again every couple hours until it reaches desired herbal intensity. Do not exceed 24 hours to avoid bitterness.

When infusion is ready, strain through a fine-mesh sieve or coffee filter into a clean bottle to remove sage leaves and any particulates. Refrigerate the infused vodka until ready to use (keeps well for 2–3 weeks refrigerated). Measure out 2 fl oz of the sage-infused vodka per cocktail when assembling.

Chill a coupe or rocks glass by filling with ice and setting aside, or place in freezer for a few minutes.

In a cocktail shaker, add 2 fl oz sage-infused vodka, 1.5 fl oz fresh grapefruit juice, 0.5 fl oz fresh lemon juice, 0.5 fl oz simple syrup, and 2 dashes grapefruit bitters.

Fill the shaker with ice (about 1 cup) and shake vigorously for 10–15 seconds until the outside of the shaker is icy cold and well-chilled.

Discard ice from the chilled serving glass and double-strain the cocktail into the glass using a Hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh strainer to remove ice shards and any tiny herb bits.

Express a grapefruit twist over the drink to release oils, rim the glass with the twist and drop it in or lay it across the rim. Gently slap the remaining fresh sage leaf between your palms to release its aroma and place it as a garnish on top of the drink.

Serve immediately.