Sage Advice From Cane & Table

Recipe: Julia Gentner , Cane & Table , New Orleans

Photo: Randy Schmidt

July 14, 2025

A juicy rum and bourbon cocktail elevated with elderflower and sage notes.

This equal-parts rum and bourbon cocktail by bartender Julia Gentner at New Orleans’ Cane & Table features the summer freshness of blackberries complemented by the floral and herbal notes of elderflower and sage.

Ingredients

1 oz. bourbon
1 oz. demerara rum (Cane & Table uses Hamilton 86)
3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice
3/4 oz. blackberry syrup
1/4 oz. elderflower liqueur
1 dash Bittercube Jamaican No. 1 bitters (or Angostura bitters)
2 spritzes sage tincture

Tools:shaker, strainer
Glass:snifter
Garnish:sage leaf and dehydrated lemon

Preparation

Add all the ingredients to shaker followed by one or two ice cubes. Shake until the ice is gone. Fill the glass with crushed ice and strain the cocktail over it. Give the cocktail two spritzes of sage tincture. Garnish.
Blackberry SyrupCombine 1/2 cup of blackberry puree with 1/2 cup of water and bring to a simmer. Add 1 cup of sugar, and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and refrigerate for use within 14 days.
Sage TinctureChop 1/2 cup of fresh sage and place it in a glass jar. Pour in 2/3 cup of high-proof neutral alcohol to cover the herbs. Store in a cool, dark place for a month, turning occasionally. The infusion time can be reduced to 2 weeks, but then the tincture “wouldn’t be as aromatic,” says Gentner. Strain out the sage leaves and pour the tincture into a small spray bottle.